Time for Hope in DII Playoffs
Thursday May 14, 2009 in Amateur Competitions Division II Clubs
May 14, 2009 – Sixteen DII men’s club compete this weekend for a championship won with some wild ease by Red Mountain last season.
The Arizona club never met a counter-attack they didn’t like and rode that free-wheeling style to their title. This year, Red Mountain isn’t quite the same team – player movement and retirement has set them back a bit. That’s OK with everyone else, since that leaves this competition wide open.
West Pool 1
East Palo Alto v. St. Louis Bombers
San Antonio v. Back Bay
The Bombers have stuck with an effective DII side, but will have their hands full with the undefeated East Palo Alto Razorbacks. EPA is a very young club, average age 22, but a young club heavily favored to do well. Rob Holder coaches a team almost exclusively of Tongan descent – true to East Palo Alto’s population demographics.
“East Palo Alto’s strengths include good ball-handling skills, good support, plus the ability to attack and counterattack from anywhere,” said Holder. “The team’s key forward is Viliami Tai, our veteran captain and flanker, who is very solid. We are a very young team and he keeps the boys under control. Among the backs, flyhalf Folau Niua is a good all-around player who distributes the ball well and can run and tackle as needed.”
East Palo Alto has only one player with college experience with the majority having started playing in the EPA high school program.
“We’re not doing anything different coaching-wise,” Holder said of his team’s preparation. “But we did play the D1 Olympic Club in a friendly and that game really stretched us. They beat us pretty good, our first loss of the season, which humbled us and brought us down to earth. Our focus has been entirely on fund-raising because we don’t have any money. We’ve been going to churches and selling food at community gatherings to raise money for our trip. Last year when we made the Pacific Coast finals, we had no money so we had to camp out. This year we’re going to fly to Nationals and stay in a hotel. So it’s a big step up for us.”
This championship matters to the players, said Holder, who coached Air Force to a collegiate DI title in 2003. “It’s the most important thing in their lives. EPA is right up there with my favorite team ever. I love coaching them; I absolutely love it.”
EPA aren’t the only team with championship aspirations of course.
East Pool 2
Brandywine v. South Shore
Baton Rouge v. Indianapolis
Indianapolis are the Midwest top seeds. Bolstered by the arrival of former Chicago Lion Scott Peterson, Indy’s backline play has improved greatly. But Peterson isn’t the only one who has played representative rugby and done well. Wing Ian Neberieza and flanker Don Younger know a thing or two, as well and they like to run it. But Northeast champs South Shore have a statement to make.
Led by No. 8 Matt Pomella the Anchors of Massachusetts will need a big game from their forwards.
“Matt’s play will be a key factor in South Shore’s play,” said coach Andy Baron. “Matt’s an offensive threat with ball-in-hand and he’s a very strong defender. He’s pretty much a game-changer for us. But it’s probably no secret that backs are South Shore’s strength. We have a good solid bunch of forwards who do more than hold their own but where we dominate opponents is with our backline.”
If the backs get going, it will be in part because of the play of scrumhalf Ben Palmer.
In preparation for Nationals South Shore has stacked its spring schedule and traveled much to face DI teams.
“We’re moving up to New England’s DI next year, so besides preparing for Nationals it was an opportunity to scout our opposition for next fall,” said Baron. “We played New Haven, the Wolfhounds, Albany, Mystic River and the Boston RFC. We took our lumps, which was good, because in prior years when we went to the DII Sweet 16, we were not prepared. We only played two home matches this season, all the rest were on the road. So I believe this preparation has toughened us up a bit. With the Northeast RFU determining its champions in the fall of 2008, we knew going into the spring that we were the Northeast’s #1 seed, so we could prepare ourselves mentally and physically to get ready for this.”
West Pool 2
Tempe v. North County
Red Mountain v. Albuquerque
Tempe unseated Red Mountain as Arizona champs, and done so with an influx and development of some good young talent. They have the sites set on making the semis. To do that they will have to get through a North Country team that ended their regular season beat up with injuries. Health will be a big issue for the Gurkhas.
And in the other Round of 16 game, it’s the defending champions, still dangerous to be sure, and West champs Albuquerque.
“We have good forwards from 1-8,” said Albuquerque coach Aubrey Edge. “Our No. 8 Jeremy Armstrong can really run the ball. It usually takes two or three defenders to bring him down.”
Lock Alex Walton, a new addition to the club, is another big man who is an offensive threat.
Of course at scrumhalf they have Jon Gray, who moved to New Mexico and played for Red Mountain last year, helping them to a national title.
“Jon is a key member of our backline, as is our flyhalf Gonzalo Sanchez, who has a very good boot,” said Edge. Their backs are good, with centers Diego Sotelo and John Collier and wing Caesar Ondula.
“These are the fastest backs we’ve had in the last eight to ten years,” said Edge.
Edge said his side was able to scout the Red Mountain style as some of their games are on You Tube.
“We know about their strengths and weaknesses and with that information we’re trying to build a game plan,” said Edge. “We’ve had practices on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays both last week and this week. We’ve done fitness work and we’ll be doing strategic game-plan work this week.”
East Pool 1
Milwaukee Harlequins v. Tampa Bay Krewe
Providence v. Lancaster
The Lancaster Roses have been among the best teams in the Mid-Atlantic for several years. But maybe thing time is the time they win it all.
President Mike Capp likes what he see: “Our young, powerful and very secure front row. Flankers Kevin Kolbe and Adam Hawk are very aggressive and are all over the field, with a high turnover rate. They make a great impact in the open field.”
The team has been together, for the most part, for six years.
“Some were on our last trip to the DII final four and the young guys who’ve joined us have all had several years experience on the college scene,” Capp said. “Lancaster has A-side players who previously played at Millersville, York, and Shippensburg, so we’ve benefited greatly from the local college programs.”
All worked hard on Lancaster’s lighted practice field through the cold February and March games.
“We got a lot of early season work in as far as fitness and ball-handling,” said Capp. “We’ve been in the DII playoffs for the past 3-4 years and to prepare we always play up in the spring, scheduling D1 teams such as NOVA, Baltimore Chesapeake, Media and Pac B. Going to Nationals is the trip of a lifetime for these guys. They’ve all grown up in rugby communities and they know guys who’ve had the opportunity to play in National Championships at various college or club levels. For many of them this is going to be the rugby experience of their lives.”
- Ed Hagerty and Alex Goff © www.rugbynews.com
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