WESTERN CONFERENCE SEEDS DETERMINED, EAST NEEDS ANOTHER WEEK;
Week 8 Rescheduled Old Blue vs. Boston, Match to Impact Eastern Conference Playoff Seeds
DALLAS (May 1, 2005) � The final week of the 2005 RSL regular season had rugby fans throughout the country eagerly awaiting news on their team�s playoff future. The playoff picture in the West is now determined as Belmont Shore, the Denver Barbarians, San Francisco GG and OMBAC secure their playoff tickets, while the East will be represented by the Chicago Lions, New York AC, the Potomac Athletic Club and Old Blue. Eastern Conference seed positioning will be determined next week after a makeup match for Old Blue and Boston.
The match of the day in the Eastern Conference featured conference leader Potomac Athletic Club (PAC) battling host Old Blue in the Bronx. PAC entered the match needing only a four-point win to secure the Eastern Conference regular season crown. Old Blue, needed to notch a win to maintain their hopes of the top seed in the East. PAC without the services of leading scorer Roberto Infante, opened the scoring with an early try score from the elusive running of former Eagle Mike Fabling. Old Blue responded to PAC�s early lead as they notched two tries and a penalty goal conversion to take the 17-10 half-time lead. Feeling the urgency to capture a coveted home playoff game, Old Blue fullback Matt Pritchard scored two, critical late game tries to give the home team a 27-18 week 7 victory. The Bronx bunch scored five tries on the afternoon to earn the side an additional bonus point.
The Eastern Conference�s regular season crown will be determined next week when a rescheduled week 2 match will see Old Blue traveling to Boston. Old Blue needs to come away with five points to capture the conference title. A four-point win would tie Old Blue in points with Chicago, but Chicago wins the crown on account of their week 5 win over Old Blue.
In other Eastern Conference action, the Kansas City Blues avoided a winless season with a 41-14 victory over visiting Philadelphia-Whitemarsh. The match took place at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City in front of thousands of rugby and soccer fans. The day was part of a multi-sport double header with the Kansas City Wizards MLS match preceding the Blues final match of the season. In Chicago, the Lions earned five points on the day with a 46-14, eight-try win over the visitors from Boston. Lead by two tries apiece from flanker Paul McCarthy and 8-man MC Laubscher, Chicago now leads the Eastern Conference with 27 points and secured a home playoff match in the quarterfinals. Finally in Traver�s Island, New York, the New York AC hosted Washington RFC in a match that helps solidify NYAC�s playoff position. Aided by inside center John Cronin�s try run and accurate foot, NYAC�s 20-3 win secured at least a third seed in the playoff quarterfinals.
In Western Conference action, OMBAC, San Francisco GG and Old Puget Sound Beach (OPSB) entered their matches needing points to solidify the remaining two-playoff spots. In San Diego, a 3-3 OMBAC side welcomed OPSB for an afternoon match that determined meaningful May matches for both teams. To the delight of the home crowd, OMBAC jumped to an 36-0 first half advantage. OMBAC scores were scattered among their talented backline including wing David Burt�s 25 meter try run that upped his league leading total to eight try scores on the regular season. In the second half, OPSB matched OMBAC�s second half scoring with 12 points from two try scores but was unable to overcome OMBAC�s large first half lead. OMBAC�s seven-try effort earned them five points on the afternoon, which solidified their fourth seed playoff position in the West.
In other Western Conference games, San Francisco GG defeated cross-town rivals the Olympic Blues 26-8. The four-point win and the extra bonus try point (four tries on the day) earned SFGG the third seed in the West. The final game of the afternoon saw Belmont Shore extend their league leading point total to 30 with a 47-32 win over the Dallas Harlequins. The Quins lead frequently throughout the match but at 70 minutes, Belmont was able to grasp the lead off of hooker Semisi Telefoni�s 10-meter driving try run in the 70th minute. Belmont�s seven-try afternoon earned the defending champions an undefeated regular season and home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
The USA Rugby Super League is proudly sponsored by Michelob Amberbock, the official beer of the Rugby Super League, by Kudu Rugby, the official rugby outfitter of the Rugby Super League, by Summit Rugby Balls, the official ball of the Rugby Super League and by Rugby America, official screen printer of the Rugby Super League.
RSL EASTERN CONFERENCE RESULTS
Washington 3 @ New York AC 20
Potomac Athletic Club 18 @ Old Blue 27
Philadelphia-Whitemarsh 14 @ Kansas City Blues 41
Boston RFC 14 @ Chicago Lions 46
RSL WESTERN CONFERENCE RESULTS
Belmont Shore 47 @ Dallas Harlequins 32
Olympic Club Blues 8 @ SF Golden Gate 26
Old Puget Sound Beach 12 @ OMBAC 48
