Pacific North Recap: PRP Leaderboard Sees Fresh Faces
Samurai Sportswear Pacific Rugby Premiership:
After a lop-sided home opening loss last week, San Francisco Golden Gate (SFGG) looked to this weekend to not get into a home-field deficit. Visiting Santa Monica Dolphins would have something to say about that. SFGG hooker Neill Barret would score a quick try, but then give the Dolphins the opportunity for penalty kicks. Santa Monica Flyhalf Maxwell Rodman would split the uprights twice to make it a one-point game. Prior to the half, the Dolphins would add 7 more and gain the lead 7-13. Rodman would add 3 more at the start of the 2nd half, and SFGG would answer with a converted try. Both sides would lock in defensively with neither side budging, when SFGG would make it harder for themselves going a man down for the remaining 10 minutes due to a yellow card. Santa Monica would not be able to capitalize on the man advantage, but stayed physical on defense, to narrowly triumph 16-14. In an early battle for first place, Life West Gladiators hosted Old Mission Beach Athletic Club (OMBAC). OMBAC would quickly go up 10-0 in under five minutes. Any momentum OMBAC had was quickly stifled by 2 consecutive Gladiator tries. The two teams would trade scores and the lead before going into half with the home team only retaking the lead as time expired to make it 28-23. The second half was all Life West, as they kept the energy level up and fought to a 52-23 lead. Both sides would add a converted try in injury time and Life West would gain another bonus point with the 59-30 win to gain the top spot in the standings. Glendale Merlins travelled to Belmont Shore Rugby in a wet defensive battle. Belmont Shore held onto the only 3 points of the game until Glendale put up 7 right before the half. The score would remain 3-7 until Belmont had a late game 15 point surge, gaining victory, 18-7.
Northern California Men’s Division II:
Santa Rosa Rugby hosted Sacramento Capitals and got off to a fairly quick start with a five-pointer at five minutes. A pair of yellow cards for both teams would slow the play down, but Santa Rosa would be able to add to their lead 15-0 at the half. Santa Rosa would double their score in the second half, almost keep the capitals off the board until a try by Desi Streater in the final minute to bring the final score to 31-5. San Francisco Golden Gate D2 (SFGG D2) travelled to Vacaville Old Dogs who are still on the hunt for their first win. Vacaville would be plagued with a yellow card early on, but SFGG D2 would not be able to capitalize. SFGG D2 jumped ahead with a pair of tries and both would add more at the end of the half with SFGG in the lead 7-19. SFGG extended their lead right off the whistle, but allowed the Old Dogs to claw their way back to within 3 points with 17 minutes left in the game. Vacaville would not be allowed a comeback and SFGG would put the game away with another 7, sealing the victory 21-31. Olympic Club Rugby hosted Diablo Old Gaels in a home game that was all Olympic Club. Olympic Club would dominate the first half, keeping Diablo scoreless 19-0. Diablo would further suffer a yellow card in the second half, which aided Olympic Club to add on points. Diablo would have the last two tries in the match, but the effort was too little, too late as Olympic Club would easily prevail 33-10. Bay Area Baracus travelled to Life West Gladiators D2 in search for their first win. Baracus would get the scoring started early with a penalty kick, but it wouldn’t take long before Life West would answer back with 7. Baracus scrumhalf would add another 3, to bring the game to a one point deficit, but would find out that you can’t trade penalty kicks for tries as they were down 24-6 at the half. Both teams would add a try early on in the second half, but the remainder of the game would be a defensive back and forth until Life West found an answer and added 7 to their tally. Life West’s defense softened a little in the end, allowing 2 Baracus tries. It wasn’t enough and the Gladiators claimed the win 36-23.
Northern California Men’s Division III-A
Silicon Valley Rugby failed to find an answer for the visiting Chico Mighty Oaks and were scoreless in a 0-31 loss, their first of the season. Olympic Club Rugby D3 hosted San Joaquin-Stanislaus Rugby. After being down 0-17 late in the first half, Olympic Club would rally from behind twice in the game and ultimately win on a late try by eight-man David Rosario 29-24. Berkeley Rugby would shut out Google Rugby 17-0, while league leaders Napa Valley maintained their dominance on the road against Fresno Rugby20-49
Northern California Men’s Division III-B
Diablo Olde Gael D3 travelled to San Francisco and cleared out the fog 7-61 behind a five try performance from #13 David Onyike. Jesters Rugby visited Shasta Highlanders and played to a 12-12 draw, with no points in the second half.
