According to Harvard Coach Martyn Kingston, his top squad's first contest was a great game of rugby.

Unfortunately for the Crimson, the outcome was not so great. A tough B.U. team, favored to win the Boston Metro League, outduelled Kingston's A-side in a gruelling league opener, 10-4.

The Crimson must finish in first or second place in the Metro League to reach the New England Championships. To do so, it will probably have to win the rest of its league matches.

"We're in a tough hole, but it is by no means impossible," said Kingston, relieved that Harvard's toughest game of the season was behind him.

The Terriers--behind two All-Americans--relentlessly pressured Harvard's defense, keeping the ball in the Crimson's end for most of the game. Still, Harvard held a 4-0 lead at the half, earning its lone try from freshman Matteo Peccei, who later left the game with an injury.

In the second half, Harvard's offense was somewhat out of kilter, pinned in its own zone by the Terrier fly-halfs' booming kicks. The Crimson kept the score low and the game within reach, but could not muster up any offensive firepower, hampered by injuries to Peccei and several other key players.

"We played the best game we could," Co-Captain Eric Chehab said.

Both Kingston and Chehab emphasized the success of the Crimson's B-and C-teams, which knocked off B.U. by scores of 35-0 and 18-0, respectively. Kingston said that Saturday's results showed the depth and intensity of his club.

League play continues Thursday when Harvard faces Tufts, a team it beat, 84-0, last season. Over the weekend, the Crimson will travel to Washington, D.C., for a four-team tournament featuring the University of Maryland, one of the top 10 teams in the nation.