USA

March continues to bring some extreme weather for many teams around the country during the second week of competition in the Rugby Super League. 

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In the Northeast, NYAC saw great weather and results as they turned up the pressure in the second half to come away with a victory against the Boston Rugby Club.  The Boston Rugby Club was leading at the half - three penalties by Dave Delcourt and two from NYAC’s Peter O’Brien constituted all of the scoring. With Boston piling on the pressure at the start of the second half, NYAC’s prop Jacob Sprague was sin-binned and Boston took advantage with winger Duran Vota getting over in the corner.  Kyle Marshall added the difficult conversion to make the score 16-6.

NYAC’s Andrew King notched the first try for the visitors quickly thereafter and O’Brien’s conversion brought the score back within three points.  Strong running from Frank Sharpe halfway through the second half put NYAC ahead, and it was a lead the New York team would not relinquish.  With Sprague adding another try with about five minutes to go, NYAC was pulling further away from Boston. 

Despite some valiant Boston defending, scrumhalf Mike Petri reached over for a final try as time was expiring to secure the valuable bonus point with the 32-16 victory.  Boston coach Eugene Mountjoy lamented a faltering lineout and some missed first up tackles, but takes some consolation from being still in the game in the final quarter despite not having played particularly well.

There wasn’t much joy for the other Boston team either, as the Boston Irish Wolfhounds fell to Charlotte on the road by a score of 34-21. 

BIW opened the scoring with a try by scrumhalf Gregg Bruce, converted by Sean Hibbard.  Charlotte responded with three tries of their own, converting two.  BIW did not convert a golden opportunity at the end of the first half, as a Charlotte winger covered lots of ground to deny Wolfhound Mark Tutton and walk away with a half time lead of 19-7.

The Wolfhounds opened the second half well, scoring tries through Nick Williams and Derek Morin to take a 21-19 advantage.  Charlotte regained the lead with a penalty and the game was finely balanced entering the final quarter.  Charlotte added another try to force the Wolfhounds to have to score twice.  Sean Hibbard hit the post with a penalty attempt and Charlotte added another long range try through their dangerous back line to seal the game. 

Over in Chicago, the battle for supremacy ended up with the Chicago Griffins taking the game, 12-7, over the Chicago Lions.  The game was played in very tough conditions, with snow and wind contributing to a very messy affair.  Flyhalf Luke Stringer and winger Brendan Brown notched tries in the 27th and 34th minute respectively for the 12 point lead.    Lions’ scrumhalf Dave Selimos scored a try in the 76th minute, converted by Josh Coppins, to set up a grandstand finish, but that was to be all the scoring on what Griffins’ coach Wez Parkes termed a brutal day.

Further south, conditions in Dallas were reportedly not much better.  Indeed they were described as “ridiculous” by one observer.  But the game went ahead and Old Puget Sound Beach gained an important win on the road to continue their impressive start to the season. 

Wingers Filimoni Botitu and Isimeli Daveta each had a try to complement a try for flanker Nu’uese  Punimata.  Bobby Fitzpatrick converted a couple of these and added a penalty for a 19 point total for the visitors in the first half.  The Harlequins matched all of these points, with # 8 Gonzalo Ruiz crossing the line twice and Frank Muchugia’s try pushing Dallas to a 19-point tie at break.

There wasn’t as much scoring in the second half, however, and another penalty by OPSB’s Bobby Fitzpatrick sealed the deal for the visitors with a score of 22-19

Denver Barbarians got back to their winning ways with a solid shutout win over OMBAC, cruising to a 47 point victory in San Diego.  Tries by Adam Drury, Nic Johnson, Justin Stencel, Phil Bolton, Taylor Howden (2), Ben Haapapuro and Mike Graham were recorded, and Max DeAchaval rounded out the scoring with a couple of conversions and a drop goal. 

Back in the East Conference, Life University got off to the best possible start, cruising to a 53- 13 victory over Potomac Athletic Club (PAC).

WEEK 2 RESULTS

March 20, 2010
Boston Irish Wolfhounds 21 @ 34 Charlotte
New York Athletic Club 32 @ 16 Boston Rugby
Potomac Athletic Club 13 @ 53 Life University
Denver Barbarians 47 @ 0 Old Mission Beach Athletic Club
Chicago Griffins 12 @ 7 Chicago Lions
Old Puget Sound Beach 22 @ 19 Dallas Harlequins