Mose Timoteo is back for a second season with the Colorado State Rams men's rugby program, and that much-needed stability has been helped by the longtime Eagles' connections in the game.

The former USA scrumhalf and wing, 32 caps over 13 years, has been hard at work building his coaching staff and his team. One move of note is his bringing in former USA Women's National Team prop Sarah Chobot as forwards coach after Sean O'Leary left to take the head coaching job at Grand Canyon. It isn't unheard for women to coach men's teams, but it is still relatively rare, and always brings with it a question as to whether the relationship will work.

Well, it has worked exceptionally well.

"I had worked with Sarah and I knkew she'd do a good job," said Timoteo. "After the first training, the guys came to me and said 'we love her.'"

In addition, during preseason training, the CSU team got a visitor in the former of alumnus Ben Pinkelman. The 7s and 15s Eagle was in town during his preparation for the Rugby World Cup, and ran with the players during training.

"To have someone who played at Colorado State and has gone on to be one of the best 7s players in the world, and have him come back and train with us was huge," said Timoteo. "What it also shows these young kids is, if you have the will and put in the work you can go places in this game. It was really good to have him around the boys."

Pinkelman might well be impressed with the current CSU back row of Joe Rusert-Cuddy, Joe Kamara, and Daniel Trump at No. 8— one of the better back rows in the collegiate game. Rusert-Cuddy and Kamara played together as high-schoolers, while Trump was with CSU before taking a break. He's back, Kamara has transferred in, and it's a reunion of sorts.

Meanwhile, Timoteo says he is seeing more and more recruits coming in with some solid rugby experience, and he expects to see some freshmen start. One of this is Mason Kreiter, asecond row from Monarch HS who not only will start, but will run the lineouts.

"I saw him playing for Monarch and he did a really nice job running those lineouts, and so if we have him do that, that allowed Joe and Joe and Daniel to do what they do without that added responsibility," said the coach. 

CSU has a win over Air Force already under their belts, a 27-12 decision in which the Rams led 27-0 before Air Force scored two late. Defensively, said Timoteo, and in the forwards, Colorado State looks very strong. The backs are still working, and the team needs to learn to be ruthless in the final minutes. But things are looking up.

Next up, though, it gets harder as the Rams host BYU Saturday. But the Cougars would do well to be ready.