Red River Men’s Division I: Austin Blacks vs. Dallas Rugby:

What has quickly become one of, if not the best, rivalries in Division I rugby over the past few years is set for another edition this weekend; as the Austin Blacks take on Dallas Rugby. While blowing through the rest of the competition, these two teams have been locked in tight tussles and the winner of the division often comes down to the winner of their series. This year the story looks to be playing out exactly the same and each team knows the importance of striking first blood in the season series.

“We know them pretty well and they know us pretty well,” started the Blacks’ head coach Tane Jericevich. “Every year the games could have gone either way. We are confident, in terms of out preparation so far, having won four from four; but we’re expecting a very good game from them.” The four from four Jericevich mentioned gives plenty of cause to be confident. In their opening quartet matches, they have a scored a whopping 360 points and only let in six.

The Reds’ start isn’t too far behind the Blacks. In their opening trio of games they have scored 204 points, but have been looser in defense letting 50 points up on the board. A lot of the success the Reds enjoy comes from their 10,11,12 trio of Blake Boulton, Darrien Pipkins, and Jake Campey. Between the three of them, they have been responsible for 149 of the Reds’ points. Their tactics for the weekend will be pretty clear- get the ball into their hands as often as possible and ensure the ball to them is quick and clean.

Rampaging through their competition so early on, could be a cause of concern for some, as neither team has had to deal with, or overcome any real challenges to them. However, Jericevich does not see it this way and knows his men will be up to the challenge when the opening whistle blows on Saturday. Jericevich notes, “Our focus is never really on the other teams… its on ourselves and improving ourselves. With that focus and that mind set- we’ve managed put up those big score lines. We don’t get to 30 points up and sit back we improve and make sure we are firing on all cylinders. That preparation and mindset will hold us in good stead come a harder and tougher opposition like the Reds.”

Similarly, the Reds have made it a habit to put their foot down when they get a lead. While, they have let in more points than the Blacks, the Reds always have the last say and will often close out the last 20 minutes of a game in a more impressive fashion than they played the first 60. Strong depth from 1-23 on the field are, in large part, responsible for their ability to surge late in the game.

Depth and an abundance of talent are two things that the Blacks have in droves. While they have a some outstanding individuals on their squad, Jericevich believes the team is greater than sum of its parts. “Everybody has an important role to play in our system. I wouldn’t single anyone out and that it’s a real team effort. Without one person performing, the whole team falls apart.”

The match will be hosted at their historic Burr Field, which is one of the most intimidating places to play in the country. While the Blacks are happy to be enjoying the home comforts, they aren’t taking their win loss record at home as anything more than a statistic. “History will tell you we’ve won all of our games against the Reds at Burr Field”, said Jericevich. “We haven’t actually won in Dallas in three years now. Based on the statistics you’d say it is easier for us to win at Burr, but at the end of the day the fields are all the same size.”

These games, despite both teams propensity to score in large doses, have a tendency to be low scoring (comparative to the other games they play in the season); as the defensive efforts on both get raised significantly. With that being said, there will be an expectation for explosive offenses and dazzling backline displays as well. While, that might be what grabs the attention, what will likely win the game for either team is the work put in around the breakdowns and set pieces. With both teams possessing strong backlines whichever pack is able to impede the attacking flow of their opposition with the most success, will probably find themselves on top at the end of the game.

 

Major League Rugby: NOLA Gold vs. Rugby United New York:

Year two of major league rugby is underway and one of the biggest surprises of the year has been the turnaround of the NOLA Gold. Last year the Gold showed signs of their potential but were marred with injuries and never reached their best form, ultimately failing to make the playoffs. This year a busy offseason, highlighted extensive signings has led them to take their 3-0 record to the top of the table. Their perfect season will face a real threat this weekend, as they welcome new comers Rugby United New York (RUNY) to the bayou. RUNY, on the back of impressive signings of both coaches and players, put themselves at the top of many pundits’ lists for 2019 champions. They won an impressive MLR debut against San Diego in the first round of the season, but since then they have had a bye for two consecutive weeks. RUNY will face a stiff challenge coming in a little bit rusty, against a team that has been firing on all cylinders and seemingly going from strength to strength each week; but they have the talent and the skill to keep pace with the Gold. Expect this game to be played at a blistering pace with scoring coming consistently on both sides.

 

Arizona Men’s Division III: Tucson Magpies vs. Old Pueblo Lions:

Down in the Copper State, the table leading Tucson Magpies play host to the Old Pueblo Lions, who are currently nipping at their heels in the ladder. Sitting at 2-1, the Magpies have had a season filled with more ups than downs. Their wins have been impressive and by vast margins scoring over 40 points in each win; however, they lost in heart breaking fashion to the Las Vegas Irish D3 after a last minute conversion sailed over the uprights, 30-29. What made the loss tough to stomach, other than the last minute nature, was the Magpies led by 12 at points in the game. If they are to be successful this weekend, they’ll need to be switched on for the full 80. Old Pueblo, conversely to the Magpies, are a team who have been trying to find consistency all year. They currently sit at 2-2, but despite the .500 record, they are only one point behind the Magpies. Their key to success this weekend, and finding consistency, will be pretty simple- get the ball in the hands of Jared Varner and Joshua Brand. These two have proven themselves to be troublesome to defenders, with a combined 7 tries on the year. If these two are shut down, so too is the Lions’ attack. The Magpies will be keen to avoid any lapses in concentration that will see them crack the line.   

 

Carolinas-Georgia Senior Men’s Division II: Atlanta Old White vs. Life Running Eagles D2:

The top two teams will face each other in the Carolinas-Georgia competition, when Atlanta Old White host the return leg of their fixture against Life’s Running Eagles D2 squad. 2018-19 has been a far cry from 2017-18 for Old White, where they only won less than 40% of their games. This year they have seen an about turn and currently already have three wins, but only one loss. It has been a team effort, with seven players scoring at least twice and 13 of their players scoring at least once. With this cohesiveness, it will be tough to find ways of shutting them down. However, if there is a team to do it- it will be the Life Running Eagles D2 squad. Two games into the season, the Running Eagles are sitting in prime position, with a 2-0 record. They’ve been dominant in their wins too, with their smallest margin of victory being 22 points. Old White will have their work cut out for them, but playing at home could play nicely into their hands and be a determining factor in the outcome of the game.

 

Pacific Rugby Premiership: Belmont Shore Rug
by vs. Santa Monica Dolphins

After taking a week off, the Pacific Rugby Premiership is back and the defending champions are set to take on one of the biggest surprises of the year, the Santa Monica Dolphins. 2018 was a year to remember for Belmont Shore as they won the PRP, in its first year back and made it all the way to the National Championship. However, 2019 hasn’t been as kind to the men from Southern California and they are currently stuck in the middle of the ladder, at 1-1. The good news is the season is still young and they aren’t too far behind in the chase for the title; however they will face a stiff test weekend. Santa Monica were a team full of potential last year, but it didn’t seem to click. This year they seem to have finally got things going. Their turnaround has come is large part due to the play of their standout flyhalf- Maxwell Rodman and Outside Center Jone Koronisigana both of whom have been the focal points of the Dolphins attack. Look for the Dolphins to try and exploit the middle of the field using Koronisigana as the major threat before spinning it wide and putting it in the finishing hands of their wings. It should be a top class match between two of the best men’s division I teams in the country.

 

Northern California Men’s Division III-B: San Francisco Golden Gate D3 vs. Diablo Olde Gael D3:

In Northern California, the Diablo Olde Gaels D3 will travel across the bay to face off with league leading, San Francisco Golden Gate D3. SFGG D3 have been immense in their two showings this year, averaging 50 points a match. They have been bolstered by the likes of their loose head prop, Nino Tamburello and wing, Aaron Rambo. Each of these players has started the season off on fire, scoring three and five tries respectively. SFGG will be looking to use their hard running forwards to create gaps for their speedy backs to exploit and score early and often. For the Olde Gaels D3, they had a opening day to forget, losing by 53 to the San Jose Seahawks D3 side. They made up for it, however, the following week when they beat the San Francisco Fog by a similar margin of, 54 points. They’ll be searching for sustained stability this weekend, both in the game and for their season. If the Olde Gaels can turn out in a similar fashion to their second round performance it promises to be a great match. If they don’t, it could be another long day at the office for them.

Red River Women’s Division II: Little Rock Stormers vs. Austin Valkyries:
Two of the strongest Women’s Division II teams in the country face off in the Red River Competition. Little Rock’s Stormers will welcome in Austin’s Valkyries as both teams put their undefeated seasons on the line. They each enter the contest with impressive starts to the season, winning their opening matches and each averaging over 50 points a game. While these impressive starts to the season may seem extraordinary, and they are, for these two teams they’ve grown accustomed to these standards.

“Having a good club culture really keeps us going on both sides,” noted Eric Enright, coach of the Valkyries. The club culture he mentions is not just a bias opinion. Austin has done a tremendous job of cultivating a club and investing heavily to create two women’s teams, one which competes perennially in Division I and a D2 side, which has been at the forefront of the national game for a while now. The depth they possess and the competition for spots on either teams means that each player is constantly pushing their case and the players around themselves to be the best they can be. Contrarily, Little Rock has adopted an approach of surrounding themselves with new faces. According to their coach, Kate Turnpin, they actively pursue multisport athletes and try to teach them the game. It has been a relatively successful approach so far, but there have been some growing pains.

Last year was a banner year for both programs, as each team made the Red River playoffs. However, Austin was able to capitalize on their opportunities more and they advanced to the national quarterfinals; while Little Rock were home after the first round of the Red River playoffs. Neither team is particularly happy with the circumstances under which their season ended last year, but both are using it as motivation to get back and make a mends for last year.

“Oh yeah, we’re really excited about this year’s playoffs,” began Enright. “Last year with our D2 side it was a new experience for a lot of those girls. Coming off that and adding a few new players to our D2 squad having all of that experience is going to really help us push towards the playoffs this year.” For Little Rock it’s a similar sentiment. “We were still in our recruitment phase, we have some talented athletes, but not very deep. We wound up succumbing to injuries last season. We had just 15 at playoffs and we had two girls go down with injuries in the game. This year with a deeper bench and little bit more rugby under the belts we are definitely coming back with something to prove,” noted Turpin.

To help them get over their respective playoff humps, each team will have to play as a whole, but also get a little help from their stand out players. For Little Rock it’s  a particularly difficult answer, Turpin explaining, “That’s a really hard question. Everybody is working really hard, so it’s hard to single out one player; I’d have to say the addition of Cheryl Johnson and Erin Gallagher Johnson.” Both players joined the team with team with prior rugby experience adding to the team’s rugby IQ and helped them take the leap forward faster than expected. On Austin’s end, they have a new player that’s bolstered their squad too, according to Enright. “Zoe Hunter, is new to the team this year. She helped start a team in Oregon and played at Oregon State for a couple year. Also we have Liz Garcia, she’s done an excellent job of leading the team around the field.” With a halves pairing this dangerous a lot of the Stormers’ attention will be placed on these two play makers.

Heading into the match both teams know they will need a complete performance on both ends of the ball if they are to have any chance of subduing their opponents. Enright noted his gameplan is simple and focused on the fundamentals, “For Offense, we need to stick to our structure. When we play the brand we practice we usually end up with a really good result. On defense we are looking for work ethic. We like to say ‘defense doesn’t take talent.’ If we put in the work and get around the corner that will be what helps us the most.” For Turpin “defensively our tackling is increasing every year and we need to maintain our structure and realign faster. If we can realign faster than Austin on offense we’ll be in a good position as continuity is really our strong suit.”

It should be a thrilling encounter with both teams putting up points on the scoreboard, don’t be surprised if this one sees the winning points scored in the final 10 minutes.

Northern California Women’s Division II: Berkeley All Blues D2 vs. Sacramento Amazons:

One of the biggest surprises early in the season, has been in the performance of the women on the Berkeley All Blues D2 side. In the last four years they have gone 8-23, this year they have come hot out of the gates and sit at 2-0. These wins have been against quality opposition and emphatic in their style. Through the opening couple of games, the All Blues have racked up 133 points for while only conceding 31. Leading their charge has been fly-half Olivia Bernadel Huey and number 8 Jazmyne Spear. Huey has contributed 34 points to the All Blues cause so far this year, while Spear has scored 5 tries in only two games. While it seems they are unstoppable, they will face their toughest test this weekend against the Sacramento Amazons. Last year’s champion, Sacramento, have only played one game so far this year, but look to be right back where they left things in 2018. In their one game so far this year they took down, with ease, the San Jose Seahawks 90-0. The star of that game was Ofolangi Malliangi, their outside center who scored five tries in the one game. It will be a great battle for both teams, and it will have added importance to the All Blues as it will show far how they have come and possibly how far they still have to go.

Carolinas Men’s Division III: Charlotte Barbarians vs. Clayton Bootleggers:

There is something of a log jam taking place in Carolina, as there are four teams all tied for second place in the competition on fifteen points. One of said teams is the Clayton Bootleggers and they will face the team in outright possession of first the Charlotte Barbarians. Despite being in outright possession of first place, it is only their’s by the slimmest of margins, one point, which means it is all to play for this weekend. The Barbarians will be hoping they can bounce back after suffering their only loss of the season in their last game before the break to Columbia Olde Grey. Prior to that outing they had been lighting the scoreboard up, averaging 38 points a contest. The Bootleggers, who also sit at 3-1, have been a little less consistent. They suffered a heavy defeat to Ashville Rugby, 73-18. Outside of the one major slip up they have been just as, if not more, impressive as the Barbarians scoring 168 points combined in their three wins. This will be an exciting affair with each team looking to create some breathing room from the rest of the pack. Both will have the same idea on how to do that, score early and often. Expect a big score to come out of this one.

 

Northern California Men’s Division III: Chico Mighty Oaks vs. Olympic Club Rugby D3:

It’s one meets three this weekend, as the competition leading Chico Mighty Oaks welcome Olympic Club D3 into town. The Mighty Oaks have been living up to their name so far this year, going 2-1 and recording some impressive victories in the process. Justin Ledyard, the Oaks’ fly-half and Carl Robinson have been the focal points for the Chico’s ability to get up and running quickly. This dynamic duo in attack has been responsible for over 50% of the points scored by the team. Olympic Club D3, on the other hand, have not been as reliant on individuals to spark their team they have shown great cohesion with more than half their team having scored at least one try on the season. While their cohe
sion is impressive, the margin of victory has not matched up. In their two wins on the season they average winning by six points. There are two ways to look at this, the first is they struggle to put away teams especially when they get on top first, or they are able to come through at the end when it counts most. On Saturday they will be hoping it is the latter, because the Mighty Oaks will make push Olympic Club for the full eighty.

 

Carolinas-Georgia Men’s Division II: Charlotte Rugby vs. Greenville Griffins:

League leaders, Charlotte Rugby, look to continue their impressive resurgence from last year this weekend against the Greenville Griffins- who will be searching for a level of consistency in their results they are yet to find. With a win this weekend, Charlotte will have already tied the same number of wins they’ve experienced each of the last two years- the difference being they’ll do it with half their season still to play. The catalyst behind their turn around has been the outstanding play of their wing, Adam Shokair. In the three games so far, Shokair leads the team in tries and points. Greenville will need to find a way to shut him down, something other teams have struggled to do. The other key to success for Greenville will be their ability to tighten their defensive screws. Scoring has not been a problem for the Griffins, unfortunately, it hasn’t been an issue for their opposition either. The Griffins on average will let in three tries a game, which is not a promising sign when you consider Charlotte has scored at least four tries in every encounter this year. It will be a challenge for the Griffins to keep Charlotte from crossing their line, but it’s a challenge they’ll feel up to.

 

True South Men’s Division III East: Headhunters Rugby vs. Huntsville Rugby:

The top two teams in the True South Division III East Pool face off on Saturday, as both Headhunters Rugby and Huntsville Rugby look to keep their hopes of a perfect season alive. The hosts, Headhunters, are 1-0 on the season after winning an impressive match first up against the Gadsden Pioneers, 50-5.  As impressive as the team performance was, Joseph Pozzuto’s four tries in the game stood out on its own. The captivating outside will be an absolute nightmare for Huntsville this weekend. Huntsville is no stranger to putting up big scores either, as they were able to score 67 points against the Pioneers. With two high flying offenses set to collide its going to be edge of your seat stuff.