tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226834132024-03-13T23:14:56.252-07:00Hail PelicusRugby news and notes from Northern California and points around the world.Hail, Pelicus!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09257051046487179749noreply@blogger.comBlogger336125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22683413.post-29057903837233711062013-05-21T20:33:00.000-07:002013-05-21T20:33:26.727-07:00BON VOYAGEHAIL, PELICUS!<br />
<br />
HIATUS<br />
Penelope and Scriptoris are departing for France (Paris and Toulouse) for two weeks. We’ve been meaning to do this since our first honeymoon in 1982, when we first ate mussels in Toulouse and couscous in Paris.<br />
<br />
That was a rugby tour, with the Medical College of Georgia Mad Dogs. This is not.<br />
<br />
Enjoy the SFGG - Tonga match without us!<br />
<br />
WEDNESDAY NIGHT, MAY 22, MARK BINGHAM DOCUMENTARY SCREENING<br />
This will be in San Francisco.<br />
<br />
Heroes among us, as we remember September 11:<br />
<a href="http://www.ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=68764" target="_blank">http://www.ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=68764</a><br />
<br />
SUMMER SEVENS SHAPING UP<br />
<br />
Saturday, June 29:<br />
Palo Alto – two pitches all day<br />
SFGG – NorCal qualifier – one pitch, men and women<br />
<br />
Saturday, July 6:<br />
At Stanford – NorCal qualifier hosted by Olympic Club<br />
<br />
Saturday, July 13:<br />
Palo Alto, second iteration<br />
Sac Lions hosting the final NorCal qualifier<br />
<br />
Saturday, July 27:<br />
Palo Alto, final iteration<br />
<br />
Saturday, August 10:<br />
Monterey Beach Sevens by the municipal wharf<br />
<br />
Let Pete Smith know which events you can help out at.<br />
<br />
LOTS O’ REFS NEEDED THIS WEEKEND<br />
Two pitches will be in use on Treasure Island this Saturday and Sunday for the Pacific Coast All-Star tournament, featuring select sides from Hawaii, Utah, Nevada, and California. The Treasure Island tournament has 4 divisions: Boys Varsity, Girls Varsity, Boys JV, and Middle School.<br />
<br />
Please contact Preston Gordon, the Referee-In-Charge, if you are available.<br />
<br />
THE SCRUMS THEY ARE A-CHANGING<br />
The annual overhaul of the engagement cadence has been announced.<br />
<br />
For those who can recall the resistance of the front rows to the very idea that the wuss-referee would be involved in the scrum engagement, in 1997, this may well prompt a reprise.<br />
<br />
This new cadence will apply worldwide to all rugby in competitions that begin on or after August 1. The new cadence will be Crouch Bind Set. As before, Set means Engage.<br />
<br />
There will no longer be a ‘hit’ to win. The players bind on Bind without coming together. On Set, they have just a few inches to close.<br />
<br />
Every scrum will be the kinds of scrums that teams do in practice, when they don’t want to risk injury. That is probably the idea behind changing the count once again.<br />
<br />
WE (USA RUGBY) WILL NOT BE USING THIS FOR SEVENS UNTIL THE COLLEGE COMPETITION BEGINS IN THE AUTUMN.<br />
<br />
PLAYOFFS<br />
SFGG in the Elite Cup final against Life this Saturday in Glendale, Colo.<br />
<br />
St. Mary’s finished second to Life College. They were looking very good in the first half, on a dry track, but things changed when a deluge began and they lost by two.<br />
<br />
Santa Rosa to the national D2 semis, to be played June 1-2 in Virginia Beach.<br />
<br />
SFGG and Sierra Foothills both lost out in the first round of the D3 nationals.<br />
<br />
Single-school HS: Jesuit wins title. Dixon appears to have played for seventh, but your scribe cannot find their results anywhere – their own website, NCYRA, the usual rugby ‘news’ sources, even search engines, Utah newspapers, etc.<br />
<br />
High school boys club: Danville finished third, Marin seventh.<br />
<br />
High school girls: Sacramento Amazons finished fifth, Danville seventh.<br />
<br />
SOCIETY BANQUET JUNE 22<br />
We’ll be gathering at Scott’s in Walnut Creek on Saturday, June 22, to celebrate the season gone by and for the presentation of the annual Pelican Awards. Drinks at six, dinner at seven. Free for society members, guests for an amount to be announced.<br />
<br />
Please, if you will be attending, let Bjorn know whether you and your guest would like meat, fish or vegetarian: <a href="mailto:bstumer@comcast.net" target="_blank">bstumer@comcast.net</a><br />
<br />
MATCH REPORTS<br />
<br />
ELITE CUP SEMIFINAL<br />
SAN FRANCISCO GOLDEN GATE 22 – Seattle OPSB 17 Referee: Aruna Ranaweera Assistant Referees: George O'Neil, Phil Akroyd<br />
#4 Official: Eric Rauscher<br />
Official photographer: John Pohlman<br />
<br />
The top two teams in the west battled in a very physical, but relatively sloppy game that went down to the wire. OPSB used the wind to lead 17-8 at half and SFGG used the wind in the 2nd half to score 14 unanswered points. Both teams scored 3 tries. SFGG will meet Life in the Elite Cup final in Glendale, CO. Much thanks to George, Phil, Eric, and John for their assistance.<br />
<br />
Sevens:<br />
SFGG Women 0 – BERKELEY ALL BLUES 50 Referee: Preston Gordon Boxer Stadium at Balboa Park, 1145 Saturday<br />
Touch judges provided by the clubs (thanks, ladies)<br />
<br />
In this exhibition sevens match played in front of a couple hundred Play Rugby USA kids and their parents, the All Blues scored early and often. They had 4 tries in the first half and one conversion (22-0) and added a further 4 in the second half, converting all of them to reach 50-0. The SFGG ladies took advantage of the few attacking chances they had to use the ball well, but the Berkeley defense always got back in time to force a turnover or capitalize on an error. At the coin toss, I mentioned that the 15 of us were there to show non-rugby folks what the game could be like, and both teams definitely rose to the occasion while I mostly stayed out of the way.<br />
<br />
After the match was over, while the kids played the championship round of their flag rugby tournament, the All Blues celebrated their win by doing a 30+ minute fitness workout in one in-goal area with lots of cross-pitch sprints. Everyone noticed. When I commented on this to their coach, she said "that's what it takes to win championships" - well done, ladies. This was their first sevens game of the season and I'm sure they'll continue to do well, as will SFGG's side.<br />
<br />
The other referees in the kids' tournament were Casey Bollinger and Mark Griffin, on hand for the first PRUSA tourney in San Francisco. It was pretty cool to see these kids, some of whom I coached last year, get to play teams from other schools. Their skills have improved dramatically and these elementary school students are going to get to college with 7+ years of playing experience - watch out, world!<br />
<br />
SAN JOSE STATE 43 – Alumni 20 Referee: James Hinkin<br />
A rare Sunday fixture saw the SJSU men's team forget who pays for the program (to borrow from Dr Carter's oft-repeated story about an old Stanford alumni match) and take it to the old boys. Team captain for the alumni was AJ Laymon, due to the fact he was the oldest player on the field at 73.<br />
<br />
Yes, 73. And he played. He is my hero.<br />
<br />
With several of the alumni feeling the effects of the San Jose Seahawks end of year kangaroo court the previous night (how many charges were you brought up on, Rashad?) the match, predictably, started 30 minutes late while the alumni trickled and staggered in. The youngsters were all ready and warming up early and had the field marked out nearly perfectly (the center line was definitely not in the middle, and one flag was on it while another flag was on the 10 from the "long side"... not sure which was supposed to be the middle so I picked one and stuck with it). These clever collegians also made sure to mark out a try zone as close the the max of 22 meters that I have seen, obviously expecting to use the extra space. This ended up not being a factor with one exception when it went against the youngsters. A kick went through and into the try zone and kept rolling. The alert SJSU winger let it roll and roll until it came to a stop - a good 5 meters before the end of the try zone. "How big is this ^&*%ing try zone?" he was heard to say as he downed the ball for a 22. The first period of 30 minutes showed off the skill and fitness of both teams (Big Tony - "Hinkin, I didn't think we were supposed to play 40 minute halves?" Me - "You didn't. It just felt like it.") while the second period of 25 minutes saw the tired legs of the collegiates start to give way, no doubt shamed by Dave Richards spending the last 10 minutes asking for more time to be added to the match.<br />
<br />
Or maybe I got that backwards...<br />
<br />
A fun day with tries on both sides led to some solid collegiate/alumni bonding, which continued at Stanley's bar in the ice rink across the street. A successful day, indeed.<br />
<br />
Note: Walking from 80+ degree weather after running around for a couple of hours into an ice rink is a bit of a blow to the system. At least there was plenty of beer available to soften the blow.<br />
<br />
REFEREEING SEVENS COURSE JUNE 8<br />
The IRB Refereeing Sevens course will be taught at SFGG on Saturday, June 8.<br />
<br />
Bruce Carter and Joe Zevin are the instructors.<br />
<br />
Sign up now on the USA Rugby website: <a href="https://www.allplayers.com/g/referees_certification_courses_level_1_officiating_7s_level_1_7s_june_8th_san_francisco_ca/register/select" target="_blank">https://www.allplayers.com/g/referees_certification_courses_level_1_officiating_7s_level_1_7s_june_8th_san_francisco_ca/register/select</a><br />
<br />
PHOTO OF THE WEEK<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MncWnFgQYiM/UZw8eIoWp5I/AAAAAAAAAeU/PFb7Msa-PPw/s1600/Ready+to+Run.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MncWnFgQYiM/UZw8eIoWp5I/AAAAAAAAAeU/PFb7Msa-PPw/s320/Ready+to+Run.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
Aruna and his ARs, Phil and George, prepare for the Elite Cup final, wherein they kept the boys on side, on their feet, and on the move.<br />
<br />
HAIL, PELICUS!<br />
<br />
For the Senate<br />
Pelicus ScriptorisUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22683413.post-48693610729128146592013-05-08T17:22:00.002-07:002013-05-08T17:22:25.706-07:00ON-LINE AR UP FOR GRABSHAIL, PELICUS!<br />
<br />
PROMOTION<br />
<br />
Neil MacDonald has earned promotion to C2. The timing is a bit odd, given that he worked the Pacific Coast playoffs last weekend, but it was felt that he was refereeing well enough, at the end of his first season, to do those playoffs despite his grade.<br />
<br />
TOUCH JUDGE AND ASSISTANT REFEREE COURSES NOW ON-LINE<br />
<br />
Boulder, CO – The USA Rugby Referee Department is excited to announce the advent of online Touch Judge & Assistant Referee courses! These courses will allow participants from all over the country to create a collaborative learning environment and become USA Rugby certified.<br />
<br />
This is the perfect opportunity for parents, coaches, and players to get involved and to learn more about the game from the comfort of their own home!<br />
<br />
Using instructor led discussion, video clips and other course materials participants in the Touch Judge courses will learn when the ball is in touch, Touch Judge signals, places of throw in, positioning and Seven-a-side variations. Participants in the Assistant Referee course will learn how to adjudicate foul play, signaling and reporting, positioning, and how to use communication systems. The courses will culminate with a brief quiz to validate the participant’s certification as a USA Rugby Touch Judge or Assistant Referee.<br />
<br />
Courses will be offered monthly in order to fit your busy schedule! It will be given over consecutive evenings, the second Tuesday and the next day of every month at 5:00pm PDT. Each session will last approximately two hours and will be taught by an IRB certified Educator. The cost of the online Touch Judge courses will be $25, as will the Assistant Referee course. Please note that space is limited, so sign up early!<br />
<br />
Any questions or concerns can be directed to Brittany Jacobs or Tim Cornelius.<br />
<br />
Email: <a href="mailto:bjacobs@usarugby.org">Brittany Jacobs - bjacobs@usarugby.org</a> (303) 539-0300 x111<br />
<br />
or<br />
<br />
<a href="mailto:tcornelius@usarugby.org">Tim Cornelius - tcornelius@usarugby.org</a> (303) 539-0300 x135<br />
<br />
SOCIETY BANQUET JUNE 22 <br />
<br />
We’ll be gathering at Scott’s in Walnut Creek on Saturday, June 22, to celebrate the season gone by and for the presentation of the annual Pelican Awards. Drinks at six, dinner at seven. Free for society members, guests for an amount to be announced.<br />
<br />
UPCOMING<br />
<br />
SF/Golden Gate will be hosting OPSB this Saturday at 3 PM in the Elite Cup semi-final. This should be a very good match, and as far as we know there isn’t any other rugby going on to compete with it for your attention and attendance.<br />
<br />
NORCAL TEAMS STILL ALIVE<br />
SFGG in the Elite Cup<br />
St. Mary’s in D1A<br />
Santa Rosa in men’s D2<br />
SFGG and Sierra Foothills in D3<br />
<br />
USA RUGBY MEN’S COLLEGE D1A SEMI-FINAL<br />
ST. MARY’S 58 – Cal Poly 24 Referee: Tim Luscombe (USA)<br />
ARs: Bruce Carter, Tom Wright<br />
St. Mary’s will play Life College in North Carolina for the title on May 18.<br />
<br />
Curtain Raiser:<br />
Seconds: ST. MARY’S 53 – Cal Poly 50 Referee: Bruce Carter<br />
AR: Tom Wright<br />
It was hot this past weekend, mid-eighties in Moraga for our noon kickoff. Looking over the athletes warming up, I said to Tom, “This could easily be a hundred-point game. The offenses should be clicking this time of year, and the defense might not be as keen in a B-side match. Let’s just hope it’s close.”<br />
<br />
Shoulda made book.<br />
<br />
It was like refereeing eighty minutes of Sevens. Neither team ever had a lead of more than seven points. It was a ton of fun to referee<br />
<br />
USA RUGBY WOMEN’S COLLEGE CHAMPIONSHIPS D1<br />
The Stanford women came in third, losing the semi-final on a last-play penalty to Norwich.<br />
<br />
VARSITY CUP<br />
The California men came in second, losing on a last-play drop-goal to BYU. This was a very good game and you can find the entire thing on-line.<br />
<br />
USA RUGBY MEN’S DIV 1 ROUND OF 32<br />
No NorCal teams are alive at this point, with both East Palo Alto teams having lost in SoCal and the Sac Lions having lost at home to OMBAC.<br />
<br />
PACIFIC COAST MEN’S CLUB D1 CHAMPIONSHIPS D2 AND D3<br />
Snake River beat Santa Rosa for the D2 title. Both teams advance to the nationals.<br />
<br />
SFGG beat Sierra Foothills for the D3 title. Both teams also advance.<br />
<br />
D2 Semi-Final: SANTA ROSA 16 – Oregon RSU 13 Referee: Neil MacDonald<br />
ARs: Preston Gordon and Rich Anderson<br />
Referee Coaches: Mike Malone and Mike King<br />
On a scorching day by Treasure Island standards, Santa Rosa met Oregon Rugby Sports Union from Portland for a place in Sunday's D2 Final. Santa Rosa were in their rose jerseys, and ORSU were in kit that appeared to have been inspired by an explosion in a Crayola factory, offering me a bewildering menu from which I eventually selected blue, the colour of most of the side with the number on it. In a match of physical committed rugby (three blood subs in first half alone), pacy backlines, and both teams willing to run straight and spin the ball wide, Santa Rosa's penalty kick and converted try edged ORSU's two penalty kicks at half time. Led by their battering ram captain whose eyes lit up every time he got the ball and had a chance to run over a defender, ORSU rammed in a try and converted it in the second half, but in the end it wasn't enough to overcome Santa Rosa, who eked out the win by 3.<br />
<br />
Credit to both teams for a fast and exciting game, and thanks to Preston and Rich for ARing. Always a treat to have colleagues watching your back and covering the touchlines, and very much appreciated. Thanks too to Mike and Mike for taking the time to watch and coach.<br />
<br />
D3 3rd-4th playoff: CORVALIS 22 - Budd Bay 5 (Half time 7-5) - Ref: MacDonald<br />
ARs: Frank Merrill and Tony Levitan<br />
Both teams had clearly restrained themselves on their Saturday night in the Bay Area, and despite a rumour of mixing teams and playing a friendly, they came to play rugby. Or at least 30 minute halves of rugby - perhaps there had been some beer imbibed the previous evening after all. A tightly contested first half saw the difference between the teams a single conversion - a great kick from out wide by Corvallis captain and #15. Late in the game, Corvallis racked up three unconverted tries to stretch their lead and put the game beyond Budd Bay's reach, in a scoreline that belied the competitiveness of the game. Thanks to both teams for a fun match played in good spirits, and to Frank and Tony for their services on the touchline - which neither of them expected to be providing until about 15 minutes before kickoff!<br />
<br />
NCIT<br />
Report by Eric Rauscher:<br />
The NCIT this year was held again at the very nice Cherry Island Soccer Complex just north of Sacramento. The fields are all grass surrounded by grassy little raised areas with trees planted along the tops. Give the fans a place to sit in the shade and be able to get a great view of the games.<br />
<br />
There were eight pitches used all Saturday and Sunday. The level of play at this event is noticeably superior to that of the KOT, the beginning of the season tourney, but is much smaller. At the last second I was asked to ref one of the first games on Saturday, but since we were handed 3x5 index cards listing the teams, the time and the field which doubled as a score card to be handed in (a great idea by the way for a tourney), I failed to separately note down the info about the game. If I tried to remember it, I would I am sure make a mistake so there we are. I likewise was asked to do a gem on Sunday at the last minute, but this time I transferred the info (Game report below). I spent the rest of the time doing ref coaching.<br />
<br />
JV Gold: Danville Oaks 14 – GRANITE BAY 19 Referee: Eric Rauscher<br />
ARs: Ray Schwartz, Andrew Ngyuen, David Williamson and others.<br />
Thanks to all those that stepped in to fill in ARing during the game. We were under-staffed and did our best to cover championship games (of which this was one). Since I found out that I was doing this game about five min before, I did not have time to round up ARs, but people drifted over to fill in as they could.<br />
<br />
The game itself was as they say "a cracker". Both teams were skilled and fast and motivated. The play was fierce, but never spilled over into aggressive activity. This was the type of game I wish that both could have won, they both deserved it. Although it was a "JV" game, the skill level that the players displayed was astounding. This only bodes well for American Rugby. I have the feeling that most of the players on both sides have been with the clubs for a number of years in "youth rugby" before playing at the High School level and it shows. They don't spend a lot of time thinking about what they should be doing, they just do it, and do it well. My congratulations to both sides for a game well played and a pleasure to ref.<br />
<br />
Report by Jim Crenshaw:<br />
Friday, Saturday and Sunday are rugby days!!<br />
I had the pleasure of doing 4 matches over the weekend.<br />
<br />
Friday evening was hot and muggy in Sacramento for the start of the Northern California Invitational Tournament (NCIT)! Jesuit squared off with C.K. McClatchy at 5pm for the first of the 4 matches played Friday evening.<br />
<br />
Temperature at kick-off was in the low 90's, no breeze and humid. Fortunately we had plenty of scoring and the associated water breaks after each score to keep everyone hydrated!!<br />
<br />
Jesuit scored 2 tries early to take a 12 point lead, with McClatchy breaking through to get within 5 a little over the 25 minute mark. Jesuit scored another try, McClatchy answered with a penalty kick, but Jesuit finished the first half scoring with another try. Score at halftime Jesuit 24 – McClatchy 10.<br />
<br />
The second half was a back and forth affair with Jesuit scoring first and then the teams trading scores the rest of the way. Unfortunately for McClatchy their second score was only a penalty kick and their third score was an unconverted try, while Jesuit tallied 3 converted tries. Final score Jesuit 45 – McClatchy 25<br />
<br />
Mendocino 20 – SF FOG 25 Referee: Jim Crenshaw<br />
Saturday I jumped into the old jalopy around 10 am and headed off over hill and dale around the north side of Clear Lake to Ukiah, to ref Mendocino playing the Fog.<br />
<br />
The 2 pm kick-off meant another mid 90's match and both sides thought it prudent to play 4 20 minute periods to make sure we had enough water breaks. This was more a tale of 2 halves, with the Fog scoring 3 tries to 1 for the Mendo gentlemen and lady in the first half, but Mendo coming back in the second half scoring 3 tries.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately for them the Fog scored 2 tries in the second half to hold on for the win.<br />
<br />
It seems neither team has a kicker, as none of the tries were converted! Final Score Fog 25 – Mendocino 20<br />
<br />
Sunday morning it was back the the NCIT for the final day of fun with the U-19 festivities! My first match I reffed pitted Sierra against Peninsula Green against Sierra.<br />
<br />
The first half was a back and forth affair, Sierra scoring an unconverted try, then the teams trading penalty kicks, first Pen G and then Sierra, and Sierra finishing the half with another unconverted try making it 13-3.<br />
<br />
The second half was all Sierra scoring 4 tries. Final score Sierra 39 – Pen Green 3.<br />
<br />
The last match of the day was the boys Varsity Gold match pitting the Sacramento.<br />
<br />
Islanders against Granite Bay. The Islander's won the toss and elected to kick off. This resulted in an Islander no-wrap tackle and yellow card, for a less than auspicious beginning to the match!<br />
<br />
Cooler heads prevailed and things settled into a fine match. The Islanders scored first but couldn't convert with Granite Bay answering with a converted try.<br />
<br />
The teams traded scores, first the Islanders to make it 10-7 then GB (14-10) and then the Islanders (15-14) about half way through the half.<br />
<br />
The rest of the half belonged to GB, with an intercepted pass, with the Islanders threatening near the GB goal, turned into an unconverted try for GB. GB then scored a converted try near the end of the half to make it GB 33 – Islander's 15 at halftime.<br />
<br />
The second half was a back and forth affair with the teams trading scores throughout the half. GB started the scoring to make it seem like they were going to make it a runaway, but the Islanders weren't about to give up.<br />
<br />
Some shoddy tackling by GB and some inspired play by a tenacious Islander team led to to 2 tries in succession by the Islanders making it GB 40 – Islanders 27.<br />
<br />
GB fought back with an unconverted try that the Islanders answered with one of their own to make it 45 - 32. Within 2 converted tries the Islanders stepped up the pressure, but some mishandled passes led to a final try by GB. Final score Granite Bay 50 - Islanders 32<br />
<br />
Many thanks to Andrew Lin and Kevin Donnelly for running touch and keeping me out of trouble, they did a great job as my AR's!!!<br />
<br />
I owe you guys!!!!<br />
<br />
Also many thanks to Dave Williamson and Ray Schwartz for keeping track of the substitutions and to Dave for the excellent feedback after the match!! One last thank you goes to Rob Salabar, Mateo Medrano, Jerry Ahlin, and the rest of the many folks who helped put on a very well run tournament.<br />
<br />
Cheers,<br />
Jim<br />
<br />
REFEREEING SEVENS COURSE JUNE 8<br />
The IRB Refereeing Sevens course will be taught at SFGG on Saturday, June 8.<br />
<br />
Bruce Carter and David Pelton are the instructors.<br />
<br />
Sign up now on the USA Rugby website: <a href="https://www.allplayers.com/g/referees_certification_courses_level_1_officiating_7s_level_1_7s_june_8th_san_francisco_ca/register/select">https://www.allplayers.com/g/referees_certification_courses_level_1_officiating_7s_level_1_7s_june_8th_san_francisco_ca/register/select<br />
</a><br />
<br />
HAIL, PELICUS!<br />
<br />
For the Senate<br />
Pelicus ScriptorisUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22683413.post-83545751598291323722013-05-01T19:40:00.001-07:002013-05-01T19:40:39.479-07:00EXCHANGES AND PLAYOFFSHAIL, PELICUS!<br />
<br />
SOCIETY BANQUET JUNE 22 <br />
<br />
We’ll be gathering at Scott’s in Walnut Creek on Saturday, June 22, to celebrate the season gone by and for the presentation of the annual Pelican Awards. Drinks at six, dinner at seven. Free for society members, guests for an amount to be announced.<br />
<br />
Please mark your calendars and get your good togs to the dry cleaners.<br />
<br />
VARSITY CUP SEMIFINAL<br />
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 74, US Naval Academy 6, Referee: Aruna Ranaweera<br />
Assistant Referees: John Coppinger, Scott Wood<br />
#4/5 Officials: Bruce Carter, Eric Rauscher<br />
<br />
On a sunny day at Witter Rugby Field, Navy took an early 3-0 lead and were competitive for the first 20 minutes. After that, Cal dominated to lead 34-6 at half with 12 tries in total for the match. Both teams missed scoring opportunities. Much thanks to John, Scott, Bruce, and Eric for their assistance despite technical glitches. Match replay: <a href="http://video.pac-12.com/rugby-demand-navy-cal">http://video.pac-12.com/rugby-demand-navy-cal</a><br />
<br />
Cal will meet BYU in the Varsity Cup final, but it's a shame an undisputed national champion will not be crowned this year as top teams like St.Mary's, Arkansas State, and Life will contest the separate college D1A championship.<br />
<br />
USA RUGBY MEN’S COLLEGE D1A QUARTERFINAL <br />
ST. MARY’S 65 – Colorado 25 Referee: Terry Helmer (USA)<br />
ARs: Tom Zanarini, Matt Hetterman<br />
Evaluator: David Williamson<br />
St. Mary’s will be hosting the national semi-final against Cal Poly on Saturday at 2 PM.<br />
<br />
NORCAL D3 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME<br />
Sierra Foothills – SFGG<br />
The teams agreed not to play, since both advance to the Pacific Coast playoffs anyway.<br />
<br />
NCYRA HIGH SCHOOL QUARTER-FINALS<br />
DANVILLE – Marin Referee<br />
Don’t know the score or who reffed it, but Rugbymag.com reported the winner as Danville.<br />
<br />
GRANITE BAY 36 – San Francisco/ Golden Gate 14<br />
Same deal. Score from Rugbymag.com<br />
<br />
Peninsula Green – Islanders<br />
<br />
This game is going to be played, as it ended in a tie. The ref had the score incorrectly and told Pen Green that they were ahead with time up, so they kicked it into touch.<br />
<br />
It turns out that Pen Green would have lost on the tie-breaking criteria, so they should have had a chance to win it in regulation.<br />
<br />
Your editor has made this argument now for decades: in a ‘real’ sport, the players have the information they need to make decisions: the score and the time. Until rugby gets to this point (scoreboards, and clocks that are synchronized with the referee), we aren’t a real sport in a very basic sense.<br />
<br />
HAYWARD 19 – Sierra 19 Referee: John Pohlman<br />
[Editor’s Note: This game also ended in a tie, but does not need to be replayed as the tie-breaker criteria saved the day.]<br />
<br />
Well, it's under 19 playoff time in the Bay area. Always impressed with these games. I got the opportunity to referee Hayward hosting Sierra Friday night. I jumped at the chance.<br />
<br />
Hayward’s coach Blane Warhurst offered a fast, hard hitting, open rugby. Yeah, sounds like a fun challenge.<br />
<br />
Wednesday I asked Dave Williamson the head of under 19 referees about time and roster requirements for the playoffs. He sent me the following requirements.<br />
<br />
The matches are 70 minutes, no overtime. The tie-breaker is: tries scored, converted tries scored, cards issued and finally sudden death drop kicks (alternate kinks from the 22 meter line).<br />
<br />
The Varsity Playoff Matches have a limit of 23 man rosters and seven (7) limited substitutions (8 for a front row player only), meaning once the player leaves the field (except for blood) they cannot return.<br />
<br />
AR's Kyle and Nick. Both my AR's were quite helpful throughput the game. They helped at half time feedback on cleaning up the off side line infringements.<br />
<br />
Hayward’s winger broke free 8 minutes in for the first converted try. Sierra's winger answered with a converted try 9 minutes later.<br />
<br />
The game continued to be hard hitting and somewhat frenzied. Both sides going with pick and drives only to be met with physical, determined tackling.<br />
<br />
I've always felt the last five minutes of the first half is an important time to step up. So did the players. Hayward’s #13 scored a converted try at 30 minutes. Sierra followed with an unconverted try two minutes later.<br />
<br />
Half time score Hayward 14 Sierra 12<br />
<br />
Sierra kicked off the second half. Won the ball and after numerous phases scored a converted try by their #5. Score Sierra 19 Hayward 14.<br />
<br />
At the 8 minute mark Sierra's #3 tripped the Hayward scrum half while restarting a 22 meter. #9 Pierre was captain and went down hard. I had no choice but to give a yellow card to the #3. Sierra's #3 was my man of the match for Sierra. He seemed to make half of the tackles.<br />
<br />
My man of the match was Pierre the #9 and captain for Hayward. He was a strong runner and kept the defense honest with his running.<br />
<br />
Pierre stole a ball of the scrum at 13 minutes, broke a couple of tackles and scored the final try of the game. Hayward missed the conversion.<br />
<br />
Score Hayward 19 Sierra 19.<br />
<br />
The rest of the game was simply played on the edge. Both teams attacking.<br />
<br />
Hayward won on the third tie breaker.<br />
<br />
Please call if you need a referee for this week’s playoffs. That was a heck of a game.<br />
<br />
Thanks to my AR's, both teams’ captains and coaches, who were positive and respectful throughout the game and after.<br />
<br />
OTHER HIGH SCHOOL GAMES<br />
JV: SFGG 30 – Peninsula Green 24 Referee: Preston Gordon<br />
Sheeran Field on Treasure Island, 1615<br />
<br />
The game was scheduled for a 1600 kickoff, but we all agreed to delay it by 15 minutes to ensure that all the Peninsula Green players had time to arrive from their school's earlier varsity playoff game. I heard about that controversy from several of the coaches.<br />
<br />
This match was an extremely even contest, and aside from one unfortunate incident, very fairly played. The first 10 minutes were back-and-forth stuff with lots of ball movement and few errors. Peninsula Green got the first try at 12', only for SFGG to answer with a try of their own at 15' (5-5). PG scored another one at 18' and managed to convert it in spite of the stiff cross-field breeze (5-12). The scorecard was not needed for the following 11 minutes of good rugby that followed.<br />
<br />
By the 28th minute, SFGG had set up camp in their opponents' 22m area, and after winning a 5m lineout Peninsula Green was attempting to clear the ball away from their own goal line but were making tough work of it. They eventually worked the ball most of the way across the field, remaining under pressure while in or just outside their in-goal area, and managed to kick the ball away. That kick was charged down by a SFGG player, and the ball bounced back into Peninsula Green's in-goal, where SFGG #10 knocked it on while trying to ground it for the try. From only a couple of meters away I awarded a 5-meter scrum to Peninsula Green, over the objections of SFGG #10. When his objections went too far, I changed the scrum to a penalty for dissent. All was quiet for a couple of seconds (on the field; the SFGG coaches on the touchline 15m away were still highly agitated at the non-try decision), with the SFGG players having retreated 10 meters, and then there was an outburst from the SFGG #3 that earned him an immediate red card. I won't repeat his words, but suffice it to say that insulting the referee is never a good idea. That player's teammates were very unhappy with him as he departed, but they fired back only a minute later to score the final try of the half at 29', though it was unconverted (10-12 at halftime).<br />
<br />
SFGG, now reduced to 14 men, opened the second-half scoring with another try at 38' to take the lead (15-12). Peninsula Green replied at 44' for another lead change (15-17), and things were looking interesting. The contest heated up further with SFGG scoring again at 50' (20-17) followed by the PG reply, converted, at 54' (20-24). At this point I would not have been surprised to see SFGG start to fall off the pace a bit, but they never really slowed down despite their missing prop. As in the end of the first half, they enjoyed a territorial advantage, and scored another try at 62' (25-24). After some good attacking play by PG, they turned the ball over and ended up back in their own 22m area again, where they conceded 3 quick penalties at the breakdown. I stopped for a moment to have a word to their captain about maintaining discipline, and when SFGG took a tap kick from the last of those penalties they scored in the corner at 67' (30-24).<br />
<br />
Peninsula Green knew they had a chance at winning the game, and when they recovered the ball not long after the ensuing kickoff they put tremendous pressure on the SFGG defense. After spending nearly 5 minutes camped within 10m of the goal line trying to break through for the win, the game ended in the 72nd minute when SFGG won a counter-ruck on their own line and put the ball into touch.<br />
<br />
With 5 lead changes in the second half, I'm sure that the multitude of parents/fans that showed up got their money's worth. It's great to see that the NorCal high school JV teams have players of this caliber, and this was an excellent game to referee. Thanks as well to the 2 touch judges, and to Dr. Brewin for taking a bunch of great pictures (he did a write-up for rugbymag.com too).<br />
<br />
CROSS-DIVISIONAL FRIENDLY:<br />
SANTA ROSA 33 – Vallejo 22 Referee: Cary Bertolone<br />
<br />
Beautiful day, Vallejo showed up late, game started at 1:30 and Santa Rosa had a little bit of a surprise when Vallejo started breaking tackles and making huge, powerful hits. They surprised Rosa some more when they scored 3 of the first 4 tries, utilizing some unbelievable speed on the outside. In Santa Rosa's defense, they were resting their starters for playoffs next week, but on the other hand, as most of us know, Santa Rosa is so deep that their second side guys are not much of a step down from the starters (Santa Rosa is deep). Vallejo was up 15-8 at the half.<br />
<br />
In the second half, I witnessed one of the best rugby games of my year. Hard hitting from both teams, hard running, good passing and Santa Rosa scored the last two tries to win 33-22. Great sportsmanship from both teams and great BBQ afterwards!!<br />
<br />
EXCHANGE REPORTS: VIRGINA AND VICTORIA<br />
[It must be ‘tour to English Queen’s week!]<br />
<br />
Tony Levitan went to Virginia:<br />
<br />
An Open Letter to My Fellow Pelicans<br />
<br />
If Bjorn ever emails or calls to ask you to go to Virginia on an exchange, do not equivocate, do not hesitate, do not even bother to ask when and for what purpose. Just say “yes” and be prepared for a weekend of gracious hospitality, engaging camaraderie, fine libations and culinary delights, all under the watchful eye of the Virginia Rugby Referee Society’s host-with-the-most, Jeff Anderson.<br />
<br />
After a bounce in Dallas, I arrived in Norfolk, Virginia Friday evening to be spirited off for some quality Southern Bar-B-Q at Frankie’s. The VRRS provided weekend accommodations at the lovely Founders Inn, a few minutes from my host/chauffer’s home. The Christian Broadcasting Network conference that occupied most of the hotel certainly made for a different vibe from the everyday pulse of the Peninsula, and yet the difference simply added to the exchange adventure.<br />
<br />
With a plan to get picked up at 6:55a Saturday in time for my 8am Tidewater Invitational Tournament (yes, it does abbreviate down to TIT; they are rugby guys… what can I say?) opening round match, I scuttled off to bed as early as I could manage —being on PDT— to the howling winds of a nasty rain storm. With the prior night’s rain abated, Jeff pulled up right before 7a to tell me that opening round kick-offs had been shifted back to noon to enable proper set-up of the four pitches. Off to Starbucks for tea and conversation, I got a quick nap in before heading off to the Princess Anne Athletic Complex in Virginia Beach.<br />
<br />
After meeting the remaining crew of tournament refs, under the organization prowess of Les Anderton, the tourney did get under way at noon. My first two Saturday matches were relatively uninteresting affairs, but things picked up with match tres, Washington RFC vs. Quantico. The fit and driven military men from Quantico pressed Washington the entire match in my best run of the day. Curious for me was having to accommodate the deaf Washington loosehead by using hand signals as a complement to scrum commands and watching the entire WRFC squad throw both arms in the air to signal a stoppage to their deaf teammate.<br />
<br />
Greek food and pitchers of Yuengling with the referee crew spanned a number of pleasant hours Saturday evening at the Orapax Inn. Our diverse crew included an Aussie, an Irishman, an age span that began late 20s and reached into the 60s, too many former scrumhalves, and Jeff’s delightful wife, all of which made for spirited conversation and bonding.<br />
<br />
Sunday’s more considerate mid-morning pick-up time allowed for a proper breakfast before heading back to the athletic complex, where the weather had turned a bit blustery; low 50s with strong, chilling winds. An AR stint for a semifinal match allowed me to both warm up and watch finalist and host, Virginia Beach, whom I had not seen at all the day before.<br />
<br />
Under the watchful gaze of assessor Jim Thompson —whose ref whistle I played to way-too-many years ago — and the support of helpful ARs, Jeff Anderson and Peader Little, Norfolk walloped a stout but sorely undermanned Virginia Beach squad.<br />
<br />
One more awesome culinary outing, this one with the Anderson family at seafood haven Rockafellers in Virginia Beach — shrimp, scallops, crab cakes, calamari, and more — and all that was left was the early morning departure and relatively hitch-free journey back west.<br />
<br />
My thanks to our society for its support and to the VRRS for their magnanimity and warm hospitality.<br />
<br />
Ray Schwartz and Favor Taueva went to Vancouver Island:<br />
SHAWNIGAN LAKE SCHOOL TOUR (April 18-21)<br />
Reporting Ref: Favor Taueva<br />
<br />
We arrived at the Sacramento Airport on time. Ray made sure everything was on schedule to make it to the Vancouver Airport. We prepared ourselves concerning changing from California’s nice and warm weather to the rainy, windy and cold season in Victoria, Canada. I was given some good warm clothes from Kat, representing the Pelican Society Referee Club. I was a very happy ref.<br />
<br />
Arrived at Vancouver Airport…next thing was to pick up our belongings and look for a ferry bus to Victoria City. It was so beautiful to see Canada for the first time. It looked a lot like the rural area of New Zealand when I went for the 1989-1990 High School World Cup. Ray got us a bus ticket which takes us to a ferry, then Victoria. What a long trip to Victoria, but very beautiful to see.<br />
<br />
John de Goede, (Victoria Exchange Officer, former National Panel Ref Rugby Canada) picked us up at the bus station, and took us straight to watch his “Junior” game (Shawnigan at Oak Bay High 2nds). John mentioned he is also the Society allocation officer, and suddenly the game was going to go off uncovered so he helped out. Shawnigan demolished Oak Bay.<br />
<br />
Later we pick up John Buxcey, a former James Bay hooker, now a ref, but down with an injury, so he stepped up to manage the refs at the weekend tournament, and so we continued on our way to the Shawnigan Lake School.<br />
<br />
I have never heard of Shawnigan before. We arrived there about 7 p.m. and right before my eyes was this more than five star rating school compound. I took so many pictures, but still can’t describe the beautiful landscaping. Joke was the gardener gets paid more than the school’s Headmaster. John and Buxcey connected us to the right people and from there it’s more than words can describe. People are well trained, much respected individuals.<br />
<br />
We had a dinner with all the coaches and Shawnigan Lake School tournament personnel. Pelican Ref Society/KOT was well acknowledged by the tournament director. Ray, the man, had a chance to represent both Pelican Ref and the KOT. Ray made sure everyone had the opportunity to have a taste of California wine. Lots of good connections were established at the moment of good food, smiles and California wine.<br />
<br />
Friday…it’s fun time. Ray reffed one of the first games and I was at the second round. I enjoyed myself very well. At the half time of my first match, they handed me the ticket for the final match of the tournament! Shawnigan Lake School rugby pitch is so beautiful and well maintained. Friday ended up very successful and plenty of food, water, oranges, etc. to go around. Dinner nearby at the ‘dirt bird,’ The Black Swan, good pub grub. Tournament Director Mark Hall joined us, as well as the sales team from Kukri Sports, as Shawnigan instructor and rugby assistant Chris Brown was our chauffer.<br />
<br />
Saturday I had a chance to get coached by Keith Morrison (reffed in one World Cup). Between Ray and Keith, I have gained another bar of understanding concerning referring skills. I’m a better ref as a result of the Shawnigan Lake Tour.<br />
<br />
I took an injury [now better] and was unable to ref the finals, but nothing will take away how much I appreciate those who have helped me and made this trip possible. Thank you so much for believing in me and making this trip happen.<br />
<br />
Shawnigan Lake tour was well connected and absolutely a successful trip. I’m looking forward for another chance to represent the Pelican Ref Society/KOT.<br />
<br />
Thank you again, Favor<br />
<br />
SHAWNIGAN LAKE SCHOOL TOUR<br />
Reporting Ref: Ray Schwartz<br />
<br />
Very kind words from Favor. I was looking to go to Victoria and here the timing was right. I put my hand up offering to go, and knew Favor was also ready for the challenge. He has reffed only two seasons, but is coming along nicely and wanting to step up to “the big time.” He checked with work and got the days off. I focused on raising my fitness and on pool sales, and was lucky to close several deals all before travelling.<br />
<br />
What we didn’t know until we arrived, was that the Shawnigan Lake School was hosting a 3-day “All Canada Independent Schools” tournament. We were being brought in to ref a ton of games all on this spectacular campus, and would be staying on campus, housed is a decent boarding room, but with shower, kitchen and laundry, and that we’d be in the “Hogwarts meets Frank Lloyd Wright” dining commons each morning.<br />
<br />
This boarding school has got to be world class, stunning in every way, the boathouse, the rugby facilities, the gymnasium, to say nothing of the classrooms which we thankfully never saw. The architecture, the landscaping… amazing! But it is the rugby people who fill the place who are most special.<br />
<br />
The Thursday night Coaches Dinner was in an awesome faculty lounge, and was our first glimpse of all the hard working staff that helped keep the place running in tip-top shape. Mark Hall, the Tournament Director, the moment I saw him, was happy to see me again, and fondly recalled when I had reffed his girls (vs. Mother Lode) two years earlier. The staff supplying the buffet was awesome. All the coaches were great. Buxcey and John de Goede; delightful. A bit later, the School’s Headmaster, Dave Robertson, joined us from another function, and he too remembered meeting me, in Rotorua and again in Wellington, as we both travelled for the World Cup!<br />
<br />
The next morning in the dining commons, the buffet was perfect. I was a bit sad my match was so early I couldn’t eat a lot. I also couldn’t help but notice, the staff was busy making bagged lunches. Later that day, and for the next two days, not just the refs, but all the players and coaches from all visiting teams (18 sides in all) were fed through the hard work of this staff, w/ boxed lunched delivered up to the rugby clubhouse.<br />
<br />
Shawnigan Lake School is a remote place, but they worked extra hard to make everyone feel at home. Their ‘set up’ was world class, and a direct reflection of Dave Robertson.<br />
<br />
I helped ref coach Chris Brown and Ander Munroe, two Shawnigan coaches who also ref some. Seems they are so remote, they hardly ever get ref coached. And the Shawnigan sides are usually so dominant, they’re rarely challenged as refs. I encouraged them to raise their game. Ander was the star flyhalf for Canada in the last RWC. At 31, he’s retired from play, and could now enjoy a very good run as a ref. He is thinking seriously about that possibility.<br />
<br />
The fields (four in total) were near perfect, the games were good, still preseason for most teams visiting from Ontario, Ottawa and Quebec, but some very good rugby was on display. Several of Shawnigan’s top ruggers are clearly All Canada players. I reffed (6) 40-minute matches on the weekend, swam in the Lake after my first match each day. The ice immersion therapy helped keep me feeling as fresh as can be by Sunday. It rained a good bit Friday afternoon (a nice change from Sacramento weather!), and so the washer and dryer in our dorm came in quite handy.<br />
<br />
As I returned from the Lake midday Saturday, I knew Favor was reffing on the main field. I had served as AR for him earlier in the day, and joined the de-brief aftermatch with assessor/ref coach Keith Morrison. As I approached, I could hear the crowd roar off and on. I came up the hill to see the picturesque clubhouse and then the field with the two sides separate. Play was stopped, and the medics were hovering over a player down… right in front of me... But wait, it was Favor!<br />
<br />
His boots and socks were off, and he wasn’t moving. This was disconcerting. But as I came upon him, I could see he was alive. I bent over and slapped him on the cheek. He opened his eyes and laughed. The poor guy had leapt out of the way from a tackle, had caught a boot in his calf, and sustained a deep bruise. He would limp the rest of the way… and into Tuesday… no more rugby for Favor on this trip, which is a real shame as Keith Morrison likened him to “young Aruna,” and they were lining up Mel Jones to drive in to watch him ref the Finals.<br />
<br />
Saturday night we enjoyed a gourmet buffet with the Tournament coaches at the Headmaster’s house. Seems Dave Robertson has long-term plans that include a major commercial swimming pool installation, and I know just the guy to build it! Getting to know the other coaches proved delightful. Several had played pro rugby around the world. Many friends in common.<br />
<br />
Sunday I got to ref a girl’s consolation match on the main pitch (Shawnigan beat Country Day School), then ran touch for the boy’s consolation (Shanwigan B v Brentwood), before relaxing to watch the Brentwood Girls lose to Bishops in that final, and then John de Goede more than capably handle the Final (Shawnigan crushed SAC, St. Andrews College). That tall man can still get around the field well.<br />
<br />
Sounds like he, and others in the (tiny) Victoria Society (only 12 members?!), are excited about the KOT for next year as a Referee Development Vehicle, and they know I will take good care of them. Also, sounds like we will see several sides try and visit from Canada. <br />
<br />
The Tourney all done, all smiles and warm glows, de Goede whisked Buxcey, Favor and I back to Victoria, and then on to the airport. The bus/ferry/bus in, the flight out, is the way to go, if you can find the time. Thanks massively to Bjorn and Bruce and the Pelicanrefs for helping Favor and I enjoy a trip of a lifetime! Exhausted when we got home, but all well worth it! --Ray<br />
<br />
FRIDAY-SATURDAY, MAY 3-4:<br />
USA RUGBY WOMEN’S COLLEGE CHAMPIONSHIPS D1 AND D2<br />
At Stanford. Four games each day.<br />
<br />
SATURDAY, MAY 4:<br />
USA RUGBY MEN’S DIV 1 ROUND OF 32<br />
Sacramento Lions – OMBAC Ref: Pete Smith<br />
Needs another AR.<br />
<br />
SATURDAY-SUNDAY, MAY 4-5:<br />
PACIFIC COAST MEN’S CLUB D1 CHAMPIONSHIPS D2 AND D3<br />
1PM D2 Snake River – Diablo Gaels Referee: Tony Maphosa (PNW)<br />
1PM D2 ORSU – Santa Rosa Referee: Neil MacDonald<br />
3PM D3 Corvalis – SFGG Referee: Jonathan Pasque (PNW)<br />
3PM D3 Budd Bay – Sierra Foothills Referee: Jordan Bruno<br />
At Sheeran Field at SFGG.<br />
<br />
REFEREEING SEVENS COURSE JUNE 8<br />
<br />
The IRB Refereeing Sevens course will be taught at SFGG on Saturday, June 8.<br />
<br />
Bruce Carter and David Pelton are the instructors.<br />
<br />
Sign up now on the USA Rugby website: <a href="https://www.allplayers.com/g/referees_certification_courses_level_1_officiating_7s_level_1_7s_june_8th_san_francisco_ca/register/select" target="_blank">https://www.allplayers.com/g/referees_certification_courses_level_1_officiating_7s_level_1_7s_june_8th_san_francisco_ca/register/select<br />
</a><br />
PHOTO OF THE WEEK<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zh-3GtHaAQo/UYHQJGQn0hI/AAAAAAAAAdg/6xe3fy8CoJI/s1600/Mascot+Check.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zh-3GtHaAQo/UYHQJGQn0hI/AAAAAAAAAdg/6xe3fy8CoJI/s320/Mascot+Check.JPG" /></a><br />
The Shawnigan Stag is flanked by Ray Schwartz and Favor Taueva, with recent NorCal visitor Mike Moss to Favor’s left.<br />
<br />
HAIL, PELICUS!<br />
<br />
For the Senate<br />
Pelicus ScriptorisUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22683413.post-54673997467414679342013-04-24T15:36:00.000-07:002013-04-24T15:36:02.679-07:00WAKE UP AND REFHAIL, PELICUS!<br />
<br />
SOCIETY MEETING TONIGHT (APRIL 24)<br />
<br />
The re-scheduled April meeting of the NCRRS will be tonight at the clubhouse of SFGG on the southeast corner of Treasure Island, from 7 until 9 PM.<br />
<br />
Food will be provided beginning at 6. Allow for traffic and if you arrive early, chow down and talk refereeing.<br />
<br />
NOT DONE YET<br />
<br />
You can still get in a run the next three weekends, easy. Let Pete Smith know. And then of course sevens tournaments will start piling up beginning in June. <br />
<br />
SATURDAY, APRIL 27<br />
<br />
NORCAL D3 FINAL<br />
Sierra Foothills – SFGG Ref: Phil Akroyd<br />
<br />
VARSITY CUP SEMI<br />
Cal – Navy Ref: Aruna Ranaweera. This will be at 2 PM.<br />
<br />
MEN’S COLLEGE D 1A QUARTERFINAL<br />
St. Mary’s – Colorado Ref: TBA.<br />
Needs ARs and 4.<br />
<br />
HIGH SCHOOL PLAYOFFS<br />
Based on past years, there will probably be at least a dozen playoff games over the long weekend (Thursday-Sunday). Contact the HS assignor for your area if you can help out.<br />
<br />
FRIDAY-SUNDAY, MAY 3-4-5:<br />
USA RUGBY WOMEN’S COLLEGE CHAMPIONSHIPS D1 AND D2<br />
At Stanford. Four games each day. Need ARs and 4s.<br />
<br />
SATURDAY, MAY 4:<br />
USA RUGBY MEN’S DIV 1 ROUND OF 32<br />
Sacramento Lions – OMBAC Ref: Pete Smith<br />
Need ARs and a 4.<br />
<br />
SATURDAY-SUNDAY, MAY 4-5:<br />
PACIFIC COAST MEN’S CLUB D1 CHAMPIONSHIPS D2 AND D3<br />
<br />
At Sheeran Field at SFGG. Four games each day. Need ARs and 4s.<br />
NCYRA HIGH SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIPS <br />
At Cherry Island in Sacramento. Eight pitches going all day for two days. Need 35-40 refs.<br />
<br />
SATURDAY, MAY 11<br />
<br />
USA RUGBY ELITE CUP SEMI<br />
SFGG – OPSB Ref: Aruna Ranaweera. Need ARs and 4s.<br />
<br />
SATURDAY, JUNE 1<br />
<br />
SFGG – Tonga Referee TBA. We may need to assign ARs – not sure yet whether USA will do this.<br />
<br />
RUGBY GAMES ALREADY PLAYED<br />
<br />
Olympic Club 7 – OPSB 74 Referee: Paul Bretz<br />
ARs: Eric Rauscher, Preston Gordon<br />
<br />
Olympic Club seconds 24 – SANTA ROSA 32 Referee: Preston Gordon<br />
ARs: Mike King, Eric Rauscher<br />
TI Gaelic fields<br />
In this, my first match after 8 weeks out due to a leg injury, Santa Rosa ran out to a 15-5 lead at halftime with 2 tries (13' and 26'), 1 conversion, and 1 penalty goal (35') vs. Olympic Club's 1 unconverted try (18'). The first half was a little choppy with only a few big breaks and nothing too fancy in terms of ball movement. In the 39th minute I had to put the O Club's fullback in the bin for deliberately obstructing an opponent chasing down a kick, but other than that the game was very fairly contested.<br />
<br />
Santa Rosa were looking like they would pull into a much bigger lead after scoring the first 2 tries in the second half (58' and 61'), but O Club answered well and scored 3 more of their own (66' and 76', and an intercept try to end the game at 82'). Santa Rosa added another one too (72'), making the second half an even contest with 3 tries apiece, and leaving the result at 32-24 to the visitors. Thanks to Mike King and Eric Rauscher for their great work on the touchline.<br />
<br />
OLYMPIC CLUB OLD BOYS 36 - Silverhawks 7 Referee: Bruce Bernstein<br />
Very dominant match by O Club which could have handled many non-old boys teams.<br />
<br />
Silvers were slowed by their age including stalwarts AJ & Fred Forrester breaking records somewhere.<br />
<br />
Great post- match festivities with the old boys beer tent next to the try zone.<br />
<br />
SFGG 67 – Sac Lions 12 Referee: Tevis Vandergriff (South)<br />
ARs: Pete Smith, Mark Godfrey<br />
Videographer: Bruce Carter<br />
<br />
EPA Razorbacks 3 – EPA BULLDOGS 15 Referee: Neil MacDonald<br />
AR: Stephen Valerio<br />
An EPA derby in glorious sunshine on Saturday evening; the last match of the regular season for both teams. I am grateful to the fans' parking habits for Stephen being available to AR, having been unable to make his escape as planned. In a first half of kinetic and skillful rugby both sides came close to tries, but the difference between the teams at the break was a successful penalty kick by the Razorbacks. In the second half, the Bulldogs scored three unanswered tries, the second of which was champagne rugby. Winning a lineout in their own half, the Bulldogs kicked a huge punt downfield, and the flying chaser leapt in the air to volley the ball ahead as defenders closed from both sides, then gathered his kick ahead to score under the watchful eye of my AR. Thanks to both teams for an exciting end-to-end game, and to Stephen for giving me the rare luxury of an AR.<br />
<br />
Seconds: EPA RAZORBACKS 33 – EPA Bulldogs 28 Referee: Stephen Valerio<br />
AR: Neil MacDonald<br />
With 2 local sides you would think getting to the match early wouldn't be a problem.<br />
<br />
In any case, after a 15 minute delay we kicked-off in warm conditions. There was a decent breeze going across the pitch, but it didn't seem to help as things bogged down during parts of the match.<br />
<br />
The Razorbacks came out firing on all cylinders and took a 14-0 lead early. The Bulldogs seemed to finally shake off the effects of the long drive (?) and pushed down to the Razorbacks 5-meter line. It was then an intense period not for the faint of heart as the Bulldogs kept picking and going but the Razorbacks held them out for several phases before finally the Bulldogs punched it in. Suddenly the Bulldogs were on the attack and ended pulling ahead 21-14. Then the heat kicked in and the set pieces got sloppy for the last 10 of the half.<br />
<br />
After the break the Razorbacks tied it up and the match see-sawed back and forth before the Bulldogs pulled ahead with a converted try. In keeping with the 'never say die' attitude of the match the Razorbacks converted their fourth try and with 2 1/2 minutes left centered another try to pull into the lead. I am guessing the kicker thought they were trailing and rushed the kick, leaving the Bulldogs 2+ minutes to even the score with the win still for the taking.<br />
<br />
It may have been the cooling temperature or the end of the game push, but the last couple of minutes featured breakaways for both sides, but in every case the defense made the tackle and was eventually able to force the turnover. Both sides ran back and forth between the 22's until a Bulldog tried a kick from at hand at mid-field that sailed into touch. An underwhelming way to end a great, intense match.<br />
<br />
Thanks to Neil MacDonald who AR'd and caught a knock that I missed when I got caught out of position. I would have awarded a try when there wasn't one. An extra set of eyes is always welcome.<br />
<br />
D3 semis:<br />
SIERRA FOOTHILLS 32 – Vallejo 17 Referee: Rich Anderson<br />
Sierra versus Vallejo featured a tightly contested match in this D-3 semi-final.<br />
<br />
A single play in the Second half probably decided the outcome. At the 60 minute mark, Vallejo scored their second try of the half to tie the match, and look like they had the match momentum.<br />
<br />
Sierra kicks the re-start deep. Vallejo bobbles the kick. Sierra picks up the bobble and scores the go-ahead try. The tie, the momentum and eventually the match was lost in this 15 second sequence.<br />
<br />
Sierra added 10 more points to finish the score at 32-17. Sometimes the little things are the most important.<br />
<br />
Seconds: SIERRA FOOTHILLS 73 – SF Fog 29 Referee: Matt Hetterman<br />
Easy going friendly, played 4x20 min quarters. Lots of old rugby heads<br />
on Sierra, lots of rookies on the Fog.<br />
<br />
Colusa 20 – SFGG 39 Referee: Kevin Donnelly<br />
A very competitive match between two eager teams, both of whom came off big wins the week before.<br />
<br />
Colusa hosted SFGG on a perfect sunny day with excellent field conditions and a very supportive home crowd. The game took 10 - 15 minutes to settle down as each team tried to figure out how to play multiple phase ball.<br />
<br />
During this period the penalty count was high for infractions at the breakdown by both teams and players were vocal in their opinions. Revisiting the pregame instructions, I worked with the captains to get the game flowing. (This is also one of those situations where ARs would be so tremendously helpful in managing a fast antagonistic game). The game settled down, cleaned-up, and the tries came.<br />
<br />
With a late yellow card caution to SFGG, they were up by 5 at the half (20-15).<br />
<br />
The second half was just as fast and competitive but a key injury or two to Colusa, and a couple of excellent break-away tries by SFGG pushed the game out of reach of the Colusa side that never gave up. The final score was 39-20.<br />
<br />
Credit to both teams for settling down into an excellent, competitive game.<br />
<br />
SAN JOSE SEAHAWKS 56 – Sacramento Capitals 19 Referee: James Hinkin<br />
<br />
“Spring is here, spring is here! Life is skittles and life is beer! I think the loveliest time of the year is the spring. I do, don’t you?”<br />
-Tom Lehrer<br />
<br />
It is hard to argue with the sentiment above when you are confronted with a spring rugby day like last Saturday. Everybody seemed to want to get into the act as dogs and kids in equal measure were running up and down the sidelines all day. Ladies were in their warm spring dresses and Tory Golino led the male shirtless contingent on his final competitive rugby match. Tory and I have over 20 years of rugby history – he has fed me more passes for tries than any other single player I have played with – and refereeing his final game was a nice coincidence set up by the rugby gods.<br />
<br />
The early play was a bit sloppy but San Jose dominated play from the outset. The knock ons eventually dried up a little but San Jose was able to break the Sacramento line often enough to put 4 tries on the board. Their goal kicking is still a work in progress, though, and only one was converted. In fact, only one was even close, as evidenced by the comment “nice grubber” from the sideline after one failed attempt. Sacramento was not without fight, however, and created some chances of their own but never found that final pass to convert pressure into points. Not, that is, until a penalty in Seahawk territory was quickly taken and San Jose was caught watching as the Sacramento flanker dotted down. Sac’s kicker had no problems converting the points and we ended the half 22-7 in favor of the home side.<br />
<br />
Keeping in line with our spring theme the second half was delayed by a swarm of amorous bees… or rather, one amorous queen and several drones looking for some actions accompanied by a hive’s worth of workers. I was counting players and getting ready to blow the start of the half when the Sacramento sideline ran on to the field en masse. Soon after the Seahawks scattered as the bee swarm moved across the field looking for some prime insect real estate. Or maybe they were streaking? Not the first time that has happened at a rugby match and they definitely had no clothes on. In any case, the bees soon moved on and order was restored and the half started. Sacramento seemed to have taken the halftime speech of their coaching staff to heart as they started the half much better than the first and put a couple of tries on the board. Unfortunately, while their offense was much improved their defense was still suspect and San Jose kept putting in tries of their own. Sacramento only travelled with 21 players and as the half wore on the depth of the Seahawk squad began to tell. Tired legs were no match for fresh legs as the half wound its way to a finale. San Jose ran around the outside and through the middle and Sacramento tackled well but gaps appeared as the phases wore on. The final action saw the Seahawks score under the posts with Tory Golino set up to claim the final points of his career. Knowing that he had never been carded as a player I pulled out my book and told him I thought his moustache was offensive. (note: it was. There was a country theme going on and some things just shouldn’t be) He declined to comment and resisted all my other baiting so I had no opportunity to send him off with a sending off. The rugby gods giveth and the rugby gods taketh away.<br />
<br />
Final Score: San Jose Seahawks 56 – Sacramento Capitals 19<br />
<br />
Seconds: SAN JOSE SEAHAWKS 31 – Sacramento Capitals 12 Ref: Hinkin<br />
With Sacramento travelling light the captains agreed to 10s. Having played in the Cobra 10’s in Kuala Lumpur in 2004 I used what I considered the “official 10s variations”: restarts and goal kicks as in 7s; scrums are either 3 or 5 man decided by the team with the put. Lots of fun commenced as each team was trying to decide if they should play to a 15s patters or a 7s pattern. I had to reset one (5 man) scrum after a Sac player in the lock position thought he was an 8 man and picked the ball up from the back. I explained that he actually was a 2nd row player and, much like the hooker in 7s, can’t act as an 8 man. The fresh legs of the Seahawks won the first half 24 -0 but the more experienced heads of Sac won the second half 12 – 7. A good run all around and the end of a great rugby day.<br />
<br />
WILD THINGS RUGBY TOURNAMENT<br />
Chico Youth Rugby Foundation - tournament hosts<br />
Chico, CA<br />
Referees: Tom Zanarini, Jim Crenshaw, Cary Bertolone, Mitch Jagoe, Beau Bergstrom, Alex Triantayfyllou<br />
<br />
More of a celebration of rugby than a competitive tournament. The morning matches were 15's with some boys exhibition matches. The girls tournament was for a trophy, which Danville Girls won decidedly. In between the rugby the tournament organizers held a raffle for a road bicycle and had a knock-out rock/paper/scissors game where the loser of a game becomes the winners fan. As you accumulate wins, you get more fans until only two players are left, each with half of the total participants. Yeah, mayhem. The winner got a t-shirt.<br />
<br />
The afternoon was all-girls 7's. This was more to get the girls field time with 7's. The day was getting hot, windy and dusty. Most teams were pretty spent by this time, but still looking to have a good time and gain some experience with 7's.<br />
<br />
Special thanks to Ashley Bocast who organized the tournament with the Chico Oaks Youth Rugby Foundation. I especially appreciated the three 12 packs of Sierra Nevada as payment. Another thanks to the local Chico rugby coaches Mitch, Beau and Alex who were very enthusiastic to referee. Jim and Cary both put in a full day and I managed 3 matches.<br />
<br />
HIGH SCHOOL<br />
<br />
De La Salle 19 – JESUIT 39 Referee: John Coppinger<br />
On Saturday, 4/20/13, Jesuit defeated De La Salle 39-19 is an entertaining match played in front of a good-size crowd on the narrow confines of the DLS football field. Jesuit took a 21-7 break at the 35 minute mark by finding space out wide despite the narrow field. DLS's defense tightened in the second and it was a very competitive match played by two very well-coached clubs. Kudos to the players, especially since it was so warm on the turf field.<br />
<br />
ELITE CUP MATCH<br />
<br />
Final Score: Univ. California at Los Angeles 8 – BYU 69 Referee: Phil Akroyd<br />
A/Rs: Bill Caulfield, Sean O'Connell<br />
P/R: Kat Todd-Schwartz<br />
<br />
Kick-off at 4pm on Storer Field, after the Central Washington V Air Force game that A.F. neglected to show up for (see George O'Neil's' report for final score). The temperature was well into the low 80s by this point, which was significant for the BYU team, as they had been in the snow 24 hours prior.<br />
<br />
UCLA took their home town advantage and gave the National Champs a game for the first hour. After that, the tackles slipped, the rucks were less competitive and the scrums went backwards.<br />
<br />
Final score was a lot to not much, and both teams, plus the ref were not displeased when the 80 minutes was up, based purely on the distances run, the rock hard field and the typical SoCal weather.<br />
<br />
As always, SoCal refs treat their neighbors to the North like family. Thanks to Caulfield, O'Connell, Knowling and Thomas for the assistance and hospitality, Dave "Mike" Metcalf for the ride and LAPD for letting us go home.<br />
<br />
CALIFORNIA JUNIOR RUGBY CLASSIC<br />
<br />
The NCYRA middle school tournament was held in Dixon on Sunday, with 24 teams in three divisions participating: essentially, gold, silver and under-130 lbs.<br />
<br />
One thing many of us who have been around rugby for a long time particularly appreciate is that youth tournaments start on time and stay on time. A simple thing, seemingly so hard to achieve, that shows respect for people’s time, trouble and planning.<br />
<br />
Many of us graybeards had our first rugby tournament experience well into adulthood, thought we’d reached nirvana, and knew we’d found our sport. Imagine that this had happened to you when you were thirteen.<br />
<br />
Lots of ruggers don’t have to imagine.<br />
<br />
It was about ninety degrees after the wind died down, but there was shade enough for the spectators and the players didn’t seem to mind.<br />
<br />
Just a year or two ago, your writer refereed middle school games ‘differently’, applying a looser standard for things such as gate entry and rolling away, more-or-less out of the necessity to keep a game moving and letting the players play (rather than scrumming and taking penalties). It occurred to me that this isn’t necessary any more at this level.<br />
<br />
The way rugby is progressing under the leadership of the NCYRA, perhaps we’ll be holding the Under-Eights to adult standards in a few years’ time.<br />
<br />
And now, just when I’m getting ready to sing the third verse of praises for the NCYRA, I can’t find the tournament results on their website.<br />
<br />
The winners, I believe, were:<br />
<br />
Lightweights: LOS GATOS – Raptors Referee: Bart Nielsen<br />
<br />
Silver: LAMORINDA – (Opponent) Referee: Neil MacDonald<br />
<br />
Gold: EAST PALO ALTO 31 – Mother Lode 21 Referee: Bruce Carter<br />
ARs: Anthony Nguyen, Travis (from Sac State)<br />
<br />
Congratulations to these young players and all the best for your future careers.<br />
<br />
One more comment on the youth season. My grandson’s team played its first game on January 5. They finished April 21. They played nineteen games.<br />
<br />
This greatly exceeds what many adult clubs do in the course of a season. It’s more than double what men’s D3 played (eight games). I should hope adult rugby would follow the example of the youth (and the rest of the ruggerverse), and strive to create more meaningful seasons that better prepare players to take on the world.<br />
<br />
Not to mention: it’s more fun to play rugby with your teammates on more weekends.<br />
<br />
REFEREEING SEVENS COURSE JUNE 8<br />
<br />
The IRB Refereeing Sevens course will be taught at SFGG on Saturday, June 8.<br />
<br />
Bruce Carter and David Pelton are the instructors.<br />
<br />
Sign up now on the USA Rugby website: <a href="https://www.allplayers.com/g/referees_certification_courses_level_1_officiating_7s_level_1_7s_june_8th_san_francisco_ca/register/select">https://www.allplayers.com/g/referees_certification_courses_level_1_officiating_7s_level_1_7s_june_8th_san_francisco_ca/register/select</a><br />
<br />
PHOTO OF THE WEEK<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q7d5j7n_9CI/UXheQkcsjcI/AAAAAAAAAdM/xZTSniCEUL8/s1600/Too+Exciting.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q7d5j7n_9CI/UXheQkcsjcI/AAAAAAAAAdM/xZTSniCEUL8/s320/Too+Exciting.jpg" /></a> <br />
Direr things have happened at rugby tournaments, but we can’t think of any at the moment...Jim Crenshaw attends to some apparently urgent business at the tournament in Chico.<br />
<br />
HAIL, PELICUS!<br />
<br />
For the Senate<br />
Pelicus ScriptorisUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22683413.post-63397576656216939452013-04-17T14:26:00.000-07:002013-04-17T14:26:57.292-07:00NO MEETING TONIGHTHAIL, PELICUS!<br />
<br />
NO MEETING TONIGHT<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, we have not been able to line up enough speakers to make an evening meeting worthwhile.<br />
<br />
We will shoot for next Wednesday, April 24, and we hope this does not inconvenience anyone.<br />
<br />
REFEREEING SEVENS COURSE JUNE 8<br />
<br />
The IRB Refereeing Sevens course will be taught at SFGG on Saturday, June 8.<br />
<br />
Bruce Carter and David Pelton will conduct the day.<br />
<br />
REFS, ASSISTANT REFS, AND NUMBER FOURS<br />
<br />
The regular season ends this weekend. Playoffs continue potentially through the end of May, so let Pete Smith know of weekends when you would be able to help.<br />
<br />
BIG WEEKEND COMING<br />
<br />
May 3-4: Women’s USA College Championships at Stanford, division one and two. We’ll need ARs and #4s for both Friday and Saturday.<br />
<br />
May 4-5, we will have:<br />
NCIT at Cherry Island in Sacramento (same as last year). This is the huge high school tournament that is played on eight pitches, and needs a ton of refs.<br />
<br />
Also, at SFGG, will be the Pacific Coast playoffs for both men’s club division two and division three. Eight games needing ARs and fours.<br />
<br />
Plus a CR1 men’s D1 playoff game that will need ARs as well on the Saturday.<br />
<br />
BIG GAME COMING <br />
<br />
SF/Golden Gate will host the Tongan national team on June 1st at Sheeran Field. They will have hosted an Elite Cup semifinal on May 11, and potentially the final on May 25.<br />
<br />
RUGBY GAMES<br />
<br />
Elite Cup:<br />
SFGG 43 – Glendale 10 Referee: Brian Zapp<br />
ARs: Donagh O'Mahoney, Jordan Bruno<br />
Fourth Officials: Dave Newport, Clifton Ramsdell<br />
Evaluator: Peter Simpson<br />
By winning this game, SFGG finishes first in the western bracket and so will host a home semi-final, against OPSB, on May 11.<br />
<br />
Men’s Division 1:<br />
EPA RAZORBACKS 19 – Olympic Club 18 Referee: Kevin Smith (Victoria)<br />
Referee Coach: Mike Malone<br />
AR: James Hinkin<br />
It was a sunny day of rugby compared to the weather this time of year in home country Canada. I was looking forward to a hard game of rugby. I wasn’t sure what to expect, as Olympic Club looked well drilled and organized, where as EPA were struggling to find jerseys and cones to mark the field. However, once the game started EPA were keen and eager runners with the ball in hand. Even after being down to 13 players due to yellow cards for repeated off-sides, EPA was able to score the opening try. Olympic Club had great defense, but their offence was stalled by repeated knock-ons and handling mistakes. In the end, it was a close game and I was not disappointed.<br />
<br />
A big thank you to James Hinkin and his girlfriend Emily who hosted me for the weekend, and showed amazing American hospitality. Also thanks to Pete Smith for allocating me a great game, and for taking us out for some nights on the town.<br />
<br />
Seconds: EPA Razorbacks – Olympic Club NOT PLAYED<br />
<br />
SAC LIONS 12 – Barbarians 0 Referee: Phil Akroyd<br />
Apparently the score stands – this was the score when the match was abandoned due to fighting, only a few minutes in.<br />
<br />
Seconds: SACRAMENTO LIONS 41 – Barbarians 19 Referee: Ray Schwartz<br />
This game happened first and was not marred by violence.<br />
<br />
Sac Caps – Baracus Referee: Favor Taueva<br />
No report received.<br />
<br />
Chico 34 – FRESNO 36 Referee: John Coppinger<br />
Saturday, 4/15/13, in Chico on the Chico High School fields, Fresno hung on to defeat a surprising Chico side 36-34. Fresno led 24-19 at half. Fresno looked to be the dominant side, but Fresno handling errors and the ability of Chico to find small gaps kept the match close. Good match, played in good spirits.<br />
<br />
SANTA ROSA 63 – Berkeley 10 Referee: Cary Bertolone<br />
In Santa Rosa, in the sun with a pretty good 15 mile an hour wind, Santa Rosa was relentless and scored 4 unconverted tries plus a penalty kick before Berkeley got on the board with a hard earned try of their own. It was 35-5 at the half. It took 15 minutes of hard rugby before Santa Rosa scored in the second half. It was 56-5 when Berkeley worked their way down the field and their forwards pushed in for another try on the 35th minute, showing they never gave up and played hard all the way. They almost scored a third time, but Santa Rosa had too much speed and won running away with it 63-10. Good clean rugby, a pleasure to ref!!<br />
<br />
Seconds: SANTA ROSA 67 – Berkeley 0 Referee: John Tomasin<br />
Having been sick all week, I recruited the services of Doctor John to back me up for the second side. I could have done it, but it was 79 degrees and I was happy John wanted the game. He, as always, did a great job and I learned a few things watching him; he's always so calm!!! It was a track meet, but Berkeley impressed once again by keeping their chins up and playing through the onslaught of tries against them. Good rugby, even though the scores were one sided. Santa Rosa can pass and I saw some unbelievable passes all day long as well as a beautiful up and under by Rob Meesen, Rosa's lock/eight man that went for 50 meters.<br />
<br />
DIABLO GAELS 62 – Marin 20 Referee: Bryant Byrnes, Chris Labozzetta<br />
The assigned first-side referee did not show up, which was ok until a Gaels lock tripped over his own feet and landed on my knee at 32 minutes into the first half. (Exactly the kind of thing I was trying to avoid with my upcoming trip to DC.)<br />
<br />
Because of the injury Chris Labozzetta -who was a reserve for Marin-was nice enough to volunteer to take over.<br />
<br />
This was the last game of Mike Comstock-or so he announced. Mike has been a stalwart fixture of the game, sui generis, at prop for at least 45 years, the majority of them at D1 level. And he is and always has been a gentleman. While I certainly penalized him over scores of games, it was never for foul or unsportsmanlike play, and never a card.<br />
<br />
Editor’s Note: I have had a very long refereeing career, going on thirty years. And the first tournament I did, the first game at that tournament, I refereed Mike Comstock. And it was Old Boys. He qualified even then.<br />
<br />
I learned a valuable lesson: being a new ref, I got between two players who were squaring up to fight. Mike was one of them.<br />
<br />
After the game, he said to me, “I know you’re new. Don’t ever get between fighting players. I almost hit you, and I like you. “<br />
<br />
I can enthusiastically second Bryant’s opinion of this fine man.<br />
<br />
D3 QUARTERFINALS<br />
<br />
SIERRA FOOTHILL 59 – Redwood Empire 17 Referee: JC van Staden<br />
Redwood to kick off, and the very next whistle after about 2 min of continuous playing was a try for Sierra... no whistle in between. Followed by a conversion, and then the next whistle try again... getting the drift?<br />
<br />
Well, that was the start, and for the next 40 min, there was only 1 team on the field, playing a game plan, structured and decisive... First half 40-0 to Sierra...<br />
<br />
Second half, Redwood played down-hill, with the wind at their backs, and "bad apples" replaced. Despite Sierra's good form, Redwood played a good half, scored 3 times, vs Sierra's 3 times, with a score of 17 vs 19. Good comeback, Redwood, and great composure Sierra.<br />
<br />
South Valley 19 – VALLEJO 21 Referee: Neil MacDonald<br />
<br />
COLUSA 64 – Reno 14 Referee: Scott Wood<br />
Reno started with 11 players, had 12 by the 30th minute. Colusa didn't score for the first nine minutes then discovered how to capitalize on overlaps and gaps. We played 55 minutes until the towel was thrown. Colusa loaned Reno some players and then we played a 20-minute chukker.<br />
<br />
SFGG 135 – Shasta 0 Referee: Stephen Valerio<br />
The weather was beautiful on Treasure Island, perfect for a full day of rugby. The Division 3 playoff was the curtain raiser for the Elite Cup match between San Francisco Golden Gate versus Glendale. Unfortunately Shasta had to make the 3 hour drive missing many of their players who were on Mission. The timing couldn't have been worse as they ran into a very strong SFGG side. Shasta stayed positive throughout and both sides managed the game well, with some clearly inexperienced players for Shasta. However, the match was never in doubt. SFGG rapidly recycled the ball and had an impressive number of flat passes which let the receiver take the ball at speed. They were metronomic in their execution and should pose a stiff challenge in their next match.<br />
<br />
The semifinals this Saturday will be:<br />
<br />
Sierra Foothills hosting Vallejo, referee Rich Anderson<br />
Colusa hosting SFGG, referee Kevin Donnelly<br />
<br />
CALIFORNIA 42 – St. Mary's 31 Referee: Pete Smith<br />
ARs: Bruce Carter, John Pohlman<br />
Fourth Officials: Ron DeCausemaker, Rob Hendrickson<br />
St. Mary’s had a 15-point lead at halftime. This was a very good game, which you can read about on-line, one of the jewels in the crown of NorCal rugby.<br />
<br />
Seconds: CALIFORNIA – St. Mary's Referee: Mike Moss (Victoria)<br />
ARs: John Pohlman, Rob Hendrickson<br />
Videographer: Bruce Carter<br />
Our visitor was quite impressed by the atmosphere in Strawberry Canyon, twenty-meter goal posts and championship banners flying. We even took him on a tour of the fieldhouse to see the memorabilia.<br />
<br />
The game wasn’t as close as we would like for an exchange ref, but he thoroughly enjoyed it and got to see his AR’s son, Carl Hendrickson, score five trys.<br />
<br />
UC DAVIS 20 – Sac State 5 Referee: Tom Zanarini<br />
Very warm day in Davis with some hot rugby on the pitch. A big rivalry with two evenly matched schools competing for bragging rights. Davis scored a penalty kick early in the match, then the rest of the first half was intense, back and forth, and scoreless. Davis ended up finding in-goal a few times to pull away. Sac St. had a great 70+ meter breakaway try as time expired.<br />
<br />
Seconds: UC Davis 14 – SAC STATE 19 Referee: Bruce Ricard<br />
Very nice and balanced game. It's good to see that teams learn at least a little bit from their games. Last week Davis got penalized a lot for not staying on their feet, and they apparently worked on that during the week, because I don't recall penalizing them a single time for that during this game. Sac State scored two converted tries during the second part of the first half, which ended on a 0 - 14 score. They scored another try at the 59th minute, to take a 19-point lead. After that Davis started to play better, and scored two converted tries. They were playing better at the end of the game, but it was too late, and Sacramento won by 5.<br />
<br />
Even substitutions didn't slow the flow with 11 first half tries and 10 in the second half for SFGG.<br />
<br />
NORCAL D2 COLLEGE MEN PLAYOFFS<br />
<br />
CHICO STATE 31 – Sierra College 12 Referee: Kevin Donnelly<br />
UCSC 22 – Nevada 19 Referee: Jim Crenshaw<br />
<br />
Sunday:<br />
Consolation: SIERRA COLLEGE 45 – Nevada 41 Ref: Crenshaw<br />
Final: CHICO STATE 60 – UC Santa Cruz 7 Ref: Donnelly<br />
<br />
Chico State advances to the round of sixteen. This is scheduled to be in Texas, but the three teams that have qualified are all from the west coast. It could be moved to Chico, in which case we’ll need ARs in Chico April 27-28.<br />
<br />
D1 COLLEGE WOMEN PLAYOFFS<br />
<br />
STANFORD 48 – New Mexico 10<br />
California 37 – TEXAS A&M 39<br />
<br />
STANFORD 67 – Texas A&M 22<br />
<br />
Stanford advances to play at home against Norwich on Friday, May 3. Norwich have won three USA national championships in the past eighteen months.<br />
<br />
April 6:<br />
Seconds: SEAHAWKS 38 – Berkeley 12 Referee: James Hinkin<br />
On a sunny but windy afternoon in San Jose the Seahawks B side looked to avenge the narrow loss of the A side and Berkeley looked for the day’s sweep. It was a festive atmosphere as the Seahawk women had played earlier and the Seahawks had declared the day Alumni Day so many old ‘Hawks were in attendance lying about how good they were to the young ladies making up the current women’s side. The first half started out rather even as each side traded tries. The kicking that eluded the A side showed up in the B match as San Jose converted both of theirs while Berkeley only converted one for a 14-12 halftime score.<br />
<br />
The second half saw the Seahawks in the ascendency as Berkeley seemed to tire out. Some injury-forced substitution didn’t help and Berkeley gave up 4 tries with no response… sort of. The game ended with Berkeley on the attack just meters short of the line. A final surge pushed a pile over the line and to the ground, but away from my position. By the time I got to a position to see the ball it was held up so that is what I called. The TMO was absolutely no use to me – I’m not even sure why I paid him. After the game both sides agreed a try should have been awarded. Stupid TMO.<br />
<br />
HIGH SCHOOL GAMES<br />
<br />
Dixon 24 – EPPING (Australia) 29 Referee: Bruce Ricard<br />
It's nice to see a foreign high school team flying all the way across the Pacific to come play in California. It proves that rugby is becoming more and more popular in the US.<br />
Epping really dominated the first half. Very good technique, incredible understanding of the rules and the game. They scored a penalty kick at the 7th minute, by their fly half who seems to work a lot on that, because his kicks were as good as it gets for an 18 year old. They scored 2 tries during this half, again beautifully converted by their kicker. The second half started very quickly with another try from the Australian team at the 4th minute. After that, they got pretty tired, and the strength and fitness of the Dixon players made a big difference. They scored 4 tries (2 converted) in 15 minutes. Epping also scored a last try towards the end of the game, with a conversion just next to the touch line, and the kicker missed his first and last kick of the day by only a few degrees.<br />
<br />
<br />
Wednesday, April 10:<br />
Lamorinda 34 – OAKLAND WARTHOGS 35 Referee: John Coppinger<br />
Wednesday at Merritt College in Oakland, visitors Oakland Warthogs stormed back to nip the home side Lamorinda 35-34. (I am not sure how Lamo came to be the home side in a match played on this side of the tunnel, but Merritt College is a great venue with ample room for a full sized rugby pitch).<br />
<br />
The crucial point in the match, although it would not be known until the end of the match, came after a Lamo score near the touch line that put Lamo comfortably ahead. Although both touch judges raised their flags, the conversion was 2 meters wide right and the conversion was not awarded. Apparently the Lamo staff failed to notice that the conversion was not awarded, relying instead on the flags of the TJs.<br />
<br />
After that Lamo score, Warthogs stormed back with very physical play and storming runs to take a one point lead with little time left in the match. At almost full time, Warthogs were attacking 20 meters from the Lamo goal line when Warthogs infringed and a penalty was awarded to Lamo. I told the Lamo captain (a very good player) that time had expired and that there was no time for a lineout following a penalty kick to touch. His response was puzzling as in "Can't I just kick out and end the game?" My response was, "Yes, but you will lose the game." The captain insisted that Lamo was ahead by a point and I responded that they weren't; the captain checked with his sideline and was instructed to end the match, which he did. Post-match, it was confirmed that Lamo had counted the missed conversion when they should not have counted it.<br />
<br />
Good match; a little testy with two yellow cards to Warthogs for foul play.<br />
<br />
Friday, April 12:<br />
South Valley 7 – DANVILLE 62 Referee: Bruce Carter<br />
I was able to get away from the clinic spot-on at ‘closing’ time of 5:30 on Friday, not always a likely prospect. The clinic being in King City, that was important because I was shooting for a 7 PM kickoff in Morgan Hill, ninety miles north.<br />
<br />
It was smooth cruising on 101 all the way, listening to a performance of Measure for Measure on CD. Among other things, the Bard addresses how we behave when we think no-one is watching. Angelo says, “Condemn the fault and not the actor of it?” Exactly! Words for a referee to live by.<br />
<br />
Not that these two teams needed condemning – the play was the thing, and entirely in the spirit of the game.<br />
<br />
My pre-match was precisely four minutes: met one captain, did their boots, spoke to front rows and halfbacks; repeated for the other team; tossed the coin and met my TJs; put my Pelican coin back in my kit and blew for kickoff right on time.<br />
<br />
Might have used a bit of a stretch and warm-up as Danville took off down the pitch and scored. A few minutes later South Valley did the same. Late-season high school rugby is a real treat to referee. I wish the season were longer so they’d play this way a larger percentage of the time, having worked the kinks out in January-February.<br />
<br />
But Danville is a notch above most of the teams I’ve seen. They had three backs who burned people by sheer pace and their captain/halfback, Reese, has the skills to score himself or help his teammates score in a variety of ways.<br />
<br />
South Valley draws a good crowd, and the pizza man showed up just after the final whistle. Not a bad end to the work week.<br />
<br />
Saturday, April 13:<br />
Berkeley JV 12 – BISHOP O’DOWD frosh/soph 43 Referee: Rob Hendrickson<br />
Berkeley hosted O’Dowd to two games on a glorious Saturday morning on their Gilman Avenue home pitch, and I reffed the JV vs frosh/soph opener. Both teams were well coached and disciplined, and it was a fun game to ref, with virtually no back-chat. O’Dowd was able to spin the ball out wide earlier than Berkeley, and so was able to more effectively move the ball, scoring 3 tries in the first half while shutting Berkeley out. Berkeley made adjustments in the second half and came back to score two tries to O’Dowd’s 4 in the second half, for a final score of 43 – 12.<br />
<br />
HAIL, PELICUS!<br />
<br />
For the Senate<br />
Pelicus ScriptorisUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22683413.post-52864112721380886222013-04-10T12:42:00.000-07:002013-04-15T12:42:48.870-07:00TOO MUCH GOOD RUGBYHAIL, PELICUS!<br />
<br />
REFEREEING SEVENS COURSE<br />
<br />
Pencil in a Sevens refereeing course for Saturday, June 8. We’ll try to confirm the date and then the location soon. Registration will not be open until we do.<br />
<br />
SEVENS KICKS OFF<br />
<br />
Sonoma State will be hosting a Sevens tournament for college and high school teams on Saturday, April 20, beginning at 9 AM.<br />
<br />
Last year we had about thirty sevens tournaments, and would anticipate more this year. It’s time to get going with Olympic Rugby!<br />
<br />
Let Pete know if you’d like to ref a tournament that day.<br />
<br />
ERRATA <br />
<br />
The Eagle’s Plate win in Tokyo was not their best finish. Aruna Ranaweera reminds us:<br />
<br />
FYI: USA's best sevens finish was reaching the Cup Final at the Adelaide sevens in March 2010. Lost to Samoa 38-10 to finish 2nd place. <br />
<br />
WE STILL NEED REFS AND ARs<br />
<br />
April 20 is down to a dozen or so games, and then playoffs continue for a while.<br />
<br />
Let Pete know that you can ref: <a href="mailto:Me@Petesweb.com">Me@Petesweb.com</a><br />
<br />
BIG WEEKEND<br />
If you don't have a game, there is a lot going on this weekend for ARs/fourth officials and spectators including:<br />
<br />
Women's college playoffs at Stanford Saturday and Sunday<br />
Men's college playoffs at Chico State Saturday only<br />
California hosting St. Mary's<br />
SF/Golden Gate hosting Glendale in the Elite Cup decider for their conference<br />
<br />
RUGBY GAMES<br />
<br />
Seconds: SF/GOLDEN GATE 48 – Olympic Club 7 Referee: Jordan Bruno<br />
A great match on both sides of the ball saw a well contested match as Olympic Club took on San Francisco golden gates B side. The first half was well contested with strong running on both sides of the ball. San Francisco Golden gate had a much faster and determined back line, allowing them to string together a series of offensive possessions in the first half to run the score up 19-0. The second half saw much of the same, with Olympic club scoring halfway through the second on a well-structured series of phases up the middle of the field. Golden Gate’s speed, agility, and endurance allowed them to continue scoring well into the second half, allowing then to eventually put together a series of additional attacks to boost their score up to a final tally of 48-7. A great match to watch and referee. Thanks to golden gate or hosting and for Bryant Byrnes and Dave Williamson for their post-match commentary.<br />
<br />
EPA BULLDOGS 40 – Bay Barbarians 7 Referee: Tony Levitan<br />
AR: Dick Crouch, Roger<br />
As is typical of these teams, we had a spirited, hard-fought and physical match on a beautiful day in East Palo Alto. By having the captains address some early chippiness from both teams, we settled down into 76 remaining minutes of aggressive play. The Bulldogs dominated the opening 25 minutes gaining overlaps on the Barbarians on a number of long runs, scoring 5 tries, one converted to lead 22-0. The remaining half saw us mostly familiarizing ourselves with the pastures between the 22s as play ranged back and forth, with neither team able to touch down for an additional score.<br />
<br />
Picking up where they started the match, the Bulldogs added three converted tries before the Barbarians scored their only try of the day, a penalty try awarded after persistent Barbarian knocking on the goal line and repeated offenses by the Bulldogs. The Bulldog captain obviously took my strident warning to heart as he was the one who offended, triggering the penalty try award, 33-7. Loose and often sloppy play dominated the remaining minutes, the Bulldogs running the final tally to 40-7.<br />
<br />
Special shout out to Los Gatos youth coach, Dick Crouch for his help as an AR. Always glad to have an extra set of certified eyes monitoring the pitch for me.<br />
<br />
Seconds: EPA BULLDOGS 22 – Bay Barbarians 17 Referee: Peter Sandhill<br />
<br />
SANTA ROSA 82 – Chico 5 Referee: Rich Anderson<br />
This was a match that displayed a contrast in ability but not attitude.<br />
<br />
Rosa showed why they are the class of the NorCal D2 with an overwhelming Pack that did most of the damage throughout.<br />
<br />
Chico showed that they could be out-scrummed and outplayed, but not lose their enthusiasm.<br />
<br />
My player of the match was the Chico forward who continually attempted to chase down the try conversions, of which there were many.<br />
<br />
When I asked the player if he was going to continue charging, he said, "That's how you play rugby, right?"<br />
<br />
I agree.<br />
<br />
Seconds: SANTA ROSA 33 – Redwood-Rosa Combined 29 Referee: Mike King<br />
After Chico finished the first match, it was unable to field a second side. In preparation for the upcoming playoffs, Redwood Empire brought about 10 players who were ably assisted by extras from Santa Rosa who could not get their fill for the day. 65 minutes later (agreed due to numbers for Redwood), the match ended very near where it started. Definitely a game of 2 halves, with Rosa moving the ball very well in the first half, to put all its points on the board. 33-12 at half. After a see-saw first few minutes of the second half with several good attacks by each side, Redwood seemed to find the seams through which to run. It put 3 more tries and a kick on the board, before the whistle for the second half. Momentum was shifting back to Rosa, so who knows what the outcome might have been. Everyone had a good run.<br />
<br />
Baracus 3 – DIABLO GAELS 48 Referee: Chad Douglas (PNW)<br />
Evaluator: Mike Malone<br />
Cloudy, cool day. Pitch was well marked but with patchy grass and sandy areas, footing in some areas was uneven.<br />
<br />
This started out as a very even contest, but with BA giving away numerous tackle/ruck penalties early, hence after a third tackle penalty in the first 10 minutes the captain was spoken to and subsequently in the 15th minute a player was yellow carded for repeated tackle infringements. Players from both teams engaged in early push and shoves and plenty of verbal interaction, a deliberate foot-trip off the ball in the 16th minute by a Diablo player saw him also receive a yellow card. After these early indiscretions, players settled down and there was no more deliberate or cynical foul play.<br />
<br />
The Gaels scored 2 tries in the first half to lead 12-0, and managed to continue their fast pace game in the second half to run in 6 more tries. Final score: BA Baracus 3, Diablo Gaels 48<br />
<br />
Eric; thanks again for putting me up for the night, might see you again down in 'sunny' CA!<br />
<br />
Seconds: BARACUS 19 – Diablo Gaels 17 Referee: Eric Rauscher<br />
After a lop-sided win by the Gaels in the first game, Baracus gained a little glory by squeaking out a win in the second side match.<br />
<br />
The game was played in one 40 minute period followed by a 30. The game was littered with spirited yet scrappy play. After 3 not back 10s, the fourth was committed by a rookie, but the next two meant that the Gaels were playing down two men for a while. Even then they were able to score a try.<br />
<br />
The line-outs seemed to be never straight and both teams seemed to have problems with arithmetic. I had problems with the scrums the whole game. Many of the errors were more representative of beginning of the season play rather than this point. Did I enjoy the game? Any rugby is better than no rugby.<br />
<br />
VACAVILLE 50 – Marin 19 Referee: Bruce Bernstein<br />
Left San Francisco and drove most of the way under cloudy drizzly skies, which cleared as soon as I came into the valley for Vacaville--perfect sunny, a little humid day.<br />
<br />
Vacaville dominated from start to finish scoring 4 tries each half. Marin was able to score the few times they had their rare possessions in striking distance. They came on strong at the party being outnumbered but came with assorted bathrobes.<br />
<br />
Seahawks 15 – BERKELEY 17 Referee: Pete Smith<br />
San Jose Seahawks hosted Berkeley in a Division 2 battle between two similar teams. Berkeley scored two tries in the first half with the first one converted after and intercepted pass. Halftime score as 12-0. The Seahawks bounced back to make it 12-5, then another try by Berkeley pushed the lead back to 12 making the score 17-5. The Seahawks scored again with 15 minutes left to make 17-10 and yet again with 2 minutes left to make it 17-15 with the conversion to come and it was wide right…alas there were players standing behind the kicker from Berkeley as the AR pointed out, so the San Jose kicker got another shot to tie the score and again he pushed it wide. Final score 17-15 with the difference the first conversion of the day!<br />
<br />
Seconds: Seahawks – Berkeley Referee: James Hinkin<br />
No report received.<br />
<br />
SEAHAWKS women over St. Mary's Referee: Matt Hetterman<br />
Friendly fixture, St Mary's Women at Seahawks<br />
<br />
Played 10s with 3-player (7s style) scrums, 20 min halves.<br />
<br />
They asked me not to keep score - it was something like 6 tries to nil.<br />
<br />
Stuck around and AR'd for Pete afterward.<br />
<br />
UC DAVIS 43 – Santa Clara 17 Referee: Phil Akroyd<br />
A/Rs: Bruce Ricard & Scott Wood<br />
A 4pm kick off at Russell field after the Ultimate Frisbee tournament had relinquished control of the pitch.<br />
<br />
It was a very pleasant affair - responsive teams and very well disciplined. I think there were only about 7 or 8 penalties in the first half and about half as many in the second. Another of those games where in the second half, the winning team were always going to win, but the defeated team made it interesting throughout. There seem to be a lot of games like that this season.<br />
<br />
Seconds: UC DAVIS 62 – Santa Clara 31 Referee: Bruce Ricard<br />
<br />
Sac State – UC Santa Barbara Referee: Joe Androvich<br />
Seconds: Sac State – UC Santa Barbara Referee: Jim Crenshaw<br />
No reports received on these two games.<br />
<br />
PACIFIC WESTERN QUARTERFINALS<br />
<br />
UCSC 65 – Fresno State 24 Referee: Neil MacDonald<br />
Videographer: Bruce Carter<br />
Men's College D1-AA Quarter Final: UCSC 65 - Fresno State 24 (Half time 34-5):<br />
The Slugs belied their name, receiving the kickoff and sending the ball wide to their live wire right winger for a score in the first minute. Fresno responded to close to 7-5, before UCSC cut loose, scoring four more, punctuated by a penalty goal after Fresno were pinged for side entry, to make it 34-5 at the half. UCSC's backs were finishing clinically, but Fresno's forwards were overpowering UCSC in the breakdown. Fresno scored in the early minutes of the first half, but Santa Cruz responded with two more, taking the match to 48-12, with almost half an hour remaining. Fresno scored next, with a well-worked quick tap after UCSC were penalized for diving over. UCSC scored, then Fresno's wing earned ten minutes in the bin for taking a player out in the air on the restart, and UCSC profited from their man advantage with two scores while he was gone, to take their total to 65. Fresno had the last word with a try on full time, following a series of penalties conceded by a tiring UCSC team, but UCSC ran out worthy winners 65-24, and earned a trip to Chico for next weekend's semis and finals of the Pacific Western Conference.<br />
<br />
Thanks to Bruce Carter for sticking around to film my game, despite the lure of tri-trip on the barbecue back home in Salinas.<br />
<br />
NEVADA 51 – San Jose State 22 (overtime) Referee: Kevin Donnelly<br />
Good weather conditions on the artificial surface made for a fast game but the high cross wind caused some handling problems, forward passes, and problems with line out throws. There was quite a lot of scrumming.<br />
<br />
Several lead changes, and a last minute come-back converted try by UNR tied the game at 22. In the overtime period UNR dominated and ran in an additional 29 unanswered points. The higher altitude and a couple of disciplined events (1 yellow and 1 red card) put SJSU at a disadvantage. Final score 51-22 but both teams and coaches satisfied with a very fair, enjoyable, and super-competitive match. UNR advances to finals next weekend in Chico.<br />
<br />
SANTA ROSA JC 22 – Sierra College 5 Referee: Tom Zanarini<br />
The rains stopped just in time for a beautiful, warm and sunny rugby day at For Pete's Sake Field. The grass was long and firm, just waiting for a quality contest. The teams were evenly matched in size, pace and skill. The first half was a hard hitting and hard running. The score was 5-5 until SRJC ran a try in as the watch alarm sounded. So 10-5 to start the 2nd half. This ended up being where SRJC laid down the law with 12 unanswered points. Still, the contest was back and forth. SRJC just capitalized on some wide breaks and had maybe a bit more pace. One thing to note is the discipline was stellar on both sides. Much improved from a couple years ago. Cheers to the gentlemen on the sidelines who produce gentleman on the field.<br />
<br />
Chico State BYE. The Wildcats finished first in the conference and will host the semi-finals this Saturday, which will be:<br />
<br />
Chico State – Nevada Referee: Jim Crenshaw<br />
UCSC – Santa Rosa Referee: Kevin Donnelly<br />
<br />
PLAYOFF GAME:<br />
<br />
UCSC WOMEN 20 – Univ. of Washington 15 Referee: Bruce Carter<br />
It was a good day for the Slugs. This game preceded the men’s game, and the home teams came away unblemished.<br />
<br />
End-of-season rugby is good to referee, and playoff rugby is even better. The players don’t just play better individually and as a team, they make the referee’s job easier by responding to the cues we give them to keep the penalty count down.<br />
<br />
U Dub was worried about playing on ‘the hottest day of the year’, but the clouds lingered over the hillside pitch even while we could see sailboats racing in the sun on the bay below, and it was hot only by Seattle standards.<br />
<br />
The visitors scored first, waking up the spectators of this morning match. With all of the conversions being missed (although the Slug kicker caromed a sideline effort off the crossbar), a tie score was always a possibility. But the Slugs’ defense came through with several sieges on their line withstood near the end.<br />
<br />
ALL BLUES 51 – Sac Amazons 0 Referee: Bryant Byrnes<br />
A Friday cancellation by a unnamed club with a clubhouse on TI resulted in a better Saturday match. The All Blues are the reigning Women's Premier League National Champions, and showed why-fitness, support, and good ball handling. Except for an early case of knock-onitis, they would have scored more. The Amazons cheerfully soldiered on, putting on a nice sustained attack in the second half.<br />
<br />
HIGH SCHOOL GAMES<br />
<br />
BISHOP O’DOWD 19 – Oakland Warthogs 5 – Referee: John Coppinger<br />
O'Dowd claimed bragging rights in Oakland by downing the Warthogs 31-10 at O'Dowd on Saturday. Warthogs came out hard and physically challenged the Dragons, but the Dragons withstood the challenge and won the match by making better decisions with ball in hand. The half time score was 12-5 in favor of O'Dowd and O'Dowd scored a converted try at full time to make the win seem easier than it was.<br />
<br />
HAIL, PELICUS!<br />
<br />
For the Senate<br />
Pelicus ScriptorisUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22683413.post-24562335946866487132013-04-04T12:36:00.000-07:002013-04-15T12:37:00.582-07:00EAGLES WIN THE PLATEHAIL, PELICUS!<br />
<br />
REFEREEING SEVENS COURSE?<br />
<br />
Last summer we had about thirty sevens tournaments in NorCal, as many as four per Saturday. Certainly, interest has only grown in the interim.<br />
<br />
If enough people are interested in taking the IRB Refereeing Sevens course, we can set one up for early June.<br />
<br />
Please respond to Rob Hendrickson: <a href="mailto:RCHendrickson@duanemorris.com">RCHendrickson@duanemorris.com</a><br />
<br />
PLAYOFFS IN PROGRESS<br />
<br />
There are fewer games each weekend for the next three weeks, about twenty or so, but plenty of playoffs among these that could use Assistant Referees.<br />
<br />
There are college playoffs games this weekend in Reno, Santa Rosa, and two in Santa Cruz. If you'd like to AR, contact the ref (listed on www.Pelicanrefs.com).<br />
<br />
GOOD SHOWING IN TOKYO<br />
<br />
The Eagles won the plate (5th place) in the Tokyo Sevens. They hadn't finished that high since 2001.<br />
<br />
Not only that, but in the course of the weekend they defeated both Fiji and Wales, who had played for the Cup in Hong Kong the week before.<br />
<br />
Parity approaching at long last?<br />
<br />
RUGBY GAMES<br />
<br />
SFGG 62 – Olympic Club 6 Referee: Pete Smith<br />
<br />
Reno 10 – VALLEJO 28 Referee: JC van Staden<br />
Good weather, 65F and overcast, could not ask for better a better rugby day. With a couple of red cards both teams had a shaky start, but manage to pull things together for a decent outcome.<br />
<br />
CALIFORNIA 51 – Univ. of Utah 29 Referee: George O'Neil<br />
ARs: Rob Hendrickson, Bruce Carter<br />
<br />
BRUCE BERNSTEIN’S BUSY<br />
Trying to ref one match when I was not assigned & ended up doing 3:<br />
<br />
Thursday 5:30 PM<br />
BELLARMINE PREP HS 33 – SF/Golden Gate 22<br />
<br />
Saturday 11:30 AM<br />
Humboldt HS Girls 22 – BERKELEY 28<br />
<br />
1:45 PM<br />
Humboldt Mens Club (HOGS) 38 – REDWOOD EMPIRE 48<br />
Very competitive, spirited 3rd Division contest tied 19 at half; close the rest of the way until Redwood's flyhalf scored his 4th try--either team could have won at that point.<br />
Redwood trying to peak for playoffs and HOGS looking to use as incentive for next season.<br />
<br />
HAYWARD 29 – EPA 0 Referee: Bryant Byrnes<br />
If Texans could see our version of Friday Night Lights, rugby would be the next big thing in the Lone Star State-especially this game. Two good teams of big boys going at it hammer and tong.<br />
<br />
However, the night belonged to Hayward, who played an almost flawless first half and led at 35 minutes 24-0. They kept it pretty much in the pack and if EPA missed the first tackle-which it often did-huge territorial advantages were gained.<br />
<br />
GOOD VARSITY GOLD MATCH MARCH 26 <br />
<br />
San Mateo 12 – SFGG 36 Referee: Tony Levitan<br />
A fixture rescheduled to accommodate tight field scheduling at San Mateo High School, a beautiful Tuesday evening proved to be a quality setting for a hard-fought high school rugby match. The teams traded unconverted tries in the opening 10 minutes, each playing advantage to their full scoring advantage. Midway through the half, San Mateo grabbed its only lead of the evening with a converted try generated by strong, at times punishing, backline running, 12-5. After that score though, the remaining scoring was left to SFGG which added two converted tries before the half (19-12, SFGG) and then another 3 tries, one converted to push the final tally to 36-12, SFGG.<br />
<br />
While the score may not show it, this observer wants to note how far he has seen San Mateo come since January's KOT when they didn't even know the offside laws in the backline. The match, as typical of these two teams, was marked with hard hitting, aggressive running, and creative open play.<br />
<br />
TOURING SIDE<br />
<br />
DE LA SALLE 29 – Xavier 17 Referee: John Coppinger<br />
At De La Salle on Tuesday night, De La Salle slipped by Xavier of New York 29-17. Xavier fielded a mix of first and second side players after beating Jesuit a day or two before.<br />
<br />
Xavier came out strong to take a 17-15 lead at half, with the De La Salle's scores resulting from individual athleticism, rather than team rugby.<br />
<br />
The score remained 17-15 late into the second half when some ball handling mistakes led to the winning De La Salle try on a play that resembled soccer more than rugby. De La Salle scored a late converted try that made the score flatter the home side in a match that was extremely competitive and in doubt until the very end.<br />
<br />
HAIL, PELICUS!<br />
<br />
For the Senate<br />
Pelicus ScriptorisUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22683413.post-81412541999244769462013-03-27T13:08:00.002-07:002013-03-27T13:08:31.456-07:00ALMOST APRILHAIL, PELICUS!<br />
<br />
REFEREES NEEDED<br />
<br />
Don’t let Easter weekend fool you, when we only have four or five games (there’s one in Humboldt that isn’t on the website yet).<br />
<br />
We could use another fourth official for the Cal - Utah game this Saturday at 1 PM.<br />
<br />
April 6 and April 13 we have dozens of games. The men’s clubs are still playing, along with the top colleges, and there are playoffs in the other divisions.<br />
<br />
WE STILL NEED A LOT OF REFS.<br />
<br />
April 20 is down to a dozen or so games, and then playoffs continue for a while.<br />
<br />
Let Pete know that you can ref: <a href="mailto:me@petesweb.com">me@petesweb.com</a><br />
<br />
HOSTS NEEDED<br />
<br />
We have two incoming referees from the Vancouver Island society here for the weekend of April 11 to 14.<br />
<br />
If you’ve been on exchange, you know how important it is that we provide a good experience for our guests.<br />
<br />
If you haven’t been on exchange, hosting is the way to move to the top of the list.<br />
<br />
Let Bjorn know if you can help: <a href="mailto:bstumer@comcast.net">bstumer@comcast.net</a><br />
<br />
SATURDAY GAMES<br />
<br />
BIG DAY IN EPA<br />
Seconds: EPA RAZORBACKS 39 – Barbarians 15 Referee: John Pohlman<br />
<br />
East Palo Alto hosted the Bay Barbarians in East Palo Alto at McNair field (formerly Niners academy). I arrived a few minutes after 10:00 a.m. for an 11:00 a.m. kick-off.<br />
<br />
This being an early B side game things were a bit disorganized but we managed a kick-off about 10 minutes late.<br />
<br />
It was a very tight hard hitting game early on. I gave an early shoulder charge yellow card to the Barbo's #4.<br />
<br />
EPA got on the board with a try at 28 minutes. EPA 5 Barbos 0 A very competitive game.<br />
<br />
At 30 minutes another Barbarian led with a shoulder leading to a yellow card. This was followed by another dangerous tackle committed by the Barbarians two minutes later. Into the bin you go.<br />
<br />
With two men down the Barbos gave up two trys right before half time.<br />
<br />
The second half EPA scored 4 more try s to the Barbarians scoring three. No more cards.<br />
<br />
I was talking with the players from the Barbarians who said many of the players were from Cabot College football team. They apologized because in football shoulder charges are legal. Hopefully they will stay with rugby long enough to learn the laws. Many were very athletic.<br />
<br />
After my game I was getting ready to AR for James first side game. I noticed how many people had arrived. Both sides stands were filled, as well as, the many people on the side line. There were a few food tents and first aid station.<br />
<br />
A really fun and festive Polynesian atmosphere.<br />
<br />
Final EPA 39 Barbarians 15<br />
<br />
After James’ game came the game of the day. EPA under 19 versus Oakland Warthogs under 19.<br />
<br />
EPA RAZORBACKS 43 – Bay Barbarians 3 Referee: James Hinkin<br />
ARs: John Pohlman, Bruce Bernstein<br />
<br />
Spring rugby in California… is there anything better? Occasionally you hear some blowhard from the east coast who says we should all play a fall league so the seasons line up but why would we ever do that? Give up rugby on a spring day in the 70s with no clouds and a light, refreshing breeze? Don’t be silly.<br />
<br />
As I arrived the John Pohlman was ably handling the opening match so I approached the teams and sorted out the paperwork and all was set to kick off until a Barbarians player walked on the field with tights. It is nearing the end of the season and yet the memo still hasn’t gone out to many players and teams: unless you are female, you can’t wear tights. Once that was sorted we were underway. EPA looked strong from the start but a series of penalties kept the game from flowing. Barbos got on the board with a penalty while EPA pounded in a try. Unfortunately for the Bay Barbarians that was all they could muster on the day. Some strong running led to opportunities and a missed penalty but that was all. EPA were able to convert their opponent’s ill discipline into points with strong, opportunistic rugby. Half time score was 24 – 3.<br />
<br />
The second half was more of the first with the exception that frustration was starting to show. A couple of flash points were calmed down as the Razorbacks ran in 3 more tries with no response from the visitors. EPA looked stronger and more organized throughout the match while the Barbarians have some good rugby players but lack cohesion. Many thanks go to John Pohlman and Bruce Bernstein for ARing. It is a rare luxury.<br />
<br />
High School:<br />
EPA RAZORBACKS 24 – Oakland Warthogs 17 Referee: Bruce Bernstein<br />
<br />
This was a hella match. No score until almost the end of the first half when each team traded tries. Warthog winger mistakenly put ball down outside try zone twice within minutes.<br />
<br />
Then 2nd half just as intense with EPA slimly leading 19-17 before EPA grabbed a quick penalty for a try with 2 minutes to go.<br />
<br />
EPA dedicated the match to Oakland's players no longer with us by each wearing wrist tape on both wrists with their #'s written. Oakland played inspired as if they had 17 players.<br />
<br />
OTHER GAMES<br />
<br />
Seattle OPSB 27, SAN FRANCISCO GOLDEN GATE 36, Referee: Aruna Ranaweera<br />
Assistant Referees: Jen Tetler, Craig Parish (PNW)<br />
<br />
1:30pm kickoff at Magnuson Park in Seattle featured the 2012 Rugby Super League (RSL) runner-up hosting the 2011 RSL champion. This match doubled as a NorCal D1 fixture and an Elite Cup match. (The Elite Cup takes the place of the disbanded RSL and features two divisions of four teams each.) SFGG conceded many penalties in the 1st half but were efficient-enough on offense to take a 17-10 lead into half. The visitors established a rhythm in the 2nd half to secure a 36-15 lead before OPSB fought back to score 2 late tries. Both teams were physical in contact and very fast out wide. In the end, SFGG's offensive talent enabled them to overcome their indiscipline by 6 tries to 4. Thanks to Jen for help with key calls near the corner flags.<br />
<br />
Olympic Club 25 – SACRAMENTO LIONS 30 Referee: George O'Neil<br />
ARs: Ray Schwartz, Mark Godfrey<br />
<br />
Seconds: OLYMPIC CLUB 19 – Sac Lions 10 Referee: Ray Schwartz<br />
AR: Mark Godfrey<br />
<br />
Good quality B Side action, two full sides keen to play, the match shortened though by a neck injury to the O Club scrummie, we hear he's well and should recover fully. Curtain raiser to an awesome A Side match reffed by George O'Neil on a special day.<br />
<br />
SACRAMENTO CAPITALS 65 – Chico 12 Referee: Phil Akroyd<br />
(No B-Side game played due to lack of interest/bodies)<br />
<br />
Beautiful weather for rugby but the recent rain had not done anything to soften the rock-hard Danny Nunn field.<br />
<br />
Chico had five players an hour before kick-off, while Sacramento were running full team drills. The Chicoans (is that what the plural is?) managed to get a full team plus one sub for kick-off time, so the alarm bells were ringing already. Both teams have had, let's say, less than successful seasons so far and Sac picked up their first league win in style. They looked far better than their record suggests and played some lovely free playing rugby. Their best player by far was the number seven, Bula, who provided and excellent link between forwards and backs and got the ball moving forward quickly.<br />
<br />
The run was pleasurable enough and both squads played with the full knowledge that the game was irrelevant, other than the fun of it, so we had plenty of fun and the players picked up a little law knowledge along the way. Chico's coach made a humorous point in the second half, clearly letting me know that he was bringing in his sub for the day. There was a running bet between me and the Sacramento kicker, a player asking me if I had the ability to yellow card the breeze and the Village People with a keg at the side of the field. Good quality local rugby.<br />
<br />
We played a full eighty minutes, then it was off to Hoppy Brewing for some happy hour beer and appetizers on the terrace, with the whole family. This was my seven week old's second pitch side experience but my parents also made the outing too, during their visit to the Golden State.<br />
<br />
Fresno 23 – BARACUS 31 Referee: Neal MacDonald<br />
<br />
Fresno hosted Baracus on their new field at Todd Beamer Park on a sunny afternoon. I had my first trip over Pacheco Pass on the way - no idea how I've lived here as long as I have and never been over that road. Baracus scored two converted tries early, before Fresno kicked a penalty for an offside infringement on seventeen minutes. From an attacking lineout, Baracus ran a set move and their winger came in off the narrow side on a switch to score. Their full back made his third successful conversion to take the scoreline to 21-3 with almost twenty minutes left until half time. Fresno took full advantage of that time, scoring from a scrum 5m from the Baracus line, and kicking another penalty to make it 13-21 at half time, and everything very much to play for.<br />
<br />
After the break, Fresno continued where they left off, scoring early in the second half to cut Baracus' lead to three points. With twelve minutes left, Fresno scored another try, and went into the lead for the first time in the match, by two points. With minutes left in the match, Baracus kicked a penalty to get their noses in front by one. Pressing their attack inside the Baracus 22, Fresno knocked on, and with advantage being played, Baracus got the ball out to the wing and away up the field for the final try of the game with time expired to secure the win.<br />
<br />
Seconds: FRESNO 50 – Baracus 0 Referee: Jeff Jury<br />
<br />
Marin – SANTA ROSA Referee: John Coppinger<br />
<br />
We are having the upstairs painted and my kit bag and score card are under plastic in one of the rooms upstairs. Rosa won big, but Marin scored a try late. I am guessing 90-5 Rosa.<br />
<br />
Seconds: Marin – Santa Rosa Referee: Rich Anderson<br />
No report received.<br />
<br />
Berkeley 8 – DIABLO GAELS 71 Referee: Stephen Valerio<br />
<br />
The match started off well with 3 back and forth scores in the first 10 minutes with Berkeley leading 8-7. After that it was pretty much just 'forth' for Diablo the rest of the way.<br />
<br />
Seconds: Berkeley – Diablo Gaels Referee: Rob Hendrickson<br />
<br />
The second sides from Berkeley and the Gaels squeezed in a shortened game (20 minutes 1st half and 15 minutes 2nd half) between their first side match and the Marin vs Santa Rosa game at Morton field on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. The contest was a little scrappy, but generally clean, although scrums seemed to be a problem with the ball repeatedly coming out the tunnel. A great social in the form of BBQ chicken, a keg of beer and plenty of good cheer followed.<br />
<br />
State of Jefferson – Mendocino Referee: David Trujillo (PNW)<br />
ARs: Kevin Parks, Kevin Brown (both PNW)<br />
No report received.<br />
<br />
STANISLAUS 60 – Vallejo 14 Referee: Bryant Byrnes<br />
<br />
This was D3 in Turlock, but<strong> good</strong> D3. The match was close at half, with Vallejo in front only by 3; 17-14. But after banging it out pack to pack mano-a-mano to only slight advantage, Vallejo in the second half quickly got the ball out to its greyhound back line. To great effect.<br />
<br />
My thanks and compliments to the teams, the captains, and the presidents Ben and Paul for a good game with few management problems.<br />
<br />
Reno Zephyrs 31– SIERRA FOOTHILLS 32 Referee: Jim Crenshaw<br />
<br />
I drove up to Reno Saturday to ref the Reno Sierra Foothills match. Both teams are good D-3 teams with Sierra not having lost a match since last season.<br />
<br />
Sierra scored first and had a 12 - 0 lead about half way through when Reno got going by scoring three tries to take a 19 - 12 lead at halftime on some great runs by their scrum-half and stand-off.<br />
<br />
The Sierra pack was dominant, but the Reno backs were, for the most part, quicker and faster than the Sierra backs.<br />
<br />
In the second half, Sierra built up a 32 to 19 lead but let Reno get within 1 point with less than a minute to go. Reno had the momentum, but a forward got isolated and was penalized for not releasing allowing a penalty kick to touch to end the match.<br />
<br />
SFGG 71 – Morgan Hill 8 Referee: Chris Davis (Virginia)<br />
Referee Coach: Mike King<br />
AR: Eric Rauscher<br />
<br />
NSCRO California Cup at Maritime Academy<br />
Saturday – Semifinals<br />
<br />
OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE over Puget South Referee: Pete Smith<br />
ARs: Scott Wood, Dave Newport<br />
<br />
They had a score board and I just keep checking to see if it was correct. It was like 36-22…maybe 43 -28…plenty of points. Only 4 penalties in the first half and about 6 in the second half. Two teams that listened and just wanted to play rugby…one of my favorite games of the year so far. Well coached teams that played the game the right way.<br />
<br />
CAL MARITIME ACADEMY 51 – Pepperdine 6 Referee: Tom Zanarini<br />
<br />
ARs: Scott Wood, Dave Newport<br />
<br />
CMA owned this contest. Pepperdine couldn't penetrate the CMA defense, and when the Keelhaulers got the ball, they attacked.<br />
<br />
Sunday<br />
<br />
Consolation Match<br />
<br />
UNIV. OF PUGET SOUND over Pepperdine by forfeit Referee: Tom Zanarini<br />
<br />
Pepperdine was peppered with injuries after their loss on Saturday, forcing a forfeit. UPS loaned Pepperdine some players, so we still had a rugby match. And a pretty good one, at that. Pepperdine was probably sorry they had to forfeit, since the 'score' was 41 - 27 in their favor.<br />
<br />
Championship:<br />
<br />
Cal Maritime 10 – OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE 25 Referee: Pete Smith<br />
AR: Eric Rauscher, Chris Davis (Virginia)<br />
<br />
Both teams advance in NSCRO. The game was for seeding.<br />
<br />
SANTA ROSA JC 41 – Willamette University 12 Referee: Cary Bertolone<br />
<br />
At For Pete's Sake in Santa Rosa, on a Sunday afternoon, Santa Rosa JC had a friendly scheduled with Willamette University from Salem, Oregon. The Oregon boys drove all the way down for a Saturday tour of San Fran and just this one game, before heading on the long ride home.<br />
<br />
They had 25 players and both teams had open substitution. The pace was fast. SRJC opened the game with some nifty back moves and that produced a couple of nice trys. About twenty minutes in to the match, w/ Santa Rosa up 19-0, we had a little discussion with the captains about offsides by both teams as I explained a "no tolerance" policy from that moment on and the game settled down. It was 24-0 at the half. Fifteen minutes into the second half, Willamette scored a well earned try by their forwards to close the gap, but Santa Rosa scored three more trys to put the game away. Santa Rosa did the guests a bit of a favor by liberally substituting in some rookies and Willamette took advantage by scoring a late try to finish the scoring 41-12.<br />
<br />
At 73 degrees with a slight breeze, it was a beautiful day of rugby, no one got hurt and a good time was had by all.<br />
<br />
HIGH SCHOOL GAMES<br />
<br />
BELLARMINE 49 – Berkeley Rhinos 22 Referee: Bruce Carter<br />
<br />
I needed an early, nearby game, with social plans for the early evening in the works back home. This 10 AM kickoff on Bellarmine’s campus was perfect, only 75 miles from home.<br />
<br />
Looking at the teams’ records coming in, you would not have predicted the outcome. This time of year, of course, you can have one school on spring break and the other not, given that the spring break ‘season’ runs about six weeks most years.<br />
<br />
Old teammates and playing opponents of mine coach both teams, so it took a few minutes longer to conduct my pre-match as it included catching up.<br />
<br />
The teams seemed to be pretty evenly matched, with each scrum taking at least one against the head and both capable of exploiting the full one-and-a-half-meter push that they are allowed.<br />
<br />
Both teams had a number of fast runners. The difference was in the Bells breaking the primary line of defense more often and then exploiting the resultant overlaps.<br />
<br />
The spirit of rugby walked the pitch: there was no aggro. I overheard one player, shaking his opponent’s hand afterwards, saying, “Man, you really trucked me.”<br />
<br />
Great stuff, guys. But I have to say, it’s an odd thing for me on a Saturday to be driving home before noon.<br />
<br />
Silicon Valley 26 – SFGG 31 Referee: Tony Levitan<br />
<br />
In a hard-fought Varsity Silver match, SFGG prevailed on a try with no time left on the clock. The distinct slope on the pitch made for a dominating first half by SV, running up 23 points on the strength of 2 converted tries and 3 penalty kicks to SFGG's 12 points (2 tries, 1 conversion). With the field slope in their favor -- and SV playing down a man after a yellow card for cynical play -- SFGG began running more aggressively, dotting down a converted try in the 21st minute of the second half, (23-19, SV). SV expanded their margin with a well-slotted penalty with 9:30 minutes remaining, 26-19. A yellow for dangerous tackle in the backline took SV back down to 14 players after only a few minutes back at full strength. SFGG tied the match with just over 3 minutes remaining after a converted try, 26-26. The teams traded penetrating movements, each threatening before our final scrummage with 30 seconds remaining. In the harried play that followed, SV infringed at a breakdown and SFGG took advantage of their man-up advantage in the backline to put over the winning try. Final score, 31-26, SFGG.<br />
<br />
Monday:<br />
<br />
Bishop O’Dowd 7 – BELLARMINE 14 Referee: Rob Hendrickson<br />
<br />
O’Dowd hosted Bellarmine to a spirited Monday night game at the Dragon’s home pitch. Given the pitch’s location and proximity to a main arterial alongside and below the pitch, they have a rather unique home field rule which provides that penalty kicks from that half of the field are automatically awarded a lineout 20 meters down the field to avoid losing errant licks over the fence. Even with that rule, we still lost a ball.<br />
<br />
The teams were well matched in terms of both skill and intensity, and the game provided a show case for when and how to counter ruck. Bellarmine scored a converted try in each half, with O’Dowd coming back and scoring its converted try as the final whistle blew. Both these programs have developed skilled and disciplined rugby players and programs which can’t help but advance the level of the game generally.<br />
<br />
JV: BISHOP O’DOWD 26 – Bellarmine Prep 21 Referee: Bryant Byrnes<br />
<br />
The fecklessness and cluelessness of the new player trumped by a great amount of young rugby talent. Good teams, well coached.<br />
<br />
HAIL, PELICUS!<br />
<br />
For the Senate<br />
Pelicus ScriptorisUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22683413.post-31843330697181057232013-03-21T05:38:00.004-07:002013-03-21T05:38:53.448-07:00TREASURE ISLAND TONIGHTHAIL, PELICUS!<br />
<br />
MONTHLY MEETING<br />
<br />
Our next society meeting will be this evening, Wednesday, March 20, at the usual time and place: Golden Gate clubhouse, southeast corner of Treasure Island, from 7 until 9 PM.<br />
<br />
FRIDAY<br />
<br />
Humboldt State 0 – MARITIME ACADEMY 50 Referee: Pete Smith<br />
<br />
Report from CMA website:<br />
The Cal Maritime Rugby team, knowing it needed a win to claim the NCCRC league title, scored 50 points on Humboldt State to win its first NorCal CRC league title decisively. Fresh off a frustrating tie which dropped CMA into second place, the Keelhaulers came out focused and ready for the traditionally tough trip up to Eureka. Senior wing Zach Patterson scored the first of CMA's 8 tries. Additional tries were scored by freshman Chad Mensinger, senior Brandon Teepen, senior Lonnie Shankling (2), junior Wyatt Matthews (2), and freshman Evan Chambers. Senior Will Fitzpatrick was successful on 5 of his 8 conversion attempts. The win brought CMA's league record to 5-0-1 and ahead of Sonoma State in league standings (Sonoma's only loss was to CMA). The Keelhauler's overall record is 11 wins against 1 loss and 1 tie.<br />
<br />
The victory against the traditionally tough Humboldt State team on the road in CMA's final league match earned CMA the league title as well as the right to represent Northern California in the Small College's National Championship competition. The first leg of the playoff competition is the Pacific Coast Cup on March 23-24. The PC Cup will include Northern California's champion (the CMA Keelhaulers), the Pacific Northwest champion (two-time champion University of Puget Sound), and Southern California's champion (perennially champion Occidental College) and runner-up (frequent playoff contender Pepperdine University) and will be held at Bodnar Field on Cal Maritime's campus in Vallejo, CA. CMA plays Pepperdine at 11am Saturday with the second game, featuring UPS against Occidental, kicking off at 1:30. Saturday's winners both will qualify for the Small College's Pacific-West Regional Championship to be held 2 weeks later in Glendale (Denver), Colorado, and will play Sunday, March 24, to determine the Pacific Coast Cup champion as well as seeding for the PacWest Regional. Kick-off for Sunday's PC Cup championship game will be at 1:30. A consolation game between Saturday's losing teams will kick-off at 11:00am.<br />
<br />
All rugby fans are invited to come out and watch the exciting playoff rugby that will be on display during the Pacific Coast Cup held at the Cal Maritime Academy Saturday and Sunday, March 23-24. Kick-offs are scheduled for 11am and 1:30pm on both days. The gate opens 1 hour before the first game each day.<br />
<br />
SATURDAY GAMES<br />
<br />
OLYMPIC CLUB 61 – Bay Barbarians 7 Referee: Aruna Ranaweera<br />
Assistant Referee: Nome Tiatia<br />
At the Gaelic AA Field B at Treasure Island, both teams were undisciplined in the first half, but the captains took control at half-time so the 2nd half was more positive. OC led 32-0 at half and won convincingly, 9 tries to 1.<br />
<br />
Seconds: Olympic Club – Barbarians Referee: Nome Tiatia<br />
No report received.<br />
<br />
EPA Bulldogs 24 – SACRAMENTO LIONS 41 Referee: Tony Maphosa (PNW)<br />
AR: James Hinkin<br />
Evaluator: Mike Malone<br />
My trip to Northern California proved to be one of the best in recent memory. Sac Lions vs EPA Bulldogs was the game: Very competitive game (final score doesn't reflect the game itself). SL more efficient at winning the set piece battle which was ultimately the difference in the game. Final score SL prevails 41-24.<br />
<br />
Many thanks to James Hinkin (and Emily) for putting me up on Friday and Saturday, Mike Malone for taking time out to watch the match and provide feedback, Pete Smith for Saturday's lively entertainment, Preston Gordon for showing me the sights and sounds on Sunday. Hopefully we in Northwest can return the favor soon. Well done Pelicans. You indeed are some fine birds.<br />
<br />
Tony Maphosa<br />
<br />
Seconds: EPA Bulldogs 7 – SAC LIONS 15 Referee: James Hinkin<br />
The B side match for this fixture kicked off 10 minutes late, but that’s all right because we only played 30 minute halves. Both sides have old heads and young bucks and mostly were out having good fun running around. A yellow to each team for repeated offenses calmed the penalty count slightly but neither team really took advantage of the extra man. Sac Lions ran in 2 tries (unconverted) to a single converted try to the hosts in the first half. The second half saw only one score: an unconverted (again) try from Sacramento.<br />
<br />
SFGG 76 – EPA Razorbacks 5 Referee: Matt Hetterman<br />
Video Coach: Bruce Carter<br />
I arrived at Treasure Island on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, just after Bruce Carter blew the whistle for kick-off of the b-side match. I watched a bit of that from the press-box, and then sorted out the captain's talk just before half-time.<br />
<br />
Bruce had offered to video tape and mic me, which was great - I had heard from several other refs, both NCRRS and SCRRS-based, how useful that had been for them. We setup quickly in the interim between matches.<br />
<br />
The first 20-minutes was pretty tightly contested, but then execution and fitness enabled SFGG to pull away quickly. Tempers became heated just before half-time - I issued a yellow to a Razorback player for a high tackle (after repeated team infringements) with 3 minutes left, and then a stern warning at the half-time whistle to their captain for two tardy tackles in the last 30 seconds.<br />
<br />
Scoring slowed a bit in the beginning of the second half, but thankfully tempers had settled down as well. Last 20 minutes saw SFGG put their foot on the gas.<br />
<br />
Bruce and I grabbed a couple beers afterward before heading home – had to take my wife to dinner as she let me ref on her birthday!<br />
<br />
Seconds: SFGG 65 – EPA Razorbacks 3 Referee: Bruce Carter<br />
Got to the clubhouse early enough to see Wales put the wood to England, spanking them like public schoolboys asking for another. *(See below)<br />
<br />
What a difficult-to-predict tournament is the Six Nations! Because they only play each other once a year, passion often seems to play a larger part in the teams’ performances than in the Tri-Nations (now four), where multiple games means things usually run to form.<br />
<br />
It was a beautiful rugby day on the Bay, windless sun, but much of the usual Sheeran Field crowd must have been at the St. Paddy’s Day parade in SF.<br />
<br />
Golden Gate has several players pushing for slots in the first XV, with the Elite Cup around the corner, and they made their case against the game Razorback seconds.<br />
<br />
MARIN REDS 43 – Sacramento Capitals 20 Referee: Rich Anderson<br />
In a match that was more competitive than the teams' record would suggest, Marin overcame a 14-15 half-time deficit, scoring 5 second half tries, and defeating the Sacramento Caps 43-20.<br />
<br />
FRESNO 36 – Berkeley 20 Referee: Giles Wilson<br />
Fresno hosted Berkeley on a sunny (80 degree) day on a hard but grassed field. When I arrived there were still 3 or 4 lawnmowers working over the longer sections, ensuring even coverage.<br />
<br />
Both sides had good numbers and were warming up - old faces coaching and on the sidelines (some playing) along with many new faces on the field.<br />
<br />
In the first game both sides came out hard with big strike runners, Fresno especially got big guys running in the midfield. Both sides worked two first half tries but only one conversion between them meant Fresno turned around with a narrow 12 - 10 lead.<br />
<br />
In the second half Berkeley were able to build a couple of periods of pressure and generated two more tries, but overall were fading somewhat in the warm weather while Fresno were getting stronger. The second half saw one Berkeley tries (converted) plus a penalty overwhelmed by four Fresno tries (two converted).<br />
<br />
Seconds: FRESNO 19 - Berkeley 12 Ref: Wilson<br />
Both sides had some young guys who wanted a run and managed to persuade some of the very old guys to complete the numbers for a short run out - the referee was wilting pretty fast in the sun as well. <br />
<br />
Vacaville 10 – SANTA ROSA 59 Referee: Jen Tetler<br />
Hot and sunny day out in Vacaville. The game opened up with a Vacaville try in the first two minutes off of a beautiful up and under caught by the kicker (not sure where the fullback was). Unfortunately, that was the last try that Vacaville would get for the day. Santa Rosa came back a few minutes later with a penalty kick to show that they wanted the game too. There was some pretty great back and forth in the first half with the score tied at 10-10 with about 10 minutes left in the half. But Santa Rosa pulled ahead with two quick tries at the end to put them up 24-10. Vacaville held their own for the first 15 of the second half, but Santa Rosa just had more support further outside and some really good offloads. They ended up scoring a few more unanswered times in the second half. All in all, hard-fought with play that is not accurately reflected in the score.<br />
<br />
DIABLO GAELS 40 – Seahawks 28 Referee: Paul Bretz<br />
Good match by both sides. Gaels got out early in the first half and never relinquished the lead. At one point in the second half the Hawks closed the gap to 4 points but every time they started to get momentum the Gaels would create an opportunity to take it back.<br />
<br />
Seconds: Diablo Gaels – Seahawks Referee: Dave Pescetti<br />
Referee coach: Paul Bretz<br />
No report received.<br />
<br />
Shasta 15 – COLUSA 45 Referee: Eric Rauscher<br />
OK, a trip to Redding. Directions, check; kit bag, check; stack of cds. check.<br />
<br />
This was your " the game was closer than the score". Shasta was within 5 meters of scoring twice in the first half and just didn't get it in. Colusa played better than Shasta, the score would indicate that. But it seems that Shasta just did not play up to their potential. Not to take anything away from Colusa's performance. Colusa did get a yellow card in the second half for foul play, but after it was handed out, any of the antagonistic play seemed to disappear.<br />
<br />
Funny how cards seem to clean up a game.<br />
<br />
REDWOOD EMPIRE 84 – State of Jefferson 0 Referee: Tony Levitan<br />
A magnificent, if a wee bit warm, afternoon at For Pete's Sake in Santa Rosa was the fine setting for a track meet nee rugby match between Redwood Empire and State of Jefferson. Gotta hand it to the SoJ squad as they never quit, even refusing to shorten the second half so their players could "gain more match experience." To have played as hard as they did after a 55-0 first half, well, it was just nice to see them honoring the spirit of the sport!<br />
Redwood Empire: 14 tries, 7 conversions<br />
State of Jefferson: 0 tries, 0 conversions <br />
<br />
MENDOCINO 31 – Humboldt 15 Referee: Pete Smith<br />
19-8 Mendo at halftime with the wind, sun and down slope. I figure it would be about a 10 point advantage. So the 11 point spread looked like it would be a close game, but Mendo kept it going with 2 more tries in the second half to one converted by Humboldt. These guys aren’t used to someone using their voice and not their whistle…long stretches of rugby followed by moments to catch their breath. Great bunch of ruggers…what I remembered as a kid growing up. Nice to go back to your roots and remember why you fell in love with something.<br />
<br />
RENO ZEPHYRS 42 – Blackhawks 17 Referee: Bruce Ricard<br />
I arrived in Reno, for the first time, at the end of the afternoon on Friday, and was welcomed by Bruce Anderson, with whom we went to have a couple beers, while watching some rugby in an Irish pub. The next morning, Bruce drove us back to the pub, to watch this fantastic Wales - England game (without the beers this time), and finally to my first game of the day, at the Reno Zephyrs' pitch. Thanks a lot Bruce, I had a great time!<br />
<br />
Very windy day in Reno. The wind was perfectly aligned with the pitch, so that you would get either a full wind for, or against. Reno had a very good start, scoring three tries in the first 20 minutes, but the Blackhawks came back in the second part of the first half, by scoring two tries. Score at the break: 15 - 12. The Blackhawks took the lead at the 8th minute of the second half, with another try (15 - 17). After that, Reno received two yellow cards in two minutes, and that seemed to wake them up. They scored five more tries, without letting the Blackhawks getting any more points. Final score: 42 - 17<br />
<br />
After the game, the Zephyrs' coach KC, who is also one of the coaches of University of Nevada, drove me to the University for the second game.<br />
<br />
NEVADA 63 – SF State 17 Referee: Bruce Ricard<br />
Same windy day, but here the pitch wasn't aligned with the wind, which makes it even more annoying for the players. At the fifth minute of the game, UNR scored a first try. After getting the ball back on their 22 at the restart kick, the 9 passes to the 10, who passes to his 12, but the floating pass is intercepted by the USF center who has no trouble scoring between the posts, and USF takes the lead 5 - 7 after the conversion. Two minutes later, Reno scores another try, and once again after a few rucks following the restart kick, USF intercepts a pass and goes for a try (12 - 12). Reno scored two more tries in the half, to go to the break with a 12-point lead: 24 - 12. The second half was pretty much one-sided. UNR scored seven tries, USF scored only one try at the 22nd minute, thanks to their forwards. Final score: 63 - 17.<br />
<br />
Thanks again to Bruce Anderson for having hosted me.<br />
<br />
SIERRA FOOTHILLS 53 – Stanislaus 0 Referee: Bryant Byrnes<br />
Our climate change winter continues-clear and 70 degrees at kick off in the the heartland of Rocklin. Sierra is the best team no one has heard of yet. A second year D3 club, it is assuredly playoff bound. Their men of the match were their stout scrum half and a quick crashing outsider center.<br />
<br />
And the Stanislaus team? I always love to see these guys. While not likely to be in the play offs this year, year in and year out they show up at the various far flung venues, play hard, complain little, and cheerfully attend the social.<br />
<br />
SOUTH VALLEY 29 – Monterey Bay 14 Referee: Stephen Valerio<br />
A great day for rugby, once we could get to the pitch. I pulled up a little before an hour before kick-off to find some ruggers hanging in the parking lot. The pitch was locked up so people just hung out until someone came with the key. Kickoff was only 15 minutes late, so all in all, not bad.<br />
<br />
The match brought back memories of my playing days with lots of pick-and-go action from both sides. South Valley seemed strong overall and broke out to a 17-0 lead off of 3 tries spread out in the first half. They lost momentum on a yellow card with about 5 minutes left to play in the half when Aptos was awarded a penalty and a lazy runner cynically killed the pass off of the tap. The player eventually returned and South Valley collected two more tries and a 29-0 lead. Both sides seemed fatigued and the scoring slowed for much of the 2nd half before an intercept just outside of Aptos's 22 let them get their first points of the day. Then late in the match Aptos was awarded another penalty and kicked for touch deep into South Valley territory. A few players asked for the time and I told them this would be the last play. All that happened was Aptos won the lineout, ran a couple of phases before another South Valley penalty, this one 5 meters out for not retiring behind the back foot. Then a high tackle stopped the next Aptos ball carrier resulting in a penalty try. I need to get a better response to those late in match time questions.<br />
<br />
One point of laws debate came up. A free kick was awarded to South Valley in the first half, just on their side of mid-field. The kicker then went and kicked directly into touch, so I awarded a lineout to Aptos from the point of the kick. Several South Valley players/coaches/supporters thought the throw-in should have been Aptos' (all asked politely lest you think it was one of those screaming situations), but where the ball landed. I was able to show one or 2 of their members at the post-match gathering Law 19.1 (j) (you have to love the IRB Laws App) that when a free kick is awarded outside of the team's 22, the lineout is where it was kicked, or where it went into touch, whichever is nearer the kicker's goal line. However, I am sure I missed a few, so here is the promised clarification.<br />
<br />
ST. MARY’S 48 – San Diego State 24 Referee: Phil Akroyd<br />
A/Rs: Tom Zanarini, Mary Castle (PNW)<br />
Coach: Dave Williamson<br />
There was about ten minutes of competitive rugby in the first half and significantly more in the second. The game continued at a very fast pace throughout, even though the weather was hot and sunny. The conditioning of both teams was apparent as they played hard throughout and pushed me to the final whistle. Overall, an enjoyable experience.<br />
<br />
Seconds: ST. MARY’S 91 – San Diego State 7 Referee: Mary Castle (PNW)<br />
Coach: David Williamson<br />
I want to say that Bjorn Stumer and Tom Zanarini were awesome hosts and I had a great experience working with Tom, Bryan Porter, and Dave before, during, and after the game. It was great to get feedback and also have the opportunity to work on it at the same time. It was a clean, fast game, and the 91-7 win by St. Mary’s really tested my fitness. I got great video from Tim O’Brien too! Hopefully I will be able to return the favor to a NorCal ref on exchange up here.<br />
<br />
Stanford 10 – SACRAMENTO STATE 57 Referee: Derek Summers (USA Rugby, West)<br />
Evaluator: Kat Todd<br />
Stanford men's division 1 side finished their season with two losses to Sacramento State. The first game was refereed by Derek Summers. The final score 57- 10.<br />
<br />
Seconds: Stanford 19 – SAC STATE 63 Referee: John Pohlman<br />
The scores speak for themselves. Sac State was more psychical and just kept the pressure on the rebuilding Stanford Men's side.<br />
<br />
Derek Summers is a 25 year old referee from Denver. He moved from Oklahoma to enhance his referee potential. He is currently in the National referee panel. Seeing young committed people striving to reach the top of the referee panel is both inspiring and exciting for the future of rugby in the U.S.<br />
<br />
Santa Clara 7 – CAL POLY 45 Referee: George O'Neil<br />
<br />
Seconds: Santa Clara – Cal Poly Referee: Bob Polito<br />
No report received.<br />
<br />
SANTA ROSA JC 53 – Fresno State 20 Referee: John Coppinger<br />
On Saturday at the For Pete's Sake pitch, SRJC ran out to a 36-5 lead on a warm--almost 80 degree--day. Fresno came back to win the second half, but by then SRJC had let up a bit. The tale of the match was SRJC being able to recycle the ball after contact while Fresno State often turned the ball over in contact. Good match played in good spirits.<br />
<br />
UCSC 41 – San Jose State 26 Referee: Neil MacDonald<br />
After UCSC were led onto the field by a bagpiper, we got underway in this match for the MacBeth-Porter Cup. This was the last regular season game for both teams in the Pacific Western Conference in D1-AA, with UCSC lying second and SJSU third, and home field advantage for playoffs still to be determined. The glorious sunshine was perfect rugby weather, and the game got off to a fast start. SJSU were unable to capitalize on early pressure deep in UCSC's 22, with scoring chances there for the taking. UCSC opened the scoring from a penalty, and extended their lead to 10-0 on 17 minutes, putting SJSU's defensive scrum deep in their 22 under pressure, and profiting when San Jose's back row move went awry and spilled the ball. SJSU marched UCSC deep into their own 22, before the defenders spun the ball wide to the left wing and went all the way down the field for the score. 15-0 after 24 minutes. Three minutes later, another searing counter-attack up the left from UCSC took the score to 20-0, with SJSU still without reward for their committed play. UCSC scored two more converted tries, and SJSU found themselves facing a 34-0 deficit, in a scoreline which belied the intensity of play. Keeping their chins up, SJSU rallied and scored just before half time from a flowing back move. 34-7 at the half.<br />
<br />
San Jose State began the second half with more physicality and intensity than they had at the end of the first, dominating play, scoring a converted try in the first few minutes, and adding another - both converted by the excellent boot of their hooker, and bringing the score to 34-21 with more than twenty minutes left to play. UCSC regathered themselves to stop the juggernaut, and claimed another converted try to extend their lead. SJSU scored again, gaining a bonus point for their fourth try and pegging the score back to 41-26 with ten minutes of play remaining. UCSC secured home field advantage for their April 6th quarter final match against Fresno State, while SJSU will travel to Reno to face UNR.<br />
<br />
CHICO STATE 40 – Sierra College 17 Referee: Ray Schwartz<br />
Two good DII College sides getting ready for the playoffs. Chico senior #8 (from SFGG) was pretty dominant, scoring three tries, otherwise these sides were even. Sierra played with nearly 30 players, mixing A and B sides both halves, otherwise this was toss-up. If they had stacked the first half with their best it would have been closer, but squad development heading into the playoffs was the plan, as per coach Jim Goddard. Well played, nice crowd too.<br />
<br />
Again, very few tackles were contested. I had reported my SRJC v UNR match had maybe 5 rucks, this had closer to 30, still, not the rugby I am used to. I asked the Chico openside after the game about it, he mentioned that so many refs this season have penalized for hands in and gate entry that they just stopped trying, but I reminded him that the openside's job is to probe... find out what the ref will and will not allow. Be like Richie McCaw!<br />
<br />
After the match, while speaking w/ Sierra Coach Jim Goddard (an old time Pelican Ref), I met the Sierra College Athletic Director, "Peggy," who truly helped save the program after having to ask the former coach to step down. She talked about how impressed she was with all the young men, and clearly she's delighted to see how Mr. Goddard is carrying on.<br />
<br />
Then a nice older gent came up to say hi and just ask about the local rugby scene. Seems "Cliff" is a retired mathematics professor who donates yearly to Sierra College's athletics, and now will be certain to earmark his donation for the rugby team. Cliff was visiting campus to watch his grandson play baseball, but clearly the rugby was more compelling. He talked about how he'd spent time in Australia and New Zealand and loves the game. As we chatted more we learned we were both Rutgers graduates, and that my company had built his swimming pool some 26 years ago... and that now it’s time to have me out and remodel his pool! Always a plus to mix refereeing with business!<br />
<br />
St. Mary's thirds 36 – UOP 38 Referee: Tom Zanarini<br />
I had the pleasure of hosting Mary Castle, a Pacific NW referee. Bjorn picked her up Friday night from SFO where I then met them for a pint and a pork belly at Mill Valley Beerworks. It was a quick pint as we had an early and long day scheduled. I had to get Colleen to a work seminar near SFO Saturday morning at 8:30am. Mary and I made a quick stop at SFGG to check out the facilities and catch some 6 Nations on the TV. Unfortunately it was England v France (a replay), but what the heck. SFGG JV were playing the Berkeley Rhinos on the pitch. A quick peek at that match, then we were out of the fog and onto sunny Moraga. St. Mary's had 3 matches on schedule for the day, the 3rd side playing first. Actually, De La Salle were playing Dixon as we arrived and looked to be an excellent match. I'm not sure who had the whistle, but he looked the part and had control.<br />
<br />
I've never reffed Pacific before so was excited to check them off my list. The match was well contested as the score shows. In fact, too well as I did muff the score sheet at some point and definitely late in the match. St. Mary's will review the video, but my estimation is that Pacific won by 2 or 4. I blame it on a multitude of factors including just getting over a head cold and, well, probably just not paying close enough attention. The scoring was pretty much in sync, so I think I awarded points to the opposite team somewhere around the 24th point. That's at least when I recognized my score sheet didn't equal the scoreboard. At any rate, enough about my mistakes. The match ended with a stunning display of St. Mary's attacking during full time, trying to keep the ball alive for a last effort try. Pacific was eager to help. On a counter ruck inside the 22, the 8-man picked the ball and heaved it directly into touch. Great long pass, but forward and, oops, DIRECTLY INTO TOUCH. Penalty awarded to St. Mary's who then made short work of scoring a try. My extra time meant no time between matches. I went straight from refereeing to AR duties, with the National Anthem and the D1-A contest between St. Mary's and San Diego St.<br />
<br />
Sac State women – Fresno State<br />
Not sure whether this happened or who might have reffed it.<br />
<br />
<br />
Fog women 24 – EPA LADY RAZORBACKS 46 Referee: Bruce Bernstein<br />
EPA's backs had some nice long runs to get ahead 29-5 at the half; but the Fog came back to outscore them in the 2nd 19-17.<br />
<br />
BERKELEY ALL BLUES 49 – Seahawks 4 Referee: Bruce Bernstein<br />
Four 20-minute periods San Jose was ahead after the first two periods 14-10 with the help of a better kicker & reinforcements from EPA & Berkeley; but could not hold off the All Blues whose numbers, fitness & coaching shut them out for the 2nd two 39-0.<br />
<br />
WOMEN’S COLLEGE PLAYOFFS AT UC DAVIS<br />
<br />
Cal went into this event as the fourth seed and came out with first prize: a spot in the sweet sixteen next month.<br />
<br />
Saturday<br />
UC Davis 14 – CALIFORNIA 22 Referee: Scott Wood<br />
ARs: Chris Tucker, JC van Staden<br />
A great match! Unfortunately, there was only one on the day as the fourth team for the play-ins (Air Force) apparently couldn't find a flight and forfeited their match against Chico State.<br />
<br />
Cal scored two tries early in the first half before UC Davis was able to put together an effective attack. Both teams had problems keeping their feet at the tackles resulting in (too many) penalties. Davis capitalized off one such transgression scoring a try around 30 minutes into the match. Cal lost a player to the bin for repeated infringements and played short through the half.<br />
<br />
HT: UC Davis 7 - Cal 12<br />
<br />
Players were doing a better job at keeping their feet (or at least not in a negative manner) in the second half. Unfortunately, Cal returned to full strength only to lose another player to the bin five minutes later for a dangerous tackle. Davis was able to capitalize off the overload and scored a relatively easy try (UCD 14 - Cal 12). Cal was undeterred and followed up with a try of their own around the 60th minute (UCD 14 - Cal 17). With their scrum dominance and back to full strength, Cal was able to work in a try to finish off the match (UCD 14 - Cal 17).<br />
<br />
Kudos to both teams for showing great spirit, enthusiasm, and passion for the sport.<br />
<br />
Sunday<br />
CALIFORNIA 27 – Chico State 17 Referee: Matt Hetterman<br />
After the pace of my match on Sat @ SFGG, I had to switch gears to a women's collegiate playoff match. Positioning was initially a challenge, as many runners failed to make the gain line, so I found myself backpedaling frequently - had to change my breakdown positioning to account for that.<br />
<br />
Chico St had the advantage at the breakdowns and in forward open play, but had a hard time with set pieces and line breaks in the backs.<br />
<br />
Cal took the day (their second upset of the weekend, as they entered with the #4 seed), and progresses to the Sweet 16 in about a month.<br />
<br />
BELATED<br />
<br />
Stanford 29 – ALL BLUES 37 Referee: Pete Smith<br />
This was the familiar game of two drastically different halves. The All Blues jumped out to a 27-0 halftime lead by out-working the Stanford side for the first 20 minutes and counter-rucking almost all of Stanford’s ball in the next 20. Stanford barely got out of their own end and was never a threat to score in the first half.<br />
<br />
The second half was a completely different story with the Stanford women turning the tables on the All Blues. They out hustled, out worked and counter-rucked like mad scoring 29 points on five tries and two conversions. Stanford never led as the All Blues put over a try of their own to break up the scoring spree by Stanford, but with 8 minutes left it was 29-32…anyone’s game. Stanford desperately tried to score the go-ahead try, but the All Blue defense wouldn’t break. The All Blues put over a final try on #8 Seaver’s hat trick try at full time to make the score line a little more flattering than the nail bitter it had become. With the Stanford men playing Davis afterward, many of the men watched some of this game and most commented to me afterward how impressed they were with the pace and physicality of this match. It was the defending national WPL champions playing against the collegiate runners up…probably the best women’s game played in the US so far this year!<br />
<br />
HIGH SCHOOL GAMES<br />
<br />
LAMORINDA GOLD 33 – Santa Rosa Gold 12 Referee: John Coppinger<br />
This match played at Sunday at Piedmont High School on turf was fast and furious with lots of running and good rugby. Santa Rosa was missing more than a few starters and had trouble building continuity and was kept under a good deal of pressure by an organized Lamo squad. Halftime score as 25-5 in favor of Lamo.<br />
<br />
SOUTH VALLEY 31 – Bellarmine 24 Referee: Tony Levitan<br />
On a breezy, perfect-temperature-for-rugby evening under the lights in Morgan Hill, South Valley hung on to defeat Bellarmine. Loads of commitment to running rugby suffered only from a rash of knock-ons as play from both sides was spirited and positive. After building a 19-10 halftime lead, South Valley extended matters with another early second half try before the teams traded 3 more converted tries, the last one coming on the final play.<br />
<br />
The match obviously seemed close to the players too as one South Valley player asked me after signaling Bellarmine's final try, "Hey ref, we still won right?"<br />
South Valley: 5 tries, 3 conversions<br />
Bellarmine: 4 tries, 2 conversions<br />
<br />
* BREAKING NEWS<br />
Thanks to Peter Hansford for alerting us to this APB.<br />
<br />
South Wales Police have asked for witness’s to come forward regarding a brutal crime against 15 English men on a recent visit to Cardiff who were robbed of a Grand Slam they had come to collect and also had their chariot badly vandalised during the visit to the Welsh capital?<br />
<br />
Apparently this heinous crime was carried out by a gang of 15 Welsh guys dressed in bright red shirts in broad daylight in front of 75,439 people who gathered around the gang attack and just stood there cheering, clapping and singing hymns and arias as if they were encouraging the gang.<br />
<br />
A police spokesmen for the South Wales force said this “This sort of attack is just sickening……..One of the victims was a young lad called Owen Farrell who was on his first trip to Wales and has been traumatised by the whole shocking experience and to make matters even worse his father was forced to watch the entire crime from start to finish and could not lift a finger to protect his son from the sickening and relentless battering meted out by the conspicuously dressed red shirted gang”.<br />
<br />
The police spokesman continued, “We are following a number of leads and believe this crimson shirted gang may be linked to a similar attack in Twickenham a year ago”.<br />
<br />
HAIL, PELICUS!<br />
<br />
For the Senate<br />
Pelicus ScriptorisUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22683413.post-55717640733009245912013-03-13T13:29:00.000-07:002013-03-15T13:30:19.047-07:00FUN WITH PANTS ONHAIL, PELICUS!<br />
<br />
MONTHLY MEETING<br />
<br />
Our next society meeting will be Wednesday, March 20, at the usual time and place: Golden Gate clubhouse, southeast corner of Treasure Island, from 7 until 9 PM.<br />
<br />
WEDNESDAY GAMES<br />
<br />
CALIFORNIA 77 – James Madison 0 Referee: Bruce Ricard<br />
ARs: Rob Hendrickson, Tom Wright<br />
With an estimated possession of 20 to 25%, James Madison spent the whole game defending, which they did pretty well in the first half. In the second half, probably tired of never having the ball, their defense was not as good. Cal scored 13 tries.<br />
<br />
California Maritime Academy 0 – PENN STATE 89 Referee: Tom Zanarini<br />
CMA, Vallejo, CA<br />
AR: Eric Rauscher<br />
Mid-week rugby is a nice treat. It helps break up the week, work on some referee skills, get some good speed work in and just enjoy a bonus day of rugby. Being a native Pennsylvanian, I was keen to referee one of Penn State's matches on their spring break tour. Back in my college days, Penn State was our (Slippery Rock University's) big rival, when PSU played in the Allegheny Rugby Union. My freshman year we fought Penn St. to a 16-6 loss in the ARU tournament final, earning a second seed birth to the Midwest Championships. Another fond memory was the 1995 league match where The Rock fought Penn St. to a seven point loss. Penn St. went on to the final four that year. Later while living in Austin, TX I ran into an Austin Black (I was a Hun, surprising that we even spoke) who played on that Penn St. team. He stated we were the toughest team they played until the semi-final. The Rock being what it was, that was our best game of the year, no coach, barely any funding and a third place finish in ARU (IUP finished second, bastards) meant no post season for us.<br />
<br />
What was I saying? Oh, yeah, so I really wanted to ref Penn St. When I saw they were coming to Cal, I was just going to go to the game and enjoy a match from the sideline for once. Later in the season Pete assigned me to the Cal v Penn St. match. Cool! I'd love to. Then one of my development applications was appealed to the City Council and assigned to the March 4 agenda. Thanks Mr. _______. You are a true jag-off. Luckily Penn St. wrapped up their tour at Cal Maritime, so got my wish. <br />
<br />
I suppose my intro is so long because the score, being what it was, doesn't leave much to the imagination. CMA played hard, but not to Penn State's level. I'd blame the size of CMA's student body being about the size of some of Penn State's Biology 101 classes, but the St. Mary's match renders that argument void. Main points: CMA played TO the rucks, PSU played THROUGH the rucks. CMA threatened a couple of times, even having a maul held up in goal. All in all a fun match on CMA awesome new field.<br />
Since I did ref at Cal on Saturday I feel I can comment that Maritime's field turf is better in that the the 'grass' is longer with a bit more of the rubber (cancerous? We'll all find out later) pellets. It is dually lined with soccer stripes, the only fault I can find.<br />
<br />
Thanks to Eric Rauscher, who is always willing to fly the AR flag. Best wishes to Preston who was the other assigned AR, but the softball welt on his leg received while refereeing is still in swelling mode.<br />
<br />
FRIDAY GAMES<br />
<br />
Maritime Academy 17 – St. Mary's (thirds?) 17 Referee: Petti (Calgary)<br />
<br />
SATURDAY GAMES<br />
<br />
EPA BULLDOGS 53 – Olympic Club 22 Referee: Paul Bretz<br />
<br />
Sac Lions 0 – OPSB 61 Referee: Petti (Calgary)<br />
<br />
Barbarians 5 – SFGG 88 Referee: Rich Anderson<br />
<br />
Seconds: Barbarians 0 – SFGG 51 Ref: Anderson<br />
<br />
Santa Rosa – Sac Caps Referee: Nome Tiatia<br />
Referee Coach: Mike Malone<br />
No report received.<br />
<br />
DIABLO GAELS 50 – Fresno 27 Referee: John Coppinger<br />
This match was played on the new turf fields in the Wilder Ranch development in Orinda above Highway 24 just east of the Caldecott Tunnel. Field 2 is lined for rugby!<br />
<br />
Gaels stormed out to a big lead 30-0 lead at half only to lose their shape and discipline (resulting in two yellow cards) in the second half allowing Fresno to make a match out of it.<br />
<br />
Seconds: Gaels – Fresno Referee: Dave Pescetti<br />
Referee Coach: John Coppinger<br />
No report received.<br />
<br />
CHICO MIGHTY OAKS 31 – Vacaville 26 Referee: Cary Bertolone<br />
At Bidwell Jr High in Chico<br />
I arrived at the field to see a game in progress with large crowds, tents, rugby gear for sale, etc. Chico had the 10-12 year olds playing, and then the 13-14 year olds. I hear they have a team for under 10's, also. Impressive to watch. As I was warming up, I heard and saw one 10 year old tell his parents he preferred to wear his rugby jersey to lunch, rather than changing.<br />
<br />
I expected a close game for the Chico vs Vacaville match and that is certainly what I got. Chico started out with a converted try. Vacaville then took control with their long 50-60 meter kicks and scored three trys to take a 19-7 lead. In the last five minutes of the half, Chico's backs exploded for two long tries and the score at the half was 19-19. In the second half, each side scored a converted try and played stout defense, so it was 26-26 with 5 minutes to go when Chico's outside center broke for a 70 meter run. He was tackled into the try zone and I was about 20 meters behind, but I saw the ball take a high bounce after they hit the ground, looking like he might have dropped the ball before he was able to touch it down. It was a hard decision and anti crowd pleasing, but I called a knock on as I did not see it get touched down and that big bounce looked suspicious.<br />
<br />
The next five minutes were played at a furious pace. With one minute to go, Vacaville had a touch back and took the 22 meter drop kick with their players offside. I called last play with 15 seconds to go. Both teams retained possession with multiple phases during the next two minutes. I thought Vacaville had better continuity and if they didn't knock it on, might be hard to stop. Then, the ball squirted out of a ruck, Chico picked it up, made three sweet passes and their same outside center that almost scored before, fought his way in for the winning try at about the 42 minute mark What a game!<br />
<br />
After the match, curious about the almost try I called a knock from 20 meters behind, I got the expected " it bounced so high cause I slammed it down" and when I said "bullshit, I know you didn't get a chance to slam it down", he smiled and said I might have made the right call. I got a little lucky with that one. I should not have been 20 meters behind, but hey, they were pretty fast.<br />
<br />
SEAHAWKS 36 – Baracus 23 Referee: Jordan Bruno<br />
Referee Coach: Mike King<br />
The Seahawks and Baracus squared off for an intense match with playoff implications. Due to rain earlier in the week, the field was wet and the turf loose. From the start, ball security and passing would be the determining factors in declaring a victor. Baracus started off well, scoring a couple of early tries off of Seahawks penalties committed near the ruck. The Seahawks recovered before half, using forwards to pull in the defensive line and using the quickness of their wing and fullback to run in four tries before the half. The second half was much slower than the start, as both teams knocked on and used the boot to play for field possession. Many thanks to Mike King for providing insightful and wise comments following the match.<br />
<br />
Seconds: SEAHAWKS – Baracus Referee: Mike King<br />
The trip to the South Bay boded well as the sun shone down following a few days of rain and showers. The pitch was well marked and nice size, with short grass. It looked in perfect shape until you started to walk on it. The drainage seemed to be non-existent as leftover water from rain or sprinklers marred the otherwise near-perfect conditions.<br />
<br />
Handling suffered due to the wet and muddy ball, and scrums became the norm. One player inquired if they had reached a record for scrums. I replied not quite, and I had worse, but only when it was actually pouring and the mud came up to the players’ knees. Nonetheless, we moved scrums several meters over at times to try to find less slippery ground. Both sides played hard all the way through the match which was somewhat a see-saw affair. Seahawks burst out to a 22-5 half-time lead, to see that shrink to only 4 point lead in the second half; the Hawks pulling away again, but Baracus pushing forward to force a score near the end due to repeated offside by the Seahawks.<br />
<br />
During the match, I twice had to ask the rhetorical question to the Hawks captain when his side scored a try, as I was being reminded by his teammates that there was a penalty 25 meters back - “Would you like the try, or should we take the ball back to the spot of the penalty?”<br />
<br />
Good work by both sides.<br />
<br />
Colusa – Redwood Referee: Favor Taueva<br />
No report received.<br />
<br />
HUMBOLDT OLD GROWTH 81 – State of Jefferson 5 Referee: Eric Rauscher<br />
This was the strangest game I have done yet up in Humboldt. It was sunny and warm enough for me to work up a good sweat by halftime.<br />
<br />
The score pretty much summed up the game. State of Jefferson is a second year club with no coach and only two players that have ever played rugby before. Humboldt was able to establish multi-phase play, while SOJ was pretty much a crash off of each ruck.<br />
<br />
This was the third week in a row that I got to observe part of what makes this game so attractive to me. SOJ only showed up with 17 players.<br />
<br />
I checked with the captain of Humboldt at half time to see if they would be willing to lend players to SOJ, who had already used both of their subs.<br />
<br />
He said yes of course. Four min into the second half, one of the players that came in as a sub for SOJ was injured (I suspect with broken ribs, he was taken to the hospital). The SOJ captain asked if the person he had subbed could come back in again. I asked if he was front row, he said no, so I said no. I then brought up the possibility of Humboldt "lending" them a player. The response was no, we will just play a man down. The Humboldt captain then on his own decided to drop off one of their players so as not to put SOJ at a further disadvantage, I shook his hand, That is the spirit of the game.<br />
<br />
At the social afterwards, the player who scored the try for SOJ was introduced to the ritual of the boot. I also asked several of his team-mates if they had enjoyed the game even though they got pounded. They said yes<br />
<br />
SHASTA 58 – Mendocino 0 Referee: Matt Hetterman<br />
Beautiful day to play rugby - bright blue sky, perfect temperature. Unfortunately, only 8 guys from Mendocino showed up to play. Shasta gave them all six of their subs, and we played 80 minutes of rugby. Close to halftime, Shasta lost their super-speedy outside center, which brought us back to 14-on-14.<br />
<br />
Warm welcome by all to me, and I look forward to making it back up for the annual XV's tournament in the fall.<br />
<br />
Vallejo 17 – SIERRA FOOTHILLS 38 Referee: Bruce Ricard<br />
The first half was pretty much one sided: Vallejo was too undisciplined and was thus giving a lot of balls back to Sierra Foothills who was attacking the whole half. They tried to kick a couple penalties, but their kicker wasn't lucky, so they decided not to kick anymore, and go for tries. They scored 3 of them in the first half, leading 17 to nothing at half time. At the 3rd minute of the second half, Sierra is once again attacking in Vallejo's half, but Vallejo gets the ball and starts counter attacking towards the try line. After a few passes, the ball carrier is tackled 2m from the try line, and a ruck forms. A Sierra Foothill player falls in the ruck, and grabs the ball, which becomes unplayable. The player is temporarily suspended, and play restarts with a penalty 5m from the line. On the next play, Vallejo scored their first try. The second half was very balanced, both teams scored three tries. Both teams were pretty disciplined in the second half, except for a Vallejo player who thought it was smart to threaten the referee, and was sent off.<br />
Final score: Vallejo 17 - Sierra Foothills 38.<br />
<br />
Stanislaus 24 – BLACKHAWKS 57 Referee: Giles Wilson<br />
Stanislaus Harlots hosted Sacramento Blackhawks in Turlock, many new or young players were in evidence on both sides which is very encouraging.<br />
<br />
Stanislaus are rebuilding and introducing new players this year which is hard, Blackhawks were a new team last year and seem to be drawing a number of young players. Stanislaus were able to "produce" in patches both offensively and defensively but struggles to maintain a standard - as they are rebuilding the balance between experienced players who know where gaps are (but can't get to them) and new, young players who could get there but don't yet see the spaces can cause frustration. The good patches saw good defense and the ability to score four decent tries (two converted) split evenly between each half.<br />
<br />
Blackhawks are drawing from both brand new players but also from those with HS experience, which means that they can use their experienced players judiciously (and they can expend energy similarly). Blackhawks scored nine tries with six converted (should have been ten but a new whippet of a winger ran himself past the dead ball line trying to center, while being pursued - lesson learnt).<br />
<br />
Monterey Bay 5 – SFGG 29 Referee: Tom Zanarini<br />
Great rugby day near the coast. SFGG was so excited to get to the match that they forgot their jerseys. Luckily they all had team tech shirts but lacked numbers on the back. Match was competitive with Golden Gate staying on the gas the whole match. Spirited rugby played by gentleman.<br />
<br />
SOUTH VALLEY 53 – San Francisco Fog 12 Referee: James Hinkin<br />
After reading Dr. Carter’s account of the South Valley home field I was looking forward to this fixture – more accurately to the post-match social. A rugby field nestled in a California vineyard hosting a tightly contested match followed by tacos made to order and beer for the taking. I could already hear the sizzle of taco fillings on the grill as players tried to explain in great detail how they could never have been off side, being the righteous paragons that they are, and how I must have been mistaken *chomp* *chomp* *slurp* and that they didn’t really hold it against me as I was only a referee *slurp* *chomp* and I couldn’t really understand what it was like to be a player being only a D3 ref *slurp* *slurp* *chomp* *burp* ‘scuse me.<br />
<br />
Then I got an email telling me the field was unavailable and the game was moved to Treasure Island. Sigh…<br />
<br />
Now don’t get me wrong – this wasn’t a complete tragedy. San Francisco was at her gaudy best under a cloudless spring (ok, technically winter) sky with temps in the high 60s. Sailboats dotted the bay and rugby was in the air. I arrived an hour before kickoff to see 2 teams hard at work. Kathy Flores had her Foggy boys energetically warming up so I wandered over to the other team hitting tackling bags with gusto… only to find out that it was Berkeley having a bye week training session. South Valley did show up in plenty of time, however, and we kicked off precisely at 1:00 and I awarded a penalty try at 1:03. This one was straight out of the law book as South Valley was on the attack immediately and worked their way into the 22. A few more phases got them closer to the goal line when the ball was spun wide to the SV wing with only his opposite to beat. The defender met the ball carrier about 2 meters short of the goal line with a tackle around the neck and resulted in the penalty try. No particular malice, just inexperience, but not much choice there. The game continued with South Valley dominating proceedings scoring 5 tries (3 converted) to the Fog’s 1. Halftime score: South Valley 31 - SF Fog 5.<br />
<br />
The second half was much more balanced with the Fog sorting out some scrum issues and moving some players around but they couldn’t stop South Valley consistently. SV ran in 4 more tries (1 converted) to the Fog’s lone response to put the game safely away. Both sides played with heart and good spirit but the southern lads had an advantage in size, speed and rugby nous. The Fog seemed to have a young team so I expect this to change in the future.<br />
<br />
Cal Poly SLO 31 – ST. MARY'S COLLEGE 41 Referee: Aruna Ranaweera<br />
Assistant Referees: Andy Doukas, Paul Phillips (SoCal)<br />
On my drive to San Luis Obispo, the Britannia Arms in Cupertino turned out to be a good place to watch the 2nd half of the Ireland v France 6N match. In SLO, the two remaining unbeaten teams in the California D1A league met to decide first place. Both teams played committed, enterprising rugby, but also made mistakes at inopportune times. Cal Poly took a 24-19 lead into half-time thanks to sloppy tackling by SMC. With the wind at their back in the 2nd half, SMC broke ahead 41-24 and held off the home team's late match rally to earn a hard-fought victory by 7 tries to 5.<br />
<br />
Andy Doukas’ report:<br />
I hope all is well! A lot of great rugby this past weekend.<br />
<br />
There was a successful referees clinic held in Santa Barbara; I think 9 from the Central Coast attended the level 1 certification.<br />
<br />
Is it ok for some to affiliate with the Pelicans due to their region they participate in?<br />
<br />
I refereed two matches and AR'd the title match Saturday.<br />
<br />
Cal Poly Alumni – Cal Poly 4th Side Referee: Andy Doukas<br />
Score: A lot of trys to a lot of trys<br />
A crowd pleasing game before the big conference title match between Cal Poly and Saint Mary's. A strong wind gave the advantage to the Cal Poly Alumni, they came out scoring many and quickly. The 2nd half was a closer contest as the older fellahs faded and the young lads kicked for field position. An open and very spirited game! <br />
<br />
Thirds: Cal Poly 7 – SAINT MARY’S 42 Ref: Doukas<br />
A close contest for the 1st half, Poly 7 and St. Mary's 5. The 2nd half was all St. Mary's with some good kicks and ball movement.<br />
<br />
SAN DIEGO STATE 40 – 14 Sac State Referee: Phil Akroyd<br />
A/Rs: Adam Haley, Val Griffeth<br />
Performance Reviewer: Jay Trello<br />
Due to the inclement San Diego "weather", the game was moved from a 1pm kick-off on the grass fields, to a 5pm kick-off on the turf fields. As a result, I spent the majority of the day nursing my head cold at the residence of Jay and Marty. It worked out very well - watched the Ireland V France game, then a little spot of lunch. If you ever get to be hosted by Jay, be warned that he is an excellent cook and the chicken tortilla soup went down very well.<br />
<br />
After the ensuing naps, it was time to head out to the field. The weather was shaping up pretty well and the cloud had cleared, leaving a sunny yet cool evening for college rugby. The turf field was fast and close to full size, but looked like an explosion in a Valspar [paint] factory, with red, yellow, white and black painted lines for football, soccer, lacrosse and rugby, in addition to the 10'x10' Aztecs logo.<br />
<br />
Sac State played better than their 0-3 record suggested, but SDSU scored at 8', 23', 29' and just before the break, leaving it 26-0 at half. I suspected that the Aztecs would seal the deal early in the second half but the Hornets played in the second half like they should have in the whole game (the second half total was actually tied at 14-14). They grabbed the first two tries of the half, bringing it back to 26-14 after an interception try, however SDSU rolled in the subs and scored a couple more tries to put it out of contention.<br />
<br />
Given the changed kick-off time there was a quick costume change pitch side, then off to the airport and with sweat still in my hair, time for a Stone IPA at the gate before heading back north.<br />
<br />
Santa Clara 17 – UC SANTA BARBARA 33 Referee: Terry Helmer<br />
<br />
Seconds: Santa Clara 26 – UCSB 52 Ref: Helmer<br />
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SAN JOSE STATE 50– Nevada 22 Referee: Tony Levitan<br />
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Fresno State 14 – UCSC 26 Referee: Jeff Jury<br />
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CHICO STATE 98 – SF State 10 Referee: Jim Crenshaw<br />
Nice day, great drive with all of the fruit trees in bloom on the way, but the match was a blow out.<br />
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SIERRA COLLEGE 15 – Santa Rosa JC 14 Referee: Rich Boyer<br />
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SONOMA STATE 98 – CSU Monterey Bay 19 Referee: Bruce Bernstein<br />
Beautiful campus with rugby pitch in the middle of it. Great crowd & Sonoma State started just as impressively scoring 3 tries within the first 6 minutes & not letting up from there.<br />
<br />
They had players at each position helping; good props, great hooker, 2nd rows, a flanker who scored 4 tries; inside center ran wild breaking the gain line each time he got the ball & a real fast but raw winger.<br />
<br />
They scored more points than I ever reffed; but CSUMB came up with 3 nice tries of its own with the help of their elusive outside center (for 2) & tough scrumhalf for the other one.<br />
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Also a beautiful drive for anyone with as much time as I had to take Old Redwood Hwy both directions through Cotati & Petaluma for some BBQ oysters & tri tip.<br />
<br />
Stanford women – ALL BLUES Referee: Pete Smith<br />
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Stanford 26 – UC DAVIS 45 Referee: George O'Neil<br />
ARs: Pete Smith, Bruce Carter<br />
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Stanford seconds 19 – JAMES MADISON 101 Referee: Bruce Carter<br />
Going over to introduce myself to the visiting team’s coach, I was surprised to find that I didn’t need to and suddenly the whole idea of JMU’s tour made sense: it was Mark Lambourne, who used to play for the O Club and captained Cal in the mid-eighties.<br />
<br />
He was better known as ‘Beej’, a feisty hooker. Refs will remember.<br />
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His guys had played on Monday and Wednesday, and had a long training session at Cal on Thursday. Coming out of the snow of Harrisburg, Virginia, they hit their stride in their third game against Stanford’s seconds.<br />
<br />
We’re fortunate out here in the Golden State: the playoffs come at the end of the season. These guys played in the autumn, qualified for playoffs in October/November, and then have to participate in those playoffs from a cold start (unless they go on tour!).<br />
<br />
I think they’ll have some momentum to carry over from this victory.<br />
<br />
NEVADA women over SF BATS by forfeit Referee: Russ Wilkening<br />
The BATS women didn't have enough healthy players to travel, so the game didn't happen. I did receive a couple days notice, though.<br />
<br />
UCSC women 7 – Humboldt State 5 Referee: Neil MacDonald<br />
With both teams undefeated in conference play, having accumulated lots of tries, this last match of the regular season was set to be the decider. We took the beautifully prepared field at UCSC under glorious sunshine. Both teams got off to a tight start, with open play interrupted by knock-ons and turnovers frequently. It took 22 minutes for the first score, with UCSC's scrum half crossing under the posts. HSU replied with a try from sustained pressure on 38 minutes, despite the best efforts of UCSC defenders to get hands under the ball. Missed conversion, so 7-5 UCSC at half time.<br />
<br />
In the second half, neither team's wings could find their way round the outside, and the line breaks were hauled down without getting clear. UCSC came close to extending their lead twice, held up over the line both times, before HSU turned them over on 5m scrum and relieved the pressure. As the game went on, both teams struggled to stay onside at rucks, and earned warnings. Deep in the UCSC 22 and late in the game, UCSC's flanker went to the bin to reflect on what "back foot" means. With only 2 points in it, HSU pushed hard but lost the ball, before infringing again themselves and getting their own card. With both sides contesting fiercely for the ball, time ran out for HSU to get the score they needed, and an eventful but scoreless second half came to an end.<br />
<br />
HIGH SCHOOL GAMES<br />
<br />
ROSA 23 – Marin 19 Referee: Cary Bertolone<br />
Friday night at Cardinal Newman in Santa Rosa<br />
A barn burner on Friday night, under the lights.<br />
<br />
This game started out with Santa Rosa backs running fast and long and Marin missing tackles as the kids from Rosa scored three first half tries for a 17-7 half time lead. In the second half, Marin scored 2 tries and Rosa nailed two penalty conversions and the score was 23-19. With minutes to go, Rosa passed up an easy penalty attempt that would have given them a nice lead. Marin held them up in the try zone and then, with a kick, a chase, a few nice passes, took the ball to their side of the field. A penalty on Rosa and Marin had their chances, but couldn't score and Rosa won this very close game 23-19. I think out of 5 previous matches between these programs, that I have reffed, that was the first time I've seen Rosa beat Marin (I could be wrong about that).<br />
<br />
BERKELEY girls 58 – Chico 5 Referee: Bruce Ricard<br />
The girls didn’t seem to have a lot of experience and there were 4 knock-ons per minute: if I wasn't told this was a game of rugby, I might have had a hard time figuring it out.<br />
<br />
But the players were very focused and motivated though, and seemed very happy to play this game, which I believe is the point of any sport, so it was a good experience.<br />
<br />
Still, a lot of work to do for both teams.<br />
<br />
Granite Bay Varsity Silver 22 – Lancers 14 (Half time 12-7): Referee: Neil MacDonald<br />
Relocated to Rancho Cordova due to field issues in Granite Bay, we kicked off on an overcast but dry evening, and succeeded in getting the match in before either darkness or rain fell. Granite Bay has a great pick and drive game, and opened the scoring on 3 minutes. Lancers, a younger team with a lot of potential and spirit, tied it up at 7-7 before Granite Bay got their noses in front 12-7, and hung on to that lead until half time. Granite Bay extended their lead to ten points, before one of their number earned a red card for a tip tackle. Granite Bay scored while a man down taking it to 22-7. Lancers kept their heads up and played committed rugby throughout. Ten minutes from time, Lancers spun the ball wide after several phases, and with a try beckoning their winger was felled just short of the line by a high tackle by the last covering defender. Penalty try, successfully converted, and yellow card. Granite Bay, now at 13 players, absorbed Lancer's pressure, and defended the win. Classy player of the match ceremony after the match.<br />
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Dixon Varsity Gold 33 – Bishop O'Dowd 5 (Half time 12-0): Referee: Neil MacDonald<br />
AR: Anthony Nguyen<br />
Referee Coach: Jim Crenshaw<br />
On a bitterly cold evening, Dixon hosted Bishop O'Dowd under the lights. Anthony Nguyen, graciously agreed to bundle up in his cold weather gear and stay to AR after his match, Given the temperature, the ref was thankful to both teams that this was a fast game, and grateful for all the running. Dixon - looking a very complete team - opened the scoring in 5 minutes, and added a converted try from a scrum in the Bishop O'Dowd 22 on 18 minutes. 12-0 at half time. Bishop O'Dowd played hard, but conceded three converted tries before finally being rewarded for their commitment and their persistence with the last try of the game. Cracking game of rugby. It was great to see the respect between the players in the player of the game conversation after the match. Jim Crenshaw went well beyond the call in staying to coach on such a cold night and providing helpful, specific and practical feedback to the shivering ref after the match. Many thanks to Anthony and to Jim.<br />
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HAIL, PELICUS!<br />
<br />
For the Senate<br />
Pelicus ScriptorisUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22683413.post-52355089417289224892013-03-06T17:47:00.000-08:002013-03-08T17:55:16.451-08:00COLLEGE TOURING SEASONHAIL, PELICUS!<br />
<br />
GAMES WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6<br />
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Penn State and James Madison are both in Pelicanland for some spring break rugby, and will be playing this evening.<br />
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Want to AR or be a fourth official? Contact the ref.<br />
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6 PM: California hosting James Madison. Bruce Ricard.<br />
7 PM: Maritime Academy hosting Penn State. Tom Zanarini.<br />
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James Madison will have one more game, against Stanford at 4 PM Saturday.<br />
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OLD FRIEND RETURNS<br />
<br />
Friday, March 1<br />
Cardinal Newman High School, Santa Rosa<br />
Referee: Joe Leisek<br />
SANTA ROSA 22 – Oakland Warthogs 7<br />
The first game for the visitors since the tragic auto accident that claimed the lives of David Moa, Soasi Moa, Malia Moa and Rachel Fisi'iahi, and injured Hunter Halatoa. A pre-game meeting between the teams and coaches featured a prayer written by the hosts and read by one of their players, and a new haka performed by the visitors in honor of their late teammates and friends. A very touching moment and a privilege to have been present. This really is the game they play in heaven.<br />
<br />
The game itself was emotional but the players were very controlled. Lots of passing and running straight into contact, wide open play and excellent defense. A fun game to watch up close. Ultimately, Santa Rosa made the most of their opportunities and took advantage of a couple of momentary defensive lapses to score three tries. The Warthogs scored a try in the second half after multiple rucks and mauls, a grinding out of yards until finally one of the forwards touched down in goal. A very competitive match and a pleasure to referee.<br />
<br />
Saturday, March 2<br />
Russell Fields, Davis<br />
STANFORD Women 45 – UC Davis Women 3 Referee: Joe Leisek<br />
Assistant Referee: Don Walsh<br />
Referee Coach: Scott Wood<br />
An injury to assigned referee Scott Wood yielded my first NCRFU match in three years. That feeling of being in the middle of intense competition was back, as these two teams went at each other from the start. Stanford has size and speed and strength, and they build some serious structure into multiple phases of play. Stanford ball carriers will stop short their running lines in search of contact and a good spot to present clean ball. Arriving players have the drive and size to keep opponents at bay. Still, the home side counter-rucked effectively (as did Stanford). The first half featured two converted Stanford tries to a Davis penalty kick. The second half was all Stanford, as they ran in five tries while keeping the hosts scoreless. Overall, the Stanford game was balanced and relentless, with tries scored by powerful forwards and speedy backs. Thanks to Don Walsh for his assistance and to Scott for his helpful coaching tips.<br />
<br />
WHO PLAYS GOLF?<br />
<br />
SFGG is having a golf outing/fund raiser in Pacifica on April 19 (a Friday). Any referees wanting to enter a foursome, give Tom Zanarini an email at:<br />
<a href="mailto:t_zanarini@yahoo.com">t_zanarini@yahoo.com</a><br />
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GAMES<br />
<br />
Friday, March 1<br />
ST. MARY’S 59 – Penn State 10 Referee: Pete Smith<br />
ARs: Mike King, Tom Wright<br />
<br />
Seconds: ST. MARY’S 49 – Penn St 10 Referee: Matt Hetterman<br />
ARs: Mike King, Tom Wright<br />
I had the luxury of real AR's, and a bit of referee coaching. Cut out of work early, made it in time to see the second half of the first side match (a real drubbing, I hear the first half was closer).<br />
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Second side was more of the same - some semblance of parity in the forwards, but line break after line break in the backs.<br />
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Game called about 10 minutes early due to darkness. Thanks to the AR's for sticking around after running for Pete in the first side, and for Pete watching me and giving me some pointers.<br />
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Saturday, March 2<br />
Barbarians 10 – OLYMPIC CLUB 36 Referee: John Coppinger<br />
Seconds: Barbarians – Olympic Club Referee<br />
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EPA Razorbacks 20 – SAC LIONS 27 Referee: Bruce Ricard<br />
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SFGG 84 – East Palo Alto Bulldogs 7 Referee: Phil Akroyd<br />
ARs: Jen Tetler, Dave Newport<br />
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Seconds: SFGG 34 – EPA BULLDOGS 41 Referee: Bruce Bernstein<br />
This one was knotted almost the whole match; 17-17 half; then SFGG would pull ahead a few times, 24-17, tied, 29-24, tied again, 34-29; and the Bulldogs pulled ahead at the end with two tries by long solo runs. SFGG had some great play by both their #8 who seemed to win every scrum down somehow & take it up; and hooker who not only stole almost every hook, caught every almost everyone of his team's kickoffs.<br />
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SFGG had about 2 minutes to make a comeback to score & potentially tie it again, which they almost did except their real fast winger knocked the ball on while attempting to dive in from about 3 meters out--match over!<br />
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Sac Caps 24 – DIABLO GAELS 78 Referee: Neil MacDonald<br />
The Capitals hosted the Olde Gaels on a muggy, overcast afternoon at Power Inn Rd. On the foundation of their solid pack, Sacramento scored first, and added a second to go 12-0 up after nine minutes. Then Diablo, spinning the ball wide, turned the screw with hard running back play, scoring six tries before half time, and taking a 12-36 lead into the break. Diablo scored again early in second half, extending their lead, before one of their number earned ten minutes of reflection for flagrantly preventing Sacramento taking a quick tap penalty 5m from Diablo's goal line, right in front of the referee. The Capitals profited from his absence to score two tries, narrowing the score to 22-36 with fifteen minutes remaining. In the final phase of the game, as Sacramento pressed to close the gap, Diablo cut loose and stretched clear with another five tries to put the match away. Thanks to Sacramento for excellent post-match hospitality.<br />
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Fresno 10 – SANTA ROSA 50 Referee: Pete Smith<br />
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SEAHAWKS 79 – Chico 10 Referee: Bruce Carter<br />
This game was a lot of fun, for two reasons: I had thought I was going to be out of refereeing for a while, and it was like old times.<br />
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Two weeks ago I didn’t follow the first rule of mountain biking: stay on the bike. I’ve got three adjacent ribs which are cracked on my right side where the Earth didn’t yield as I flopped onto it after a nice downhill launch, very unceremoniously, and to the consternation of some other rider witnesses. You know those injuries where you can run but you can’t walk? I can ref but it still hurts to lie down or to sit (as in driving).<br />
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Knowing of the rash of injuries decimating our Pelican ranks, I thought the worst thing that can happen is I have to walk around. We’ve all had that ref, and he’s better than nothing.<br />
<br />
The old times part – I hadn’t refereed the Seahawks in quite a while. Over the years, I’ve probably refereed them as much as any team. They are a club in the old sense, guys who hang around together and know each other’s families even outside rugby. And consequently I know a lot of them. They also have good attendance, including 80-year-old Larry with his drum and a woman whose name I should know pouring Dark ‘N Stormys.<br />
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This is not the Chico team I remember, when they were our bitter rival (usually a fight) at Monterey. But that was before most of today’s players were born.<br />
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Chico scored first, after controlling the ball for two and a half minutes, but then managed only one more try, that one in the second half.<br />
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The Seahawks’ flankers both penetrated the defense repeatedly while the backs went over (with kicks) and around to great effect.<br />
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SEAHAWKS seconds 29 – South Valley 12 Referee: Bob Polito <br />
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BA BARACUS 30 – Vacaville 21 Referee: Kevin Donnelly<br />
Location - M.L. Ward Rec Center Field<br />
Despite the rough surface of the field, the game was played fast and open but with a mix of periods of close forward play. Back and forth in the first half, both teams scored two alternating tries each with conversions by Vacaville giving them a 14 - 10 lead at half. The first 15 minutes of the second half were scrappy and irregular as the game lost its cohesion. But following a try each, the game was still close enough to be fully competitive as both teams settled into aggressive offense patterns as they went for the upper hand. Baracus pulled ahead with a late try and then sealed the victory with a penalty kick at the final whistle. A good game with well worked tries, average penalty count and no cards.<br />
<br />
Seconds: Baracus 10 – VACAVILLE 22 Ref: Donnelly<br />
The B side game was similarly competitive but with some rookie mistakes. Vacaville B were convincing winners 22 -10.<br />
<br />
Mendocino 5 – COLUSA 70 Referee: Giles Wilson<br />
Mendocino hosted Colusa County in Ukiah. Mendo had a limited number of players while Colusa had players and supporters to spare - nice to have traveling support.<br />
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A three week gap between games had played havoc with Mendo's players and they started with 14 before a rookie made them up to 15. They were no match for an organized and hard running Colusa who punched in 6 first half tries with 3 converted.<br />
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The second half saw Mendo down to 14 players before an injury took them down to 13 (one of the Colusa reserves filled this gap to bring Mendo back to 14). Another 6 tries from Colusa, 2 converted, to a single consolation try made up a final scoreline of 70 - 5.<br />
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State of Jefferson Elite 0 – SHASTA 78 Referee: Kevin Parks<br />
The Shasta boys should be commended for their help in educating a SOJ prop who was playing his first game. We ran a few uncontested scrums until he was trained up. This is the type of play that elevates our game for everyone.<br />
<br />
One yellow card to SOJ for not wrapping. The player apologized to me about 17 times. SOJ are improving.<br />
<br />
REDWOOD EMPIRE 71 – Humboldt Old Growth 0 Referee: Stephen Valerio<br />
Sometimes the score just reflects the game. One side dominated the set-pieces, with a heavy penalty count favoring them. But when the other side’s backs can run rampant through your backline, it can lead to a long afternoon.<br />
<br />
The weather was a little overcast at Pete's Sake Field, but it was comfortable. My day lready to go. However, it was for girl's match that was kicking off late. This pushed back our kick-off 30 minutes, but everyone dealt with it in good spirits. Humboldt traveled down with 15, with a late player showing up in the second half (which means he probably would have missed all the proceedings if we kicked off on time. I don't know if he was relieved or surprised to play). Redwood's backs cut-up the Humboldt backs all day. However, the score line would have been even more lopsided if Redwood didn't have so much trouble at the set pieces, with plenty of free kicks mixed in with a penalty count that heavily favored the visitors. Humboldt eschewed some early chances for points to either go to touch or quick tap. Unfortunately, they couldn't consistently get numbers which meant Redwood could poach the ball or exploit the advantage from knock-ons to counter. By the half Redwood had put down 6 tries and then 7 more in the second half. The only relief for Humboldt came from many misfires on the conversions, with only 3 first half tries being converted. To their credit, Humboldt played enterprising to the end, getting to within the Redwood 22 in the waning minutes, but an isolated ball carrier led to a turnover, and appropriately, a Redwood counter from deep in their end to score a final try.<br />
<br />
With matches like this, they can get out of hand with player frustration, but excluding an early high tackle with a couple of late players joining in for some shoving and the ensuing roundtable on the Peloponnesian War, both clubs played the match in good spirits. Redwood hospitality allowed me to try the spam and rice evidently popular with the Islanders. Another new rugby experience to end the day.<br />
<br />
Blackhawks – Vallejo<br />
Apparently this was played as a friendly, the assigned referee not showing up.<br />
<br />
Please check Pelicanrefs to get your assignments. There are scores of games, and as many changes, and it’s not possible to hold so many hands at the same time.<br />
<br />
Reno – Stanislaus Referee: Jim Crenshaw<br />
No report received.<br />
<br />
Sierra seconds – McGeorge<br />
Don’t know if this one happened.<br />
<br />
Fog 11 – MONTEREY BAY 14 Referee: Jen Tetler<br />
Evaluator: Mike Malone<br />
This game started out pretty fast and competitive with both teams going back and forth on the pitch. There were lots of penalties (which I probably should have started carding for earlier in the game) and the Fog took advantage of two of them to score some points in the first half as well as an unconverted try. There was one Aptos breakaway in the first half for a try and conversion.<br />
<br />
The second half started getting ugly with some testosterone getting in the way of actual rugby playing. Some scuffles and punches thrown warranted some yellow cards. Again, not quite enough to bring down the anger. Somewhere midway in the second half, Aptos got a second try and conversion. Though the Fog tried valiantly to get the ball and get it going forward for a try, even with the help of some penalties from Aptos, they were unsuccessful. The final score was Fog 11 and Aptos 14.<br />
<br />
<br />
CALIFORNIA 80 – U. of Arizona 14 Referee: Tom Zanarini<br />
Assistant Referees: Rob Hendrickson, Tom Wright<br />
Witter Rugby Field, U. California, Berkeley<br />
As you've surely already heard, Witter Field is up and running. The turf is a bit shorter than the stadium field turf, but very suitable for rugby. Arizona flew in Friday night, so were well rested for the match. The day started at the usual level of excellence when visiting Berkeley. The referee liaison, Ross, met me before I got out of my car. He shadowed me and was of great assistance throughout the day's events. I asked for electrical tape and had it in hand in less than 5 seconds. Good man! He's a former player and volunteer, giving back to the team that obviously gave him much pride. Little things like this help make Cal Rugby the big thing that it is. On to the match!<br />
<br />
Most match reports with scores like this start out with, "the team played better than the score dictates," and such. Well, Arizona put up a fight. They took quick taps, including one from a kickoff after a Cal score, which dang near scored a try. The last series of the day was Arizona winning a ruck, charging 20 meters, winning a penalty, quick tap, charge down field, ruck, ruck, try! Cal played excellent rugby and deserved every point they got. Arizona did stop a couple tries, being held up and such. Cal had a few uncommon penalties, double movement, verbal dissent (!) and such. Still, they played at the level and on the edge, just were we want them. An excellent day of rugby that registered 4 miles on my Garmin. Thanks to Rich Boyer and gang for the after match refreshments and to Rob, Tom and B side referee Matt for a quick pint in Oakland before heading home.<br />
<br />
Seconds: CALIFORNIA 114 – U. of Arizona 0 Referee: Matt Hetterman<br />
ARs: Rob Hendrickson, Tom Wright<br />
Second time in 2 days - luxury of AR's! Match felt closer than the scoreline showed, but not by much. I got lots of practice saying "advantage over" as Cal broke the gainline over and over. I'm tired just thinking about this match.<br />
<br />
Only 60 minutes of play, as Arizona had a flight to catch. Upon reflection, this does not count as the highest rate of scoring match in my refereeing career - that dubious distinction belongs to a 2011 SCRFU U19 girls playoff match that ended 147-0 on 70 minutes!<br />
<br />
My first trip to Strawberry Canyon - great rugby setup (not that I expected anything less.)<br />
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Thanks again to the AR's for sticking around after the first side, and then meeting for beers after fighting the Berkeley traffic!<br />
<br />
ST. MARY’S 74 – Santa Clara 8 Referee: George O'Neil<br />
<br />
Seconds: ST. MARY’S 113 – Santa Clara 5 Referee: Peter Sandhill<br />
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UC Davis 3 – SAN DIEGO STATE 25 Referee: Aruna Ranaweera<br />
In D1A league play, SDSU and UCD displayed entertaining rugby with multiple, contested phases and plenty of ball movement. The Aztecs held the advantage in possession, territory, and tactics and were able to touch down 5 times.<br />
<br />
Seconds: UC Davis 2 San Diego State 2<br />
<br />
Sac St – Cal Poly Referee: Kurt Weaver<br />
Seconds: Sac St 7 – CAL POLY 92 Referee: Tom Franzoia<br />
The final score was Cal Poly 92 - CSUS 7, with a little bit of running. CSUS is young and brought several new players to the pitch, it became a little sloppy at the breakdown towards the end due to their inexperience. Play was fair and clean throughout the match with some ball mishandling and it was Cal Poly on the outside all day.<br />
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SF State 7 – UC SANTA CRUZ 38 Referee: Bryant Byrnes<br />
A late Saturday match at the Fog's TI field. Both sides had good numbers, good manners (which count), and splendid enthusiasm.<br />
<br />
The Slugs were clearly the more veteran side, but had a dreadful case of knock-on-itis the first half. And State did not concede a thing. It was UCSC up by 12-7 at half. However, the Slugs sorted it out and in the second half used quick and clean ball to the backs to good effect. As the State coach said, with a sigh, you can’t do much if you don't have the ball.<br />
<br />
Sierra College – San Jose State Referee: Rich Anderson<br />
No report received.<br />
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NEVADA 52 – Santa Rosa JC 33 Referee: Ray Schwartz<br />
John Sala IM Fields, UNR<br />
I reffed a neat little high school match early Friday afternoon (Rio Linda beat Al Arqam 26-12) in Sacramento, then rolled to West Roseville to watch young Jacob Lashmett handle Woodcreek v Elk Grove (one way traffic for Woodcreek) where I saw old friends Arona Palamo, Brad Chaboya, John Brennan and Ian Sherman. On to Reno... for a nice, relaxed drive up the hill, with the promise of a comfy bed at the end of the trail. Coming into the Biggest Little City, the full moon was stunning, half poking out of the clouds above.<br />
<br />
Bruce Anderson, the former UNR coach, is now flying down to Palm Springs for work building a new Marriott Resort there. He was kind enough to offer shelter and some friendship. We got up in time Saturday to head down to Foley's and watch the Stormers v Sharks Super Rugby match w/ John Brill (no tries scored?!), and old stories flew round and round. Bruce insists... if any ref needed to stay overnight, please look him up!<br />
<br />
So it was a relaxing morning, and off to UNR for the match, where two teams were gathered and readying for battle as I arrived 45 minutes prior to kick off. Got the match started on time, and brick by brick Reno built a lead in the first half, scoring the first two, and then the last two tries. I found the game frustrating to ref. I had never seen anything quite like this before.<br />
<br />
I had seen Baracus unwilling to contest the tackle and set a ruck, choosing to play the game out wide. But here, both teams would not ruck, and the tackling wasn't very good either! Lots of arms but rarely a shoulder involved in a tackle. I penalized for exceedingly slow 'turtle ball' a couple times and so got the players to adjust that part of their game. But as no defender would come in, I was reluctant to penalize the attacking team for sealing off. Later that night, my 'ref coach' Kat laughed when I told of this plight, and suggested what might have been a decent corrective action. I might have blown up such a moment and called it unplayable. Not penalizing, but explaining what I was hoping to see at the tackle. I am not the coach, and can't get them to play if they don't want to, but it sure seemed like I needed to something to develop a better contest at the tackle. Anyone else with thoughts on this?<br />
<br />
Anyway... I felt if the JC would just start rucking, the advantage of their physical size would have helped them change the game. But their forwards, their tall locks especially, where mostly invisible throughout the game. Two older, tougher but smaller forwards for the JC lead the way, but could not get the team to follow. Scoring was equal in the 2nd half. In the end, 160 tackles made, and perhaps only 5 rucks? Yet the players seemed to enjoy the contest. Go figure!<br />
<br />
The 3rd half then rolled to the Pub n' Sub and a nice little rugby party ensued. Good company, some decent pizza, tasty songs... and eventually a delightful drive home to enjoy the sunset.<br />
<br />
Fresno State 0 – CHICO STATE 81 Referee: James Hinkin<br />
With Pete Smith refereeing Fresno men's club against Santa Rosa it made sense for us to carpool to the central valley. I am forever grateful that Pete is a talker because the scenery wasn't much to look at once you hit the valley - Hwy 1 to Monterey this isn't...<br />
<br />
The teams were warming up and ready to go for an 11:00 kickoff and my day began with a crisp whistle. The teams were evenly matched at the beginning with Fresno putting in most of the defensive work as Chico recycled the ball effectively. This resulted in a couple of tries as Chico eventually worked their overloads on a tiring and increasingly disorganized defense. Fresno then started putting some pressure on Chico and retaining their own ball and put together a solid stretch of play and were pressuring the Chico line. A couple of penalties from Chico's desperate defense drew a warning when Chico went down a man to a tip tackle. Playing with 14 seemed to energize Chico and they forced a turnover, cleared their line and never looked back. Halftime score: Chico St 26 - Fresno St 0.<br />
<br />
Not much to say about the second half except that Fresno St stopped playing team rugby and started playing individual rugby, much to the chagrin of the coaching staff. They have some good athletes and some periods of team cohesion but splinter into individual players too often. They have suffered the loss of some starters and the lack of cohesion with the replacements shows. Chico St was solid, running strong lines and defending well and took advantage of what was offered.<br />
<br />
Final score: Fresno St 0 - Chico St 81<br />
... and yes, this counts as one of the closer games I have reffed this year...<br />
<br />
Fresno St B v Chico St B was refereed by the Fresno St coach who did a very nice job. Fresno St still lost, though, but I don't know the score.<br />
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CSU Monterey Bay 12 – MARITIME ACADEMY 66 Referee: Jeff Jury<br />
<br />
USF – Sonoma State seconds Referee: Nome Tiatia<br />
No report received.<br />
<br />
HUMBOLDT STATE 26 – St. Mary's thirds 22 Referee: Cary Bertolone<br />
St. Mary's kicked off at 2:00 PM at Humboldt State Univ. in front of a sizeable crowd considering the cloudy day. HSU quickly took control of the game and was up 12-0 with only 13 minutes gone. St. Mary’s warmed up and scored two tries, minutes apart, before halftime to make it a close game again. Their wing scored both, the second one was about 70 meters out.<br />
<br />
HSU quickly scored a converted try in the second half. St. Mary's players were talking a lot and I think it resulted in tension which resulted in a couple of cards and a meeting between both captains AND both coaches. Between the five of us, we determined which players were responsible for which actions. St Mary's got a yellow for a no wrap slam and HSU ended up with a red for a retaliatory tackle while play was stopped. The main reason for bringing the coaches into the meeting was I wanted both teams to know that while we had nearly 30 minutes left on my watch, the game was going to end immediately with any more "non rugby" activity. They talked to their teams and rugby went on. The same St. Mary's wing scored his third try, but he jumped up "talking" to the other team (like he was playing American football or something). I told his captain Colby to calm him down.<br />
<br />
Both teams scored one more try each in a heated last 20 minutes with HSU playing one man down. I had St. Mary's fullback giving me a bad time and their flyhalf helping him out. I should have carded them both, but with such a close game, I grew thick skin and let it play out. After the final whistle, I had a HSU player a little out of control, having to be held back by his own players. Can you card a player "after" the game? I was thinking about it. Anyway, the HSU coaches, Mark and Greg, were great, and St. Mary's coach, Joe, kept his cool too. Most of the players were great also, but it only takes a few to leave you with a bad taste. Next time, I'll use more cards!! HSU 26 St Mary's 22.<br />
<br />
CHICO STATE women 55 – California 27 Referee: Sean Peters<br />
Seconds: CHICO STATE 38 – California 7 Ref: Peters<br />
<br />
Seconds: UC Davis women 0 – STANFORD 83 Referee: Anthony Nguyen<br />
This was an exhilarating match between two clean and competitive teams. Stanford powered over the Davis frontline and ran score after score, resulting in an 83 point shutout. UC Davis fought bravely and had multiple strategic plays that almost gave them points on the board but to no avail. UC Davis did not give up at all throughout the match and played to their fullest potential for the full 80 minutes.<br />
<br />
HUMBOLDT STATE women 41 – Sacramento St 14 Referee: Cary Bertolone<br />
We kicked off at 4:00PM. It was still cloudy, but it never did rain and was great weather for playing rugby. HSU scored in the first minute of play and completely dominated the first half, taking a lead of 24-0 at the half. With the score 31-0, Sac State played a 10 phase rugby offense that resulted in a well earned try and that invigorated them. The last 25 minutes were played pretty even and Sac should be proud of their second half, even though they lost 41-14. Great game for both teams and all of the fans. It was fun!!!<br />
<br />
<br />
Fresno St women 15 – NEVADA 27 Referee: James Hinkin<br />
The women from Fresno were eager to avenge the earlier losses of the men's team but UNR were not in a mood to oblige. The game was a shambles of knock-ons and missed passes at the beginning until both teams managed to settle down. Reno got on the board first with a converted try but Fresno was not impressed and came back with one of their own, although the conversion was missed. This looked to be significant as the game balanced on a knife edge as each team managed another unconverted try before the half and neither seemed to be able to impose their will for very long. Half time score: Fresno St Women 10 - UNR Women 12.<br />
<br />
The second half started in much the same vein as the first with the teams trading periods of territorial and possession dominance. A try apiece had the match at 15-17 when Fresno St were warned for too many penalties at the tackle (not rolling away) and then lost their scrum half for 10 minutes as the warning went unheeded. UNR capitalized with a try to extend their lead to 10 and Fresno St never recovered. UNR was able to put another try over near the end of the match to put a very entertaining game away. Final score: Fresno St Women 15 - UNR Women 27<br />
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UC Santa Cruz women 43 – SF Bats 43 Referee: Tom Clock (SoCal)<br />
Match ended in a draw. Coaches agreed on 10 minutes of extra time - with less than 90 seconds to go, UCSC had an opportunity to try a penalty kick from about 10 meters out, instead they opted to tap-n-go, the ball was ultimately made dead in-goal by SF. They match played on to its final outcome of draw. UCSC was dominant in the first half, and their defense held SF to a single try. In the second half, SF came back with 6 tries, several flat out breakaways.<br />
<br />
Santa Cruz was a great venue to referee at, and the host team was gracious and accommodating. Very easy S'West flight into SJC - I'd do it again in a second. Thank you NCRRS for the opportunity. Cheers, //Tom<br />
<br />
Monday, March 4<br />
ST. MARY’S 41 – James Madison Univ. 15 Referee: James Hinkin<br />
AR: Pete Smith<br />
Assessor: Mike Malone<br />
St. Mary's hosted James Madison University from Virginia on Monday in the first game of a 3 match tour that see the Virginians take on Cal and Stanford as well. The teams were ready to go as the referee showed up with minutes to spare (I love midweek games and dealing with work and traffic, don’t you?) so I got miked up for Mike, talked to the teams and was ready to go.<br />
<br />
James Madison came out of the gate strong and fast, surprising a St Mary's team that had rested many regular starters. St Mary's tried to counter the visitor's aggression by slowing the ball down illegally and were duly punished and James Madison responded with a well worked try. Another penalty taken quickly saw the big, influential prop for James Madison burst through a couple of arm tackles then offload for an easy try under the posts to put the Gaels in an uncomfortable position that they aren't used to: behind 12-0 early. St Mary's tried countering with speed and width but too many passes failed to reach their intended target and strong tackling from James Madison led to turnover ball and killed the home side's momentum.<br />
<br />
The #13 for James Madison was especially lethal as he read the passes to the backline superbly all day and would cut his target in half just as they received the pass with perfect form tackles. St Mary's was finally able to string passes together and were able to get around the outside for the winger to run 50 meters and score under the posts - their first real attack. James Madison would add a penalty kick to go into the half leading 15-7.<br />
<br />
The second half saw St Mary's get back to basics and put together some phases. All of the sudden passes were no longer dropped and rucks were contested with vigor. When James Madison lost their tighthead prop (mentioned earlier) to a knee injury the entire scrum dynamic changed, Now St Mary’s were dominant at set pieces and in the ascendency. The tourists started feeling the miles travelled and were reorganizing far too slowly as St Mary’s went sideline to sideline on successive phases, whether going around the outside or creating a hole in the middle of a stretched defense. The Gaels ran in 6 tries on the trot to pull away in a fun match. Many thanks go to Pete Smith for ARing and to Mike Malone for watching.<br />
<br />
Final Score: St Mary's 41 - James Madison 15<br />
<br />
As soon as the match was over I shook some hands and thanked the captains, gave Mike his mike and jumped in my car with Pete Smith for the quick trip to Cal for the Cal - Penn St match ably handled by Aruna Ranaweera. He may write it up differently but I was looking at the scoreboard after the game and saw 00 - 0. That is a tie in my book so Aruna owes us all beers.<br />
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CALIFORNIA 100 – Penn State 0 Referee: Aruna Ranaweera<br />
ARs: Rob Hendrickson, Tom Wright<br />
6pm kickoff under lights at the new Witter Rugby Field, which has a much faster artificial surface than the previous grass field. From the outset, Cal took the initiative with ferocity and speed. Except for an early cynical foul yellow card near the goal-line, Cal was not troubled by the visitors' physicality. Cal led 52-0 at half and 83-0 with 20 min remaining, but the scoring decelerated after 4th quarter substitutions. Cal tallied 15 tries and would have added a few more if not for suboptimal open field decisions by the late-match subs. Much thanks to Rob and Tom for their help as AR's.<br />
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HIGH SCHOOL GAMES<br />
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Hayward 7 – DANVILLE OAKS 19 Referee: Bryant Byrnes<br />
''And many thanks to my ARs Scott Page and Eric Ibsen.''<br />
This was Friday Night Lights in Hayward between two of the high school Gold Division heavyweights. It was an exciting, ferocious match. Bear versus mongoose; bull versus viper-I ask the reader to come up with his or her own animal kingdom analogy of two different critters go at it wholeheartedly.<br />
<br />
Danville scored twice in the first half on opportunistic, quick play and led 12-0 at half. But in the second half Hayward's Big Bang approach paid off with a converted try -and it was a 5 point difference and anyone's game. A late Danville try with less that 10 minutes left iced it.<br />
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Free legal advice. If offered a match by either of these teams, take it-and start doing more wind sprints. It may be the best game you have all season.<br />
<br />
BERKELEY RHINOS 38 – Napa Stormers 5 Referee: Eric Rauscher<br />
Tom Bates field in Berkeley, synth turf, but full sized and lined. 9am start made for a crisp but clear day. Berkeley is a long established club, but the Stormers are a club in their first year of existence. As might be expected, I believe the coach to be from South Africa. Perhaps a couple of players have played rugby before, but most of the team are total newbies. They are well coached in that they know what they are supposed to do, but don't have enough playing experience to make it flow.<br />
<br />
A couple of highlights from the game. A Berkeley player got the ball in the back field and screamed around the defenders on the side. Shades of Carlin Isles. I asked and discovered his name (Elijah, didn't get the last) and that he indeed ran track at Berkeley high.<br />
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As I set the first scrum of the game, the front line from each side reached out and shook their opponents’ hands. What a great thing to see.<br />
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Also, at the very end of the game, with Napa having scored 0 points, I awarded a penalty to Napa. I told the player that time had expired and there was no time for a lineout. Some of his fellow players said, "Just kick it to touch (and lets be done with it)"<br />
<br />
The player, Luke Kamplin (sp?) had other ideas. At about mid-field he took a quick tap and darted down the side, shedding tackles as he went Close to goal, he had to go through a couple of defenders to dot in down in the corner. I ran up, blew the try and reached down to help him to his feet and congratulate him on an incredible play. It was a great way to end a game played in great spirit.<br />
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Bellarmine 0 – SILICON VALLEY 41 Referee: Tony Levitan<br />
Under the dim lighting of Calabazas Park in San Jose, we had a spirited Bay Silver Varsity match on a chilly Friday evening. The Silicon Valley boys have come a long way since this ref handled one of their matches at the KOT in late January, running over seven tries against an intrepid but overmatched Bellarmine development side. The 17-0 first half (3 tries, 2 conversations) stretched to 41-0 at the close with the home team running over 4 more tries (1 converted).<br />
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Gotta love the spirit of the "Man of the Match" ceremony that follows local high school matches and this one was no exception. Classy, solid, gentlemanly.<br />
<br />
SFGG Gold 19 – PENINSULA GREEN 20 Referee: Bruce Bernstein<br />
Great high school match with tries going back and forth until the end when Peninsula Green barely went ahead. 5-3 in SFGG's favor at half.<br />
<br />
SFGG had more possession, territory, and won more set plays (and had two long runs for tries by their fast winger), but could not stop the Green's 13 center who set up his wingers to come from behind and also had two good kicks ahead putting pressure deep in SFGG's territory. Plus SFGG's prop knocked on two sure tries trying to down the ball.<br />
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South Valley 22 – Pleasanton 22 (Half time 0-12) Referee: Neil MacDonald<br />
On a beautiful evening under the lights in Morgan Hill, South Valley hosted Pleasanton Cavaliers in an exciting match played in great spirits, with very contrasting styles of rugby, and four changes of lead. Cheered on by coach Paul Bretz from the sidelines, Pleasanton's expansive play led to the first try after fifteen minutes, and they followed with another to take a well-earned 0-12 lead at half time.<br />
<br />
Whatever Bart Nielsen and his team said to their players at half time worked, as South Valley came out with a relentless pick and drive, scoring three times in the first thirteen minutes of the second half, getting their noses in front 15-12. Pleasanton replied, getting the lead back 15-17 with twenty minutes to play. Another South Valley try - converted this time - snatched back the lead 22-17 with fourteen minutes remaining. With time expired, and South Valley conceding penalties in defense, Pleasanton scored under the posts to tie the game. The kicking tee was brought onto the field, and the Pleasanton kicker lined up his chip shot over the bar. Excellent, I thought to myself: no beers to be procured for a draw.<br />
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In every match as a referee, you learn something, often - at least in my case - through lessons (aka glaring faux pas) never to be forgotten. Occasionally you get the chance to see a player doing the same. Friday night was one of those nights. As soon as the Pleasanton kicker began his run up, the heads up South Valley team sent a couple of fliers forward to charge the kick. Alas, the kicker froze and, with a bemused expression, turned to the referee, as the South Valley players grabbed the ball, and the referee blew time...<br />
<br />
Thanks to both teams for a cracking match.<br />
<br />
HAIL, PELICUS!<br />
<br />
For the SenateUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22683413.post-29954027272206087332013-03-01T17:55:00.000-08:002013-03-08T17:58:09.922-08:00PITCH ACTIONHAIL, PELICUS!<br />
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AVAILABILITY NEEDED<br />
<br />
We have a need for as many refs as are available through April 20. Then it tapers off to playoffs and so forth, when we’ll need ARs and fourth officials.<br />
<br />
Plan ahead! Let Pete know which weekends you are ready to run: <a href="mailto:me@PetesWeb.com">me@PetesWeb.com</a><br />
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BIG RUGBY ON THE BIG ISLAND<br />
By Bryant Byrnes<br />
<br />
My wife Mary and I went to the Big Island of Hawaii the week of February 11th, and as I frequently do when traveling I got in contact with the local rugby folk. As a result, I was invited to partake in a day of rugby In Waimea on Saturday the 16th.<br />
<br />
The Big Island rugby community that I met were most cordial and friendly. John Nuualiitia, a Kiwi and president of the Hawaiian Rugby Youth Association, drove me from our digs in Kona to Waimea. He was most kind in asking if I would take the premier and final match of the day, his Kona U19s versus Hilo.<br />
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There was a constructive coaches/refs meeting before the day started, at 8.30, and another one after the last match, at about 3.30. Because of the coordination and cooperation, the many matches ran on time.<br />
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It was a one pitch venue. Throughout the day there were small squalls of rain broken by brilliant sunshine and views of Mauna Kea. Starting at 9 am was the first of 14 matches, U10s, and every upward variation possible thereafter-U13s, boys and girls, U16 boys and girls, touch and tackle. The (largely Polynesian) crowd was friendly and cheerful. I coached the refs on about half the games and will send them reports-which seemed to please them to no end.<br />
<br />
My game, the final match of the day, was remarkable. It was one of the best games I have ever had the privilege of whistling. The Big Island has produced the State high school champions the last two of three years if I have my facts straight. I think the winning Hilo side plays any California U19 team competitively.<br />
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So, what you have is five wonderfully functional youth rugby clubs on the Big Island, at least three who field up through U19s. The other two will soon follow. Every involved person that I met was a prince or princess. To continue this wonderful culture, they need experienced refs to work with their guys, mainland contacts for U19 tours, home and home, and college contacts.<br />
<br />
What worthy kids; what a worthy project! I wish I had more frequent flier miles and more opportunity to return. I strongly encourage any Society member or other rugby person who goes to Hawaii to contact them before your trip and get involved. <br />
<br />
GAMES FEBRUARY 23 WEEKEND<br />
<br />
Sac Lions 15 – SFGG 57 Referee: Phil Akroyd<br />
A/Rs: Pete Andrew, Mark Godfrey<br />
P/R: Kat Todd-Schwartz<br />
Coach: Dave Williamson<br />
This was big boys playing big boy rugby. Lots of big hits, hard clear outs and the game on the right side of "the edge" throughout. SFGG were generally the better team all around and much more disciplined, giving only a handful of penalties away.<br />
<br />
EPA BULLDOGS 17 – EPA Razorbacks 14 Bruno<br />
AR: Rob Hendrickson<br />
On a clear and sunny Saturday afternoon, the Razorbacks and Bulldogs fought hard in a spirited match that came down to the last minute of play to determine the victor. The Razorbacks started the game strong, building momentum in phases with fast, strong runners off the rucks to advance the gainline and retain possession. The Bulldogs' defense was weak at the start, allowing the Razorbacks to secure two tries before the half. The Bulldogs woke up from their slumber in the second 40, running with speed and purpose and slotting in two tries due to mismatches in the backline. With the Bulldogs leading by 3 points with 30 seconds left in the match, the Razorbacks gained possession from the kickoff and were 5 meters from the tryline, knocking at the door with the clock expired. A few pick and drives were thwarted by the Bulldogs defense. The Bulldogs recycled the ball out wide, looking for an overlap in the backline. A bobbled pass and the ensuing knock-on saw the Bulldogs the victors. A great match and many thanks to Rob Hendickson for running touch and postmatch advice.<br />
<br />
Seconds: BULLDOGS 45 – Razorbacks 12 Referee: Nome Tiatia<br />
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Baracus 15 – SANTA ROSA 36 Referee: Rich Anderson<br />
RICH ANDERSON<br />
Santa Rosa proved themselves the Class of the Second Division with a 36-15 win over a solid Baracus Side. Rosa's hard-hitting style in all phases proved the difference.<br />
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On a personal note, I would like to welcome Peter Sandhill to the Pelican Ranks.<br />
<br />
Peter refereed as a youth in Australia. He oversaw the 2nd side match (Rosa 89-12). Although he was a bit rusty on the laws and such, he proved that if you say things with the proper accent, folks will listen.<br />
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Seconds: Baracus 12 – SANTA ROSA 89 Referee: Peter Sandhill<br />
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Chico 20 – DIABLO GAELS 24 Referee: Donagh O'Mahoney<br />
Diablo started the game the stronger team but error's prevented them from scoring in key areas. Chico led 14 - 7 at half time.<br />
<br />
Second half saw Diablo score a try early and then took the lead with a try to lead 17 -14 with 15 mins left. Chico tied the game with 10 mins with a penalty and took the lead with 2 mins left on the clock.<br />
<br />
From the kickoff Diablo attacked and went quickly from a penalty to score under the posts to win a very close game with an exciting finish.<br />
<br />
Seconds: Chico – DIABLO GAELS Ref: O'Mahoney<br />
Diablo won the second game.<br />
<br />
Vacaville 35 – BERKELEY 36 Referee: Favor Taueva<br />
Referee Coach: Mike Malone<br />
First things first, thanks to Malone for his time and effort to come out and enjoy the game. Vacaville and Berkeley did bring their A game from the first whistle until the last second of the game. The visiting team played smart the last two minutes of the game winning it all. Vacaville 35 - Berkeley 36<br />
<br />
Seconds: VACAVILLE over Berkeley Referee: Jen Tetler<br />
After a super close first side match up in Vacaville, which was decided by a single point, the second sides jumped out onto the field for some additional friendly play. Both teams were running hard and hitting hard, but Vacaville just had more support on the inside and speed on the outside. Both teams had some sweet offloads combined with some clear breakaways. The first half was fairly close with Vacaville up two tries to one. But in the second half, Berkeley let in a few back to back tries off the bat which sealed the match. The second half was 5 tries to 1, Vacaville. Both teams were excellent sports and fun to ref.<br />
<br />
Marin 0 – SEAHAWKS 69 Referee: Tom Zanarini<br />
Redwood High School, Larkspur, CA<br />
Seahawks had the upper hand on the attack. Seemed bigger, faster and more practiced than the Reds. Still, it was a well contested match with a low penalty count.<br />
<br />
Best news is this: the Reds lost the ability to play in Marin City, which has been converted to baseball/softball only. An outfield fence now runs through what was used as the rugby field. I say good bye and good riddance to what was my opinion the worst rugby field in Nor Cal, if not the Western USA. The game was played on the turf football field at Redwood HS, modified for a full sized rugby pitch. I'll take this 'alternate field' any day of the week and twice on Saturday.<br />
<br />
COLUSA 61 – State of Jefferson 7 Referee: Scott Wood<br />
TJs: Smokey, Carl<br />
A cool, windy afternoon in Colusa. The relative balance of talent was in Colusa's favor but SOJ has tons of heart and never imploded or bickered with each other. The penalty heavily leaned against Colusa but SOJ was unable to effectively take advantage of those transgressions.<br />
<br />
Both teams wore different shades of green; fortunately SOJ had enough grey to be usable. I considered wearing my green kit and probably should have in the second half when my gold kit was analogous to a matador's red cape.<br />
<br />
Colusa led at half: 19-0. That was mostly because they were penalized so much...They got their act together and scored eight tries in the second half.<br />
<br />
SOJ was attacking from five meters as my watch sounded full time. Colusa apparently lost the script and committed three penalties (including one player going to the bin) allowing SOJ several bites of the apple. And so it was that Joe Hooper was able to worm under Colusa's tacklers to score SOJ's first try of the season.<br />
<br />
I overextended my knee (twice), got run into (three times), and somehow got cleated on my elbow. I love this game!<br />
<br />
SHASTA over Humboldt by forfeit<br />
This was a Saturday-morning cancellation but luckily the referee received the news before leaving home and was able to fill in for another game in the afternoon.<br />
<br />
VALLEJO 29 – Reno 12 Referee: John Coppinger<br />
At Morton Field on Mare Island<br />
On a pleasant, sunny, and comfortable winter day, Vallejo came out with power and pace and stormed out to 24-7 lead at halftime. In the second half, as fatigue set in and not so fit subs came on, the quality of play dropped as did the scoring. Both teams had to be reminded that there is only one referee on the pitch and Vallejo's captain, a very good player, had to be reminded that his appointment as captain did not make him an assistant referee ex officio.<br />
<br />
SIERRA FOOTHILLS 64 – Sac Blackhawks 12 Referee: Bruce Bernstein<br />
Blackhawks had no answer for Sierra's flyhalf creating space & fullback & #6 flanker breaking game line to score. Great pulled pork @ Sierra's Irish bar the Boxing Donkey.<br />
<br />
SFGG 29 – Fog 10 Referee: Neil MacDonald<br />
Referee Coach: Mike King<br />
<br />
ST. MARY’S 64 – UC Santa Barbara 3 Referee: Aruna Ranaweera<br />
Assistant Referees: Bruce Ricard and Ron DeCausemaker<br />
Former national evaluator Bryan Porter was in the stands as a spectator for this D1A league match under sunny skies. UCSB played with commitment and dominated possession in the first quarter but could only manage a 3-0 lead. SMC made many uncharacteristic errors but took advantage of the little possession they got to secure a 17-3 lead into half-time.<br />
<br />
In the 2nd half, SMC used superior athleticism and skill to pile-on 47 more points, mostly in the backs. Although the final score was lopsided, 10 tries to nil in favor of SMC, UCSB made SMC play defense, perhaps more than they are used to. Much thanks to Bruce and Ron for their help as AR's.<br />
<br />
Seconds: ST. MARY’S 93 – UC Santa Barbara 7 Referee: Bruce Ricard<br />
<br />
SANTA CLARA 45 – Sac State 17 Referee: Preston Gordon<br />
This is a very nice turf field, full of lines - the yellow ones are for the rugby. Don't try to bring anything but water in there however - the security guards are no slackers. The match was good, and fast. The SCUTS scored first with a converted try at 9', followed by another unconverted try at 17', then a 7-pointer at 21'. Sac State got a try of their own at 26', answered by a converted Santa Clara try at 31', then Sac State had the last word with a converted try at 39'. Halftime score: 26-12 to the home team.<br />
<br />
Santa Clara's offloading game was working well, and in the second half they added 3 further tries (at 10', 16', and 38'), converting two, vs. only one additional try to Sacramento State. Unfortunately it would be fair to say that I was responsible for Sac State's 2nd-half try, as I missed a deliberate knock-on when I couldn't see through a couple of players, and only saw the ball come off the scorer's foot. As it turned out (luckily), this didn't have an impact on the end result.<br />
<br />
1 player from each team spent 10 minutes on the sideline for playing the ball when off his feet. As mentioned, there probably should have been another yellow card, and perhaps a penalty try. I also got booted in the shin somewhere around the 60-minute, which wasn't nice. By the end of the game I was able to show off a nice knot to a couple of the parents/fans.<br />
<br />
Seconds: Santa Clara 24 – SACRAMENTO STATE 50 Ref: Gordon<br />
After ~15 minutes we started the B game. The players were keen and both sides had full squads with several players new to the game. It was just about as fast as the A game, but with more stoppages. Obviously I was being looser with interpretations, and playing advantage as long as possible, but still had to do a lot of explaining. After a few resets, the scrums went very well, and I think the new front rowers would have enjoyed themselves. Sac State had several really fast guys in their backline who were making runs through traffic and then cracking on the pace to score - great to watch. Unfortunately for me, the knot on my leg had grown to the size of half a tennis ball by halftime, and the initially impressed parents/fans were now looking a little more horrified. Thanks to the trainer, also impressed, who made an ice bag for me that I could stick in my sock at halftime.<br />
<br />
I didn't write down the score at the break since the scoreboard operator was doing such a great job, but it was pretty close. In the second half the visitors ran away with it (literally) scoring 3-4 tries in the last 10 minutes or so. Once the game was over I had a chat with the home coach before limping off towards the train home to take care of the baby alien trying to break out of my leg. Rugby remains a very rewarding experience!<br />
<br />
UCSC 42 – Nevada 33 Referee: Tony Levitan<br />
Video Coach: Bruce Carter<br />
If there had been a barn next to the beautiful rugby pitch at UC Santa Cruz last Saturday, then it'd be burned down... Because we had a barnburner of a match. (Get it? Barn at the pitch? Barnburner? Just making sure all the forwards are still with us .. :->)<br />
<br />
In a match that saw 7 lead changes and a rousing finish, the crowd had plenty to enjoy besides the magnificent weather on the Slugs' enviable campus. UCSC opened the scoring with a penalty kick that, in some ways set the stage for the match; UCSC taking its shots deliberately, even in the face of a desire among some of its players to be more aggressive. Nevada's forward took over the match for the next 15 minutes, bulling over a converted try near the posts, 7-3. The teams traded converted tries, both sides committing to solid driving rugby ... when they weren't busy knocking-on, that is.<br />
UCSC topped off the first half with another penalty and a late try off advantage to lead 18-14.<br />
<br />
Nevada's halftime break must have included imbibing a Red Bull/Monster cocktail as they exploded out of the gate, their forwards taking over the match even while playing down a man. With two more converted tries, they reclaimed the lead, 28-18, looking as if they had the game in hand. Obviously, Nevada neglected to inform UCSC, which stormed back. A converted try mid-way through the second half tightened things to 28-25. Both sides played their variation of stout goal line defense (tho this observer would suggest uninspired offensive choices assisted the defenders) on numerous occasions before the UCSC's forwards dotted down off an advantage play. Missed conversion, UCSC 30-28.<br />
<br />
With a bit more flair including involving their strong running backs, notably their outside center, fullback and right wing, Nevada reclaimed the lead with an unconverted try, 33-30 with 12 minutes remaining.<br />
<br />
Play then reached a fevered pitch, with the ball being recycled faster and swung wider. UCSC put down another unconverted try to pull ahead once again (35-33), before a Nevada pass was intercepted out on the wing and run 60 yards back for a 0:00 on the clock final converted try, UCSC 42-33, making the final score non-reflective of the closeness of the match. Phew.<br />
<br />
One final note of thanks to Dr. Carter who video coached the festivities. Not sure when in one's reffing career the true value of such support is realized but I certainly am benefiting mightily. May I suggest to anyone who hasn't been video coached by Bruce that you prepare to underwrite a few pints for his quaffage at an upcoming Pelican soirée?<br />
<br />
SIERRA COLLEGE 43 – Fresno State 21 Referee: Eric Rauscher<br />
This was my first experience reffing a game at Sierra. I have reffed them at other locations but never at home. They play on a synth turf football field with adjacent stands and press box. Luckily the field is wide enough that with a little duct tape it can be made full sized albeit with a short in-goal. A fair number of folk showed up to watch the game, and that always makes it a little better. There is no doubting that Fresno can play a very physical game. They have some excellent players, but just didn't have the team cohesiveness that allowed Sierra to string together phases of play that eventually led to scores.<br />
<br />
Sierra did have their problems though. Half way through the first half I awarded Fresno a penalty five meters out from Sierra's goal. After a quick tap, the Fresno player was immediately tackled by Sierra. A penalty try and a yellow card. Then about half way through the second half, a couple of substitutions came on and another ‘not back any’ penalty again. Another yellow card and then one two min later. After that they were pretty good about retiring.<br />
<br />
SANTA ROSA JC 65 – SF State 17 Referee: Cary Bertolone<br />
At For Pete's Sake in Santa Rosa, we kicked off at exactly 1:00 PM on a beautiful, sunny day. The first 10 minutes were scoreless. It was still 5-0 until the 23rd minute. SRJC led 36-5 at the half. Their backs are pretty fast and their players provide a lot of support. San Francisco State looked to be better than in the past and they scored 12 points in the second half, never giving up, but the final score was 65-17.<br />
<br />
San Jose State 13 – CHICO STATE 54 Referee: John Pohlman<br />
This past weekend saw San Jose State host Chico State in a college division 2 league game.<br />
<br />
Both teams were top of the division with 10 points each. I was hoping for a fast competitive game.<br />
<br />
Although Chico State won convincingly, the game was competitive and pretty fast. Both teams are well coached, with James Fonda leading SJS and Beau McSwain leading Chico.<br />
<br />
SJS is a young team on the rise. Chico State is in full form.<br />
<br />
Chico’s back row totally dominated the game. #8 Matt Zarchin maybe one of the most dominating runner I have refereed since seeing Danny Barrett in high school. Flanker Jim Beahm scored three trys due to a high work rate and strong running.<br />
<br />
Chico started the scoring by dominating possession for the first 20 minutes. Chico may have reached 20 phases of play on a couple of early possessions. They were awarded by trys by #5 Chase Wick at 5 minutes, followed by #8 Matt’s first of two trys for the day.<br />
<br />
SJS came back with two penalties and an intercept try to keep the first half close. Chico State 22 SJS 13.<br />
<br />
The second half Chico picked up the pace, to score 6 unanswered trys. Final Chico State 54 San Jose State 13.<br />
<br />
MARITIME ACADEMY 47 – Univ. of the Pacific 7 Referee: Ray Schwartz<br />
TJ: Mason, a high school recruit visiting CMA campus from Palos Verdes<br />
A couple years ago I would have had low expectations of this match, but hats off to UoP, they brought a tough squad, willing put in the effort and fight a deep, talented and well coached opponent. The Keelhaulers had their 30+ players, organized w/ military precision, but the Tigers had 24, a bit more ragtag, but gutsy. The game started off slowly, back and forth, with both sides enjoying extended periods of possession, but frankly, UoP seemed to have better continuity and commitment at the tackle/ruck.<br />
<br />
Sadly, UoP's Captain, Kyle, their #10, went off with a dislocated shoulder early, he could have made a difference, but then, probably shouldn't be trying to play with that injured wing. The Keelhauler's blonde #7 kept wanting to push the edges of legality, not rolling away, hands in... silly stuff that kept putting the ball back into the Tiger's hand.<br />
<br />
And so it went until the Keelhauler's #8, Lonnie Shanklin, Jr., broke through to complete the first real period of extended team pressure, scoring under the posts, and with the conversion good, the score stood 7-0, 20 minutes in. Shanklin then scored a minute later on a weaving 60 meter run, where he fended away would-be tackles coming at him from every direction. Suddenly the game looked like it could be a runaway. But UoP took the kickoff and created their own extended possession. When their relentless pressure resulted in the ball on the tryline in 50/50 possession of the attacking player, it was a try to the Tigers. I remember being careful to not screw up, taking a close look, and hearing, "You got to make a call ref." I did and the result was a close game again.<br />
<br />
But Shanklin finished off the first half with another try, converted, and we stood at 21-7. The 2nd half started fast, and soon Shanklin was dancing into the try zone again. He would end up scoring the Keelhauler's first 5 tries, and just as he was about to score his 6th, off an 8 man pick up from a 5 meter scrum, he held up at the tryline and passed. He did the same again a few minutes later, and then subbed out. So, he literally could have scored all 7 tries. UoP and CMA both subbed a lot in the 2nd half, and the UoP subs proved to be more than up to the task. The game ended with them knocking on at the tryline, inches from their 2nd try on the day.<br />
<br />
I spoke with Shanklin after a match a few weeks ago, and then extensively after this match. He's about 5' 11", a supremely gifted athlete with tremendous balance and agility. He seems to master his physical space, his proprioception, his ability to fend, is amazing. Other observers suggested his physical movement is almost poetic. I approached him suggesting he (and his Captain Lorez) could go to Europe and pursue a chance to play pro rugby. He could be a flanker or hooker at the highest level by my assessment. But Lonnie, a 7-year rugby veteran, a graduate of Stu Krohn's ICEF inner city LA rugby program, has more ambitious plans. He wants to become a Navy Seal. I stopped short of sending him overseas to play rugby. I want him on our side with the Seals! A higher calling. Inside info, UBL was taken out by a rugby playing Seal!<br />
<br />
I would normally have reffed a high school match around Sacramento Friday night, but begged off and drove down to East Oakland to stand with 2,000 others at the Moa's family memorial for 3 of the 4 lost 19-year olds. George, David, Jr., and Malia had all perished in the crash coming home from the Vegas 7s. I played with George’s and David's fathers at the BATS, and knew them to be sweet, wonderful men. The loss to their families is stunning. The church (St. Benedict's) was overflowing Friday, with many ex and future Eagles, as well as all sorts of high school ruggers in attendance.<br />
<br />
Please join us Saturday, March 9th for a dinner with the Moa's at the SFGG Clubhouse, starting at 6pm, in an attempt to help them get back to living a more normal life. Email to ray@geremiapols.com if we can add you (and a guest?) to the list. We are up to 80 right now for the dinner, and have a nice program planned. Food by The Up & Under. All proceeds go to the families.<br />
<br />
ST. MARY’S thirds 56 – Cal State-Monterey Bay 12 Referee: Dave Pescetti<br />
<br />
SONOMA STATE 57 – Humboldt State 12 Referee: Bryant Byrnes<br />
Lovely and dry in Sonoma, where the Sea Wolves (I think) prevailed (obviously) over the Humboldt fellows. Sonoma is in only its second year, but clearly is well along.<br />
<br />
In the first twenty minutes it was all Sonoma-three tries-then all Humboldt-two tries-and a five point game. But then Sonoma put the accelerator down. It committed, probably continued to commit, only two/three forwards to its ruck and the spun the ball out short to its mobile, agile and hostile big locks who crashed-gulping up more and more yards as they wore the opposition down.<br />
<br />
Prettiest sequence for those of us former forwards who love rugby kept in the pack: in the second half Sonoma had a twenty plus phase attack that culminated in a try.<br />
<br />
Comment of the day: Humboldt coach Greg Pargee instructing his new kicker on how to to do it. ''Line it up visually. Take two steps back, one to your left,...and Bob is your uncle!" Somewhere Captain Lucky Jack Aubrey is smiling.<br />
<br />
Seconds: Sonoma State 17 – Humboldt State 17 Ref: Byrnes<br />
Seconds match; a short half, 10 aside affair played with great enthusiasm. Tied on the last play by Humboldt, 17-17.<br />
<br />
STANFORD women 20 – Chico State 18 Referee: Donnelly<br />
<br />
Seconds: STANFORD – Chico State Referee: Bob Polito<br />
Score not reported, just that Stanford won.<br />
<br />
UNR women 22 – HUMBOLDT STATE 24 Referee: Joshua Pendergrass (SoCal)<br />
Field was properly marked and cordoned off with rope. Uprights were perfect. Field was artificial turf. Weather was anywhere from 29 to 35 degrees with gusting winds at times as well as a few snow flurries.<br />
<br />
I arrived at the pitch at 11am, spending an extra 10 minutes keeping warm in the car as the temperature dropped over night. The day was cold and had a bit of wind in it but nothing to complain about. Besides Saturdays’ a Rugby day. After making contact with the Reno side and meeting with the coaches for both teams I did my rounds of the pitch and found them to be in great condition for rugby. I began my warm-ups and had my boot check and team chats completed with ten minutes to spare. We actually started the match 5 minutes early due to the driving cold.<br />
<br />
This was a great match from opening kickoff all the way down to the final whistle. It was a back and forth battle for the lead on the board with it really coming down to the wire in the final minute. Both teams showed progression of learning the offside making the penalty count less in the second half and simply playing the game. I have no foul play or any offences to report. Furthermore both teams showed an extreme amount of class and professional sportsmanship on the pitch that day.<br />
<br />
I told both teams already, but once again my hat goes off to them for making a great experience. I wish both teams luck in their future matches and hope to meet them on the pitch again one day.<br />
<br />
Sac St women 5 – UCSC 36 Referee: Giles Wilson<br />
A feisty but young and inexperienced Sac St women's squad hosted UCSC on a firm, well marked field. Both sides had some good athletes but UCSC made better use of space and off loaded frequently to put runners into spaces which kept Sac St in a regular scramble defense.<br />
<br />
Sac St scrambled well in the first half, although they spent a lot of time in their own half and turned around 12 - 5 down. Early in the second half the effort of defending started to break down and twice attacks were stymied with deliberate infringements inside 5m resulting in two yellow cards.<br />
<br />
The additional effort was too much against a UCSB side that was playing well and by the end of the half had added four more scores for a final of 36 - 5 (6 tries to 1).<br />
<br />
On a side note, Sac St had saved a parking space which was a much appreciated detail since parking is at a premium by the field.<br />
<br />
SF BATS women 53 – Fresno St 17 Referee: Matt Hetterman<br />
<br />
HIGH SCHOOL GAMES<br />
<br />
Friday High School<br />
DIXON 81 – McClatchy 12 Referee: Phil Akroyd<br />
The game went from plodding pick and drive to line breaks and players running the length of the field. I think everyone was glad to get to the end of this game, given the late kick-off (6:30pm), the howling cold wind and uncompetitive nature of play. Dixon look like a complete team and will be hard to stop this season.<br />
<br />
Friday Night:<br />
LAMORINDA won over Diablo in a very tight even game.<br />
Referee: Donagh O’Mahoney<br />
<br />
Monday Feb 25<br />
BISHOP O’DOWD 43 – Piedmont PITS 20 Referee: Eric Rauscher<br />
Monday night games at BOD are pretty fun. They normally get a fair number of parents and girlfriends and classmates to show up. Both teams played pretty well with good ball distribution out of the rucks and good use of their backs. I think the difference in this game was BOD's edge at the rucks. They seemed to be a little bit quicker in getting the ball out, thereby leading to faster attacking options, and were also pretty good at disrupting PITS rucks and occasionally rucking over to win the ball. PITS also seemed to suffer "butterfingers" at in-opportune moments. One very enjoyable thing that happened in this game is worth note. Towards the end of the game there was a knock-on and a lit<br />
tle push-me pull-you and grabbing for the ball ensued. Nothing much in it really, but what impressed me was that the Captains for both sides (Cory #9 for BOD and Gavin #2 for PITS) handled it. I didn't have to say or do anything. They sorted it out. Wonderful to see. My hats off to them for that level of leadership. It was also good to see the socializing that happened after the game between the two teams with hot dogs and drinks supplied by BOD. It is that kinship of rugby that makes it all worthwhile.<br />
<br />
THIS WEEK’S PHOTO<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1nMyhPxvGDo/UTqW7-rRihI/AAAAAAAAAc4/CY0ue0hBWb4/s1600/Byrnes+on+Big+Island.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1nMyhPxvGDo/UTqW7-rRihI/AAAAAAAAAc4/CY0ue0hBWb4/s320/Byrnes+on+Big+Island.jpg" /></a><br />
Bryant Byrnes went to Hawaii to vacation and found some rugby.<br />
<br />
“Left to right Hilo coach, Travares, John Leehr, Kevin Perry, Ari Bacharach, me, Lawrence Fong, and two fellows whose name I don't know off hand.”<br />
<br />
The jackets were because the field is in Waimea, which is several thousand feet elevation and where the wet trade winds transit the island.”<br />
<br />
HAIL, PELICUS!<br />
<br />
For the Senate<br />
Pelicus ScriptorisUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22683413.post-29487914739999337102013-02-22T19:55:00.001-08:002013-02-22T19:57:48.671-08:00CHOW DOWNHAIL, PELICUS!<br />
<br />
FEBRUARY MEETING RESCHEDULED<br />
<br />
Our society meeting will be this coming Wednesday, February 27, at the usual time and place: 7 – 9 PM at the SFGG clubhouse at the southeast corner of Treasure Island.<br />
<br />
DATA COLLECTION<br />
<br />
We’ve been asked to help compile a national database of referees. If you are a referee, please reply with the following information:<br />
<br />
Name<br />
CIPP # <br />
Age<br />
Email address<br />
Grade<br />
# of games referred in 2012<br />
<br />
Which of the following courses have you had?<br />
TJ<br />
Level One – fifteens<br />
AR<br />
Level Two –fifteens<br />
Level Three<br />
Level One – 7s<br />
Level Two – 7s<br />
Coaching Match Officials One<br />
Coaching Match Officials Two<br />
Evaluator One<br />
<br />
Thank you.<br />
<br />
AVAILABILITY NEEDED<br />
<br />
Pete’s trying to assign March, and only a dozen or so Pelicans have let him know whether they are available.<br />
<br />
Plan ahead! Let Pete know which weekends you are ready to run. The season is solid right up through April 20, and then we have various playoff events.<br />
<br />
Volunteer now: <a href="mailto:me@PetesWeb.com">me@PetesWeb.com</a><br />
<br />
REFEREE COURSE REMINDER:<br />
<br />
Matt Eason will be offering the IRB course in Sacramento over two evenings, Tuesday and Thursday, February 26 and 28, 2013, from 6:00 until approximately 9:30 each evening.<br />
<br />
Attendance at both sessions will be mandatory for completion of the course.<br />
<br />
The location of the course will be:<br />
Kennedy High School<br />
6715 Gloria Drive<br />
Sacramento, CA 95831<br />
<br />
Class size is limited to 20, the cost is $50.00 if pre-registered with USA Rugby.<br />
<br />
Matt Eason: <a href="mailto:Matthew@capcitylaw.com">Matthew@capcitylaw.com</a><br />
<br />
HARD-WORKING REFEREE<br />
By Donagh O’Mahoney<br />
<br />
Friday, February 15, 7 PM:<br />
MARITIME ACADEMY 29 – Sonoma State 19 Referee: Donagh O'Mahoney<br />
Pleasure to Ref a game on the pitch at Maritime. The weather conditions were again perfect for rugby with no wind and cool enough.<br />
<br />
Both teams were very evenly matched which was played out in the stats for the match. 26 Penalties (14 against Sonoma, 12 against Maritime), 103 Rucks and 45 set pieces evenly split between both teams. (Stats courtesy of Match DVD and Maritime Coach Steve Hiatt, just in case you think that I had time to capture all of this information)<br />
<br />
The story of this game was between 30 to 40 mins of the first half where Maritime were stronger and Sonoma began to get tired. Maritime ran in 3 tries for 19 points in the space of 10 mins.<br />
<br />
Sonoma opened the scoring after 3 mins with a well worked try and duly converted, Maritime tied the game after 17 mins and then hit their purple patch just before half time.<br />
<br />
The second half saw Sonoma score 2 tries with no reply from Maritime but they had done enough in the first half.<br />
<br />
Saturday, Feb. 16, 1 PM:<br />
CHICO STATE 73 – Nevada 0 Ref: O'Mahoney<br />
All one way traffic here with Chico state scoring 11 tries to no reply.<br />
<br />
Seconds: CHICO STATE 50 – Nevada 33 Ref: O’Mahoney<br />
More of a contest with Chico ending up with the spoils.<br />
<br />
All in all, a full week of rugby.<br />
3 Games refereed at the weekend, 1 High School midweek<br />
400 miles covered, 204 points scored with 29 tries<br />
Sore muscles and tied body, but enjoyable.<br />
<br />
GAMES<br />
<br />
Fri, Feb. 15<br />
Seconds: Maritime Academy 10 – SONOMA STATE 34 Referee: Scott Griffin<br />
I particularly enjoyed the match on Friday night 2/15 between Sonoma State and Cal Maritime Seconds. Game was played on new, synthetic field, a surface in which this referee is completely unfamiliar. The field doesn’t have the “crown” effect of most grass fields, but enjoyable to run on, and no potholes. Nice!<br />
<br />
Sat, Feb 16<br />
Olympic Club 13 – SFGG 58 Referee: Aruna Ranaweera<br />
Assistant Referees: John Coppinger, Dave Pescetti<br />
SFGG lead 27-10 at the half and pulled away to win by 10 tries to 1. Overall play was fast and physical, but also sloppy and undisciplined. Forwards were well-matched, but the SFGG backs' ability to counter-attack from anywhere was the difference. Thanks to John and Dave for their help as AR's.<br />
<br />
Seconds: OLYMPIC CLUB 45 – SF/Golden Gate 27 Coppinger<br />
SF/GG scored quickly to take a fast 7-0 lead, but then the tide turned and O Club started controlling play and went on to a 45-27 win in a pretty competitive game. The players were great -- cooperative, and in good spirits. It was markedly different from the A side match.<br />
<br />
Sac Lions OPSB Rescheduled<br />
<br />
Barbarians 16 – EPA BULLDOGS 47 Referee: Pete Smith<br />
On a beautiful day in the Bay Area at a field in Hayward used primarily by gophers, these two met for a very hard-hitting spirited affair. The Bulldogs jumped out to a quick 12-0 lead with two tries in the first 5 minutes. The game settled down some, but the Bulldogs added a penalty kick and a converted try to stretch the lead to 22-0. The Barbarians finally broke through with a converted try of their own and tacked on a penalty kick to make it 22-10. The Bulldogs added another try just before halftime to make it 27-10 at the break. The Barbarians tacked on two quick penalty kicks to bring the score to 27-16, but that was a close as it got. The Bulldogs did the rest of the scoring from there to make the final score 47-16. I will say the last 10-15minutes were probably the best of the day. The ball was being flung around with reckless abandon and the players were flying around showing their raw and natural talent…the crowd loved it as did the ref…really fun to be part of.<br />
<br />
The Bulldogs immediately starting talking about next week’s game against in-town rivals the EPA Razorbacks. That game should be something special and I would anticipate a very large and vocal crowd. I assure you it is a game that every player on both teams has circled on their calendar. Good luck to both teams …and the ref!<br />
<br />
Seconds: Barbarians 20 – EPA BULLDOGS 54 Referee: Bruce Ricard<br />
We played two halves of 30 minutes, between the Barbarians and the Razordogs. Half of the Bulldogs team was filled with Razorbacks players who had a BYE week.<br />
<br />
The away team dominated the first half, scoring six tries against one, leading 5 - 34 at the break. The second half was much more balanced, both teams scored three tries. The Bulldog fly half also scored an interesting penalty kick from the halfway and 5m lines, with a drop kick. Half a second of preparation, a big leg and precision are all you need.<br />
Final score: 20 - 54<br />
<br />
BERKELEY 77 – Sac Caps 22 Referee: Jordan Bruno<br />
Berkeley showed speed off of the ball and took advantage of overlaps in the backline to run up the score on their opponents. Sacramento's strong forward pack played well in the scrum and had powerful runners off of the ruck. Berkeley's fitness and speed allowed them to secure a win.<br />
<br />
Seconds: Berkeley 0 – SACRAMENTO CAPITALS 24 Ref: Bruno<br />
Sacramento showed up for their B side match. Berkeley did not have the numbers or experience to have a competitive side play the next match. The Capitals played well and secured a solid win.<br />
<br />
Marin 0 – FRESNO 48 Referee: Bruce Bernstein<br />
Marin hung with Fresno for the 1st 20 minutes of the 1st half; 10 minutes of the 2nd & 2 hours of the 3rd.<br />
<br />
It was only 17-0 at half & Marin missed a penalty kick & a few other scoring chances; & redeemed themselves at the Flatirion (classic old Victorian sports bar) with great spread for the rugby party which took over 2 pretty big rooms.<br />
<br />
Seconds: Marin 0 – FRESNO 12 Ref: Bernstein<br />
<br />
Seahawks 21 – SANTA ROSA 55 Referee: James Hinkin<br />
AR: Ray Schwartz<br />
With San Jose going back to their former home at Watson Park, I had an assignment 11 blocks from my house. What could make that better? The social was 4 blocks from my house… sometimes everything just goes your way. The day started out as a perfect California winter day: sunny and temps in the mid 60s. Both teams were geared up and warming up an hour before with selected individuals eager to show me their binders full of relevant details. Yes, Saturday’s a rugby day.<br />
<br />
With such perfect conditions the game had to start fast and it did. Santa Rosa scored in the first minute with their first possession to take a 5-0 lead. Immediately following the restart San Jose capitalized on a dropped ball and the ageless survivor Orlando Federico Lopez toed ahead the loose ball and outran the cover to score. The try was converted for a short lived (and never seen again) San Jose lead. Santa Rosa’s next possession resulted in another try for a 12-7 lead after 5 minutes and I started mentally preparing my lawsuit against the NCRRS for attempted murder when the game started to slow down.<br />
Not much, however, as Santa Rosa continued to dominate the first half as San Jose’s backs didn’t seem to be able to tackle and their forwards got pushed off the ball. Rosa took advantage of this situation to attack with precision and ferocity. The half ended with a score of 40-7 to Santa Rosa.<br />
<br />
The second half was a completely different affair as Santa Rosa seemed to take their foot off the pedal and San Jose started playing some rugby. Whatever was said in the Seahawk’s halftime huddle was effective as the game became a back and forth affair with both sides looking to attack from anywhere. Rosa got a couple of tries in early – almost against the run of play – but San Jose stiffened to claw back 2 more converted tries. Rosa got the last laugh with a try at full time to end a thoroughly entertaining match. Many thanks to Ray Schwartz for ARing before his match.<br />
<br />
Seconds: Seahawks 22 – SANTA ROSA 48 Referee: Ray Schwartz<br />
Similar score and results on the B Side match...<br />
<br />
To clarify James' report on the A game, the former Watson Bowl, is now Watson Park, a very different, much improved facility, and Jack's Bar, just a few blocks away, good fun! But it was all of two hours away for me! It is that hard to find two full sides ready to fight it out! To further clarify James' report, that was former Eagle-pool flanker Brad Hughes running touch in the 2nd half, giving me a break. Brad is a former Kansas City Blue (played briefly for the BATS in 1993), and recently has relocated to Campbell.<br />
<br />
Rosa came out with both guns blaring, and the Seahawks had no answer. I ended the 1st half at 34-0 after 34 minutes. The Seahawks regrouped, and came out tougher, but Rosa also cleared the bench (had nearly three sides), and San Jose took the 2nd half. I did get 74 minutes out of them, and so felt pretty good about myself there. Big thanks to Pete Smith who let this weary traveler crash in the guest house...<br />
<br />
DIABLO GAELS– Vacaville 17 Referee: Stephen Valerio<br />
A tight match that was closer than the final score line appeared. The first half was a back and forth affair with the sides alternating tries, with 3 scores each. The difference at the half was conversions with Diablo leading 19-17. Diablo got an early try in the second half and the 2 sides locked down their defense for most of the half. A late converted try gave Diablo the comfortable margin at the end.<br />
<br />
Seconds: Diablo 5 - VACAVILLE15 Ref: Valerio<br />
A mirror image of the first game, just with less scoring. The half-time score was 5-5 with Vacaville scoring an early second half try and then a final one at the closing whistle.<br />
<br />
Humboldt 7 – COLUSA 43 Referee: Sean Peters<br />
<br />
REDWOOD 48 – Shasta 10 Referee: Cary Bertolone<br />
Santa Rosa at For Pete's Sake<br />
The game started out very even as Shasta scored two tries towards the end of the half to bring the score 12-10 at the half. However, the second half belonged to Redwood and the score was indicative of the domination by Redwood in the second half with the final score of 48-10.<br />
<br />
Blackhawks – Reno Referee: Jim Crenshaw<br />
No report received.<br />
<br />
Stanislaus 7 – SIERRA 48 Referee: JC Van Staden<br />
<br />
Fog 29 – VALLEJO 62 Referee: Giles Wilson<br />
SF Fog hosted Vallejo for a friendly at Treasure Island - Vallejo are a "classic" D3 club, no practices and just show up on Saturdays for a run out with a group of guys who (mostly) have plenty of rugby experience for fun. SF Fog are organized and have many members but their B side players often don't get a run. This game suited everyone, Vallejo got a run and Fog played their A side for a half and then gave their B side guys a run.<br />
<br />
In the first half organization and enough rugby experience won out over size and SF Fog finished the half with three tries (17) to a single try (5) for Vallejo. Good rugby in different ways from both sides, big hits and hard runs from Vallejo contrasted with good running lines and organized defense from Fog.<br />
<br />
In the second period SF Fog introduced their B side players who had significantly less experience and size than the A side players and more significantly the Vallejo players. Vallejo were able to run at will and brush aside the much smaller defenders for 8 tries (57) to 2 tries (12).<br />
<br />
Overall Vallejo 62 SF Fog 29, a full game between the A sides would be very interesting.<br />
<br />
South Valley 36 – SFGG 52 Referee: Bruce Carter<br />
When I saw that South Valley was going to be playing at a winery in Gilroy, I was thinking more along the lines of the one right by 101 that features garlic wine. But that one is not the Kirigin Winery.<br />
<br />
Kirigin Winery's home page invites you to stop by on a summer's weekend to catch a cricket match. And sure enough, as you finish your drive through lovely rolling hills and pull into the parking lot, you see TWO well-groomed grass cricket ovals, the pitches in the center being artificial to lend a predictable bounce (ah - but the bowler can still spin the thing...).<br />
<br />
And off beyond these, the lovely Pinot Noir Field, a rugby paddock with vines surrounding it on two sides.<br />
<br />
Pelicanland has been having perfect weather. Cherry trees are in various stages of blossoming, and none have shed their pink petal carpets yet. The California lilacs offer a pleasant blue to set off the pinks, you’ll find butter-yellow daffodils if you look, and if you are a hiker or mountain-biker you will be aware that poison oak is also at its most lustrous and menacing green right about now.<br />
<br />
Given this weather, there were lots of spectators alongside, plenty of dogs on leash, and a crew was setting up a cooking station for the pitch-side post-game picnic. This turned out to feature fried tacos with all the fixings, cooked to order. D3 rugby has come a long way!<br />
<br />
SFGG seemed to have to come a long way as well, or perhaps it was the atypical noon kickoff, but they needed that last-minute car to pull up to have a full side.<br />
<br />
South Valley started strong and surprised their guests with four first-half tries. They had some backs I remember refereeing from their Live Oak HS days who surprised Gate by slicing and dicing, while Gate was unable to get their own machine out of low gear. It was 29-17 at the half to the home XV, with Gate's #12 doing most of the damage throughout the match.<br />
<br />
Halftime found both teams' leaders encouraging their lads: once more unto the breach and those a-bed in England, etc; and I was certain we'd have a good second half. SFGG hadn't lost a game yet and didn't seem keen to start today.<br />
<br />
South Valley scored first, a forward try this time after lots of phases and several minutes knocking on the door. It was converted for 36-17, but alas they were not to score again.<br />
<br />
Golden Gate started turning the corners and getting the bounce when they couldn't find the corner and chipped ahead. From there it was five converted tries on the trot.<br />
<br />
Scenes:<br />
<br />
Golden Gate's kicker, #12, perfect in the second half, and his holder are both Irish. They chatted as they got ready for conversions. On one that was centered, they were only about ten meters out.<br />
<br />
One of the South Valley men, playing dumb, said, "You have funny accents. Where are you from? Missouri?"<br />
<br />
The kicker said, "We're Amish."<br />
<br />
There was the usual amount of belly-aching and such for a D3 game, which means quite a bit. I don't hear most of this stuff - or at least it doesn't register - but one comment bears repeating:<br />
<br />
Knock-on. Whistle. Kevin Sullivan clenches fists, pounds his thighs and screams, "SIR! THAT WAS ONLY MARGINALLY FORWARD!"<br />
<br />
At least two people were laughing, me and him.<br />
<br />
I love this game.<br />
<br />
CALIFORNIA 28 – U. of British Columbia 18 Referee: Phil Akroyd<br />
A/Rs: Rob Hendrickson, Tom Wright<br />
#4: Ron DeCausemaker<br />
Coach: Dave Williamson<br />
Cal conceded many early penalties, with several of them at the scrum based on a reluctance to bind. UBC had the majority of the possession and position in the first half, but could not turn it into points.<br />
<br />
The home team scored a try and followed with a penalty goal and a drop goal to lead 13-0 at half. There was a sense that Cal may push on in the second half (and they did), but the visitors, while continuing to concede points, continued to play hard throughout the game.<br />
<br />
Cal pulled out to a comfortable 28-3 lead, but UBC pressed the line throughput the final quarter, making the respectable scoreline of 28-18.<br />
<br />
California seconds – Santa Rosa JC Referee: Helmer<br />
Wright/DeCausemaker<br />
<br />
Sac State 0 – ST. MARY’S 83 Referee: George O'Neil<br />
<br />
Seconds: Sac State – ST. MARY’S Referee: Anthony Nguyen<br />
It was quite a warmer day than usual and was quite noticeable late into the first half. St. Mary's flawlessly moved the ball across the field and powered over Sac State's valiant defenses. The First half ended with St. Mary's leading substantially. The game progressed similarly in the second half, with St. Mary's putting points on the board at every drive. It seemed that St Mary's would completely shutout the Sac State offensive, until a breakthrough hole in the defense led to a victorious try by Sac State. St. Mary's fought back and retained more points on the board, but Sac State yet again made a devastating run that resulted in another successful try. Overall, St. Mary's overpowered the Sac State offensive, but Sac State fought valiantly throughout the whole match, resulting in successful points on the board and good spirits to leave the field with.<br />
<br />
FRESNO STATE 43 – SF State 32 Referee: Jeff Jury<br />
<br />
UC SANTA CRUZ 47 – Sierra College 42 Referee: Matt Hetterman<br />
Best match for me in NorCal so far - I felt that I refereed well, great game, incredible pitch location on a beautiful day.<br />
<br />
Seconds: UCSC 15 – Sierra College 10 Referee: Larry Freitas<br />
The seconds match, which initially was supposed to go 80 minutes, only went for a half, as Sierra decided their players, along with leftovers from UCSC, had had enough of a run. It was 72F and another spectacular day in which you could see the sailboats out on the Monterey Bay below, a view one never gets tired of seeing (I wonder if there's going to be snow on the Santa Cruz Mountain ridges in the background next week!). Spirited match, with the Slugs outscoring their opponents by one un-converted try. Sierra's second side had some players who hadn't much experience, and the same with UCSC. I did some "coaching" in trying to get players to stay on their feet and keep the ball moving. This was my first game as a referee since March of 2010. I had fun, and if I can remain healthy, I'm doing more games!<br />
<br />
UOP 17 – Humboldt State 17 Referee: Scott Wood<br />
Pacific Tigers 17 (3T 1C)<br />
Humboldt St Lumberjacks 17 (3T 1C)<br />
Humboldt capitalized off Pacific's mistakes including a pass intercepted inside the 22 that turned into a try. They led 17-0 before Pacific was able to get on the board. Not wanting to be shown up, the Tigers intercepted a pass inside the 22 and ran all the way to center their second try between the posts. The conversion missed...Continuing their attack, Pacific put the Lumberjacks under pressure from a 5-meter attacking scrum. The scrum collapsed (for the second time) as the ball simultaneously emerged from the side. Pacific's scrumhalf quickly scooped up the ball and dotted it down for the host's third try.<br />
<br />
With less than three minutes remaining and the Lumberjacks on attack, a Pacific player decided to forego good sportsmanship (intent was not weighed) to have a penalty awarded to the visitors on the right 22m x 15m. Humboldt wisely opted for a penalty goal attempt. The kicker asked for the score. "Tied at 17", I replied. "Oh, no pressure here," he stated. It's tough being your worst critic. And prophetic. The ball sailed left of the posts and was collected by Pacific who attempted to run out the ball. The pass inside was either off mark or mishandled. Regardless, Pacific kicked it to touch before Humboldt could collect it.<br />
<br />
As a demonstration of how evenly matched the teams were, both halves started with the kick offs going directly to touch.<br />
<br />
STANFORD women 77 – Oregon State 14 Referee: John Pohlman<br />
My assignment this week took me to the Stanford, for a full day of rugby. In the Bay Area we are spoiled with great venues and rugby tradition. Stanford is another of those both from a traditional point and a great venue.<br />
<br />
I needed to arrive early to be micro-phoned up so that the announcer could share my refereeing pearls with the crowd. Not a weekend refereeing experience shared by many throughout the U.S.<br />
<br />
Stanford woman's Division 1 side was hosting the Oregon State Division 1 women in a conference game, with a noon kick-off. I dropped off my kit in the referee's locker room and proceed to warm-up and chat with the players.<br />
<br />
Ten minutes later, my pre-game out of the way. I had plenty of time to warm up, enjoy the crowd and discuss comments with the announcer, Bill Cosden.<br />
<br />
Stanford was just much better on the day. The forwards were bigger, dominating scrums. The back row were all over the field. The backs were both fast and consistently attacking. The leadership by Captain #13 Jamie Lawrence and my player of the game #8 Ally Gleason were outstanding.<br />
<br />
Oregon State I had referred in sevens this past fall. They were the cream of the 7's tournament led by #9 Hannah Lockwood. But in 15's they were outmatched.<br />
<br />
Stanford scored 5 trys in the first half led by #12 Michelle Teo's two trys. The second half had Stanford scoring 8 more trys. Jamie and Ally got two each. With about 20 minutes left Stanford emptied their bench of 8 subs. This evened out scrums and led to a more competitive game.<br />
<br />
Good to see Stanford's pack leading the way.<br />
<br />
CALIFORNIA women 38 – U of Oregon 14 Referee: Preston Gordon<br />
<br />
Stanford 20 – CAL POLY 53 Referee: Brian Zapp<br />
<br />
Seconds: Stanford – Cal Poly Referee: Clock <br />
<br />
Humboldt St women 15 – SF BATS 23 Referee: Sean Peters<br />
<br />
Fresno State women 12 – UC SANTA CRUZ 43 Referee: Jeff Jury<br />
<br />
UNR women 30 – Sac St 12 Referee: Lee Bryant<br />
<br />
Sun, Feb 17<br />
<br />
STANFORD women 45 – U of Oregon 34 Referee: Pete Smith<br />
Stanford rolled out their A side to start the match against a depleted Oregon team that left 8 starters at home. Stanford has several All-American candidates again this year with Alley their #8 and kicker really standing out in the scoring column, but supported by at least 9 other potential All-American candidates. This is the youngest and most athletic Stanford team I can remember. They have the talent and athleticism to win it all, but most of these players are new to rugby with just a handful of players with more than a year or two of experience. It will come down to coaching and leadership if Stanford is to regain the title this year.<br />
<br />
Stanford dominated the first half of this game and played almost entirely in the Oregon end of the field. The halftime score was 38-3. They added another quick try to open the second half and then Stanford starting making massive substitutions; perhaps the biggest was taking out their captain and team leader Jamie. Oregon dominated the rest of the game scoring 31 unanswered points to make the score a lot closer than it could have been. It is hard not to respect the effort put forth by Oregon, down by 42 points, they never quit, they never gave up and they played to the final whistle. The 8 freshmen that started in place of those left at home will likely never forget that comeback and it will be something they can build on for the future.<br />
<br />
CALIFORNIA women 43 – Oregon St. 12 Referee: Bruce Ricard<br />
Both teams had some experienced players, and some rookies. Thus, a lot of dropped balls. The teams were very disciplined, except for those two times where a penalty kick was called, and the opposing team players would just stand there and tackle the quick tap player after two meters. Cal dominated the game by scoring 7 tries against 2 for Oregon State.<br />
<br />
Seconds: California – OREGON STATE Ref: Ricard<br />
We played twelves rugby, for two halves of fifteen minutes. Almost only rookies in this game: the ball probably spent more time on the ground than held. The referee tried not to see all the knock-ons, and to let the players have some game time.<br />
<br />
Oregon won by 3 tries to 1.<br />
<br />
U. of San Francisco 5 – ST. MARY’S thirds 53 Referee: Preston Gordon<br />
<br />
HIGH SCHOOL GAMES<br />
<br />
Varsity: DE LA SALLE 31 – Bishop O'Dowd 14 Referee: Edward Barfels<br />
It was a cool clear morning & great for youth rugby. The varsity played first. DLS scored twice in the first 20 minutes to take a 12 point lead. BOD was close to scoring at the end of the first half. In the 34th minute, DLS committed two penalties in the red zone and the half could not end on a defensive penalty. On the last penalty, BOD was close to scoring when the DLS wing intercepted a pass and sprinted the length of the field for a score. Score at half DLS 19, BOD 0.<br />
<br />
The second half saw BOD come back and score twice for 14 points. The momentum seemed to shifting to BOD. However, the DLS forwards took over the game and scored twice for a final score of DLS 31 : BOD 14.<br />
<br />
Frosh/Soph: De La Salle 0 – BOD 40 Ref: Barfels<br />
<br />
Oakland Warthogs 14 – PENINSULA GREEN 30 Referee: Preston Gordon<br />
Merritt College, Oakland, 1100<br />
There's obviously been some work done at this facility since I was last up there for a rugby game ~12 years ago when I was playing for Olympic Club. It's no longer a sloped mud pit, but now a really nice, flat, full-size grass pitch with proper markings, goal posts, sideline ropes, etc. There were plenty of folks on hand for this game, including a camera crew for the Way of the Warthogs film:<br />
<a href="http://www.wayofthewarthogs.com/the-film/">http://www.wayofthewarthogs.com/the-film/</a><br />
<br />
We got started on time, with plenty of scrums to follow knock-ons where advantage wasn't possible. Both sides seemed very keen to play but perhaps a little over-exuberant. Once they settled down, Peninsula Green opened scoring with a penalty goal at 18', followed by another one at 29'. 2 tries for them followed, at 33' and 35', with the last one converted to leave it at 18-0 to the visitors at the half.<br />
<br />
In the second half Oakland used their size advantage to counterattack well, scoring converted tries at 7' and 26'. PG also scored 2 further tries at 5' and 15', but could only convert 1. That was a fair reflection of that half, where Oakland played a lot better than they did in the first half. Other than the one yellow card to each side for dangerous tackling in the second half, it was a great 35 minutes of rugby. I understand that this was their first game, so both teams should do well this season.<br />
<br />
PITS 65 – Danville 5 Ref: Gordon<br />
St. Mary's College, 1430<br />
After a quick snack in Lafayette, I headed to SMC for my second game of the day. It's a treat to do 2 games on rugby-only pitches around here, and this game didn't lack for ball movement either. Danville's fullback (I believe, though there were definitely some numbers we don't usually see on a rugby field being worn) scored the first try in the right corner, just 6 minutes into the game.<br />
<br />
A lot of back-and-forth followed with relatively few mistakes. Eventually PITS replied with a converted try at 21'. Things were looking good for a close match, even after PITS scored 2 more unconverted tries at 29' and 35' - 17-5 didn't seem to be an unsurmountable lead.<br />
<br />
Danville continued to threaten, but ultimately PITS came out well on top after scoring 8 additional tries in the second half (converting 4 of them). As before, this was apparently the first game of the season. Things are looking good for high school rugby this year and I'd encourage those of us who usually do senior matches to pick up a game when possible - it helps the teams by exposing them to a different refereeing style (the style they may see in the playoffs, for example) and it's a great opportunity to focus on anything that might need improving as a ref.<br />
<br />
Friday evening, U19 touring side match<br />
SFGG 26 – Rockridge HS 26 (from the Vancouver area) Referee: Preston Gordon<br />
ARs: Jen Tetler, Dave Newport<br />
<br />
Islanders 17 - 48 GRANITE BAY Referee: Phil Akroyd<br />
While there were some excellent displays of rugby, highlighting the good of local U19 rugby, we also got the negative. One sideline, with large numbers of players and support, roaming the touch and feeding unnecessary negative energy into the players on the field. Inevitably, the players lost focus on the positive rugby and instead concentrated on settling non-existent scores with opposition players.<br />
<br />
Youth rugby has to figure out a way to deal with these sideline issues if we want to recruit refs, create a positive environment and show what rugby really is. Not a football/soccer hooligan approach.<br />
<br />
Tuesday night February 19th, 2013 @ Cardinal Newman in Santa Rosa<br />
<br />
Varsity: Rosa 17 – GOLDEN GATE 22 Referee: Cary Bertolone<br />
We kicked off at 7:00 PM on a cold evening and the Rosa High School team scored first, eight minutes in to make it 7-0. Golden Gate had a larger pack and they began to dominate forward play as they scored three unconverted tries, making it 15-7 at the half. Santa Rosa had some fast backs and they scored two tries in the second half, but it wasn't enough as Golden Gate won 22-17. Pretty evenly matched teams!! Good game with a lot of good runs and hard tackling.<br />
<br />
JV: Rosa 12 – GOLDEN GATE 14 Referee: Chris Curtis<br />
Chris Curtis reffed the second side game and everyone got a good run. A lot of fast players on the field. JV rugby never looked so good!!<br />
<br />
SIERRA FOOTHILLS 50 – Mother Lode 14, Varsity Gold action, Friday night in Rocklin<br />
Ref: Ray Schwartz<br />
ARs: Mark & Marshall Godfrey<br />
Sierra Foothills is reaping the benefits of some 5 years of continuous youth and middle school programs. The kids are coming through and club is deep. Mother Lode won NorCal High School championships a few years ago, but only recently has started their middle school and lower program. They have some catching up to do. Great coaches on both sides, great crowd, good scene overall, but to paraphrase from James Hinkin's match report, Sierra would, "dominate the first half as the Mother Lode’s backs didn’t seem able to tackle and their forwards got pushed off the ball. Sierra took advantage of this situation to attack with precision and ferocity." Mother Lode had a few moments, and overall this was fun stuff.<br />
<br />
The real story was the B Side match (Junior Varsity) reffed by Marshall Godfrey (similar score and result). Marshall will take his Level 1 class this week from Matt Eason (!), is hoping to make the USA U-20 National side that travels to France in June, was the Mother Lode RFC's middle school program when he started on the Varsity as a 7th grader... now a first year college student, and just 19 years of age. Marshall did marvelously well for reffing only his 2nd match. He'll learn to blast his whistle (rather than blow into it) and will pick up the nuances of signals and positioning, but in many ways he is already reffing at a high level. His dad Mark couldn't have been prouder!<br />
<br />
THIS WEEK’S PHOTO<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ezbUX8DCU2U/USg8zyqPC7I/AAAAAAAAAco/gZaeN3d7Z8U/s1600/Good+Eats.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ezbUX8DCU2U/USg8zyqPC7I/AAAAAAAAAco/gZaeN3d7Z8U/s320/Good+Eats.jpg" /></a> <br />
Who remembers boiled hot dogs and cold spaghetti at rugby parties? How about sliced boiled hot dogs with ketchup for sauce over the cold spaghetti?<br />
<br />
Those who play against South Valley at Kirigin Winery will remember tacos sizzling amidst the vines.<br />
<br />
HAIL, PELICUS!<br />
<br />
For the Senate<br />
Pelicus ScriptorisUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22683413.post-83075047836682841842013-02-15T10:24:00.001-08:002013-02-15T10:24:04.301-08:00MORE BETTER REFSHAIL, PELICUS!<br />
<br />
PROMOTIONS<br />
<br />
Bruce Ricard has been promoted to L1 on the basis of his recent reports. Congratulations to Bruce, and our apologies for misspelling his new bride Karla’s name.<br />
<br />
Dave Pescetti has been promoted to L3. Dave is a graduate student at Cal Poly who is from the Bay Area and spends enough time here to have begun his refereeing career on the right foot.<br />
<br />
AVAILABILITY NEEDED<br />
<br />
Send Pete Smith your availability to referee for the upcoming weekends.<br />
<a href="mailto:me@PetesWeb.com">me@PetesWeb.com</a><br />
<br />
Also, remember to check for assignments at <a href="http://www.pelicanrefs.com">www.pelicanrefs.com</a>. They are on the home page.<br />
<br />
EXCHANGE HOSTS NEEDED<br />
By Bjorn Stumer, NCRRS Exchange Officer:<br />
<br />
As part of our development program, our Society has an active exchange program with other Societies throughout the US, in Canada, and the UK. We send our folks out and we receive incoming referees, all in the name of development and the spirit of our sport. We need hosts for the following incoming referees, so please let me know if you can provide billet, transport, and/or hospitality. If you cannot billet, you can still take the refs out for a good time, or help with their transportation.<br />
<br />
1. A yet to be named referee from Victoria, BC/Canada: either the 9th or 16th of March (still to be determined).<br />
<br />
2. Virginia referee Chris Davis: March 23d - Match at Treasure Island.<br />
<br />
3. Northwest referees Tony Maphosa & Mary Castle: March 1; and Chad Douglas April 6.<br />
<br />
Personally I am hosting Alberta referee Andrew Petti on March 9th<br />
<br />
Hosting can be a way to repay the Society for that exchange you went on, or will get you kudo points for upcoming exchanges.<br />
<br />
REFEREE COURSE ANNOUNCED<br />
<br />
It’s one of Murphy’s laws: people inform us of their desire to take a level one referee course a week or two after several courses are held.<br />
<br />
To help meet this need, Matt Eason will be offering the IRB course in Sacramento over two evenings, Tuesday and Thursday, February 26 and 28, 2013, from 6:00 until approximately 9:30 each evening.<br />
<br />
Attendance at both sessions will be mandatory for completion of the course.<br />
<br />
The location of the course will be:<br />
Kennedy High School<br />
6715 Gloria Drive<br />
Sacramento, CA 95831<br />
<br />
Class size is limited to 20, the cost is $50.00 if pre-registered with USA Rugby.<br />
<br />
Matt Eason: <a href="mailto:Matthew@capcitylaw.com">Matthew@capcitylaw.com</a><br />
<br />
SOCIETY MEETING WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20<br />
<br />
Don’t forget our monthly meeting at the Golden Gate clubhouse on Treasure Island next Wednesday, from 7 until 9. We start on time and finish on time, but if you’d like to arrive any time after 6 food will be available.<br />
<br />
GAMES<br />
<br />
Wednesday, February 6C<br />
CALIFORNIA 62 – Cal Maritime 6 Referee: Preston Gordon<br />
ARs: Rob Hendrickson, Rich Anderson<br />
Witter Field<br />
By the 7pm kickoff time it was crisp and clear but not windy. Cal, playing their frosh/soph side with the odd upperclassman or two, kicked off to the west and immediately put the Keelhaulers under pressure to the point where, maybe 20 seconds later, they had earned themselves a 5-meter scrum after the ball was carried back into in-goal and grounded by the visitors.<br />
<br />
Cal enjoyed the first couple of minutes of possession before one of their players was caught in a high tackle by Maritime's #8 in the 3rd minute (Nota bene: foul play is foul play, whether in the 3rd second, 3rd minute, 30th minute, etc. No leniency is warranted just because it happened early in the game). He took a 10-minute break, and it took Cal about 5 minutes more to score their first try. From that point on it was mostly one-way traffic, with Cal scoring 6 tries before halftime and converting 4, for 38-0 on the board at the break.<br />
<br />
In the second half play was much the same. Cal did a good job countering Maritime's deep kicks but were also playing in a more disjointed manner than usual, so Maritime had several opportunities to attack. Their efforts were rewarded with 3 shots at goal due to Cal offenses at the tackle and they kicked 2 of those penalty goals. Cal added 4 more tries and 2 conversions to finish things at 62-6. More details here:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.calbears.com/sports/m-rugby/recaps/020713aaa.html">http://www.calbears.com/sports/m-rugby/recaps/020713aaa.html</a><br />
<br />
A couple of other notes: thanks to Rob and Rich, and to the coaches of both sides for the feedback. Thanks also to whoever it was that was cheering for the ref from the stands - it's hard to see up there at night when the lights are on. Next, I was pretty impressed by the new high-performance athletic facility that Cal's rugby team is using. That can only be good news for American rugby. Lastly, this game makes it 299-16 to the victors in the 4.375 games I've reffed in 2013, so I can't be far behind James Hinkin on this year's hit list.<br />
<br />
Stanford 0 – ST. MARY’S 57 Referee: Donagh O’Mahoney<br />
Quick summary, don't have my score sheet handy but from memory.<br />
<br />
Very good conditions. Dry with very little wind and pitch in very good condition.<br />
<br />
St Mary's were the stronger team and scored the majority of tries in the first half to lead 40-0 at half time. Stanford were more competitive in the second half and came close to scoring but errors and good defense prevented them from scoring. Very high penalty count against St Mary's in the first half at the breakdown but second half saw a vast improvement in the penalty count.<br />
<br />
Seconds: Stanford – St. Mary's<br />
No report received.<br />
<br />
CALIFORNIA 112 – Cal Poly 7 Referee: Pete Smith<br />
AR: Rob Hendrickson<br />
Referee Evaluator: Mike Malone<br />
My score was 112-7. Not much to write about. Very clean game with just a few penalties and pretty much one way traffic.<br />
<br />
Seconds: CALIFORNIA 133 – Cal Poly 0 Referee: Paul Bretz<br />
<br />
SF State – San Jose State Referee: Jen Tetler<br />
No report received.<br />
<br />
CHICO STATE 46 – Santa Rosa JC 10 Referee: Stephen Valerio<br />
The last time I found myself heading up I-5, I had the benefit of Giles and Bruce's company. At lot less conversation this time.<br />
<br />
The teams were ready, the pitch was soft, though a couple of lines were missing and some were thin (which caused the occasional difficulty), but it was clear, crisp day and we kicked-off on-time. Chico St's loose forwards were very strong and provided the basis for their attack throughout the match. With the bonus that their outside center was a very strong runner, and Santa Rosa had their hands full. The game remain contested throughout, but the final score line of 46-10 didn't do justice to the strong Santa Rosa's effort. Both sides played hard but were friendly throughout and displayed great sportsmanship. It was definitely worth the trip.<br />
<br />
Seconds: CHICO STATE 55 – Santa Rosa JC 5 Ref: Valerio<br />
With Santa Rosa having only half a B-side, Chico St provided the remainder. Unfortunately when one side is still introducing themselves and the other is a cohesive group, readily able to string several phases together, it makes for a one-way match. That being said, the match was notable for several reasons:<br />
<br />
Chico St's Flyhalf slotted a drop goal, his first successful one in match after 6 unsuccessful attempts.<br />
<br />
I had a Santa Rosa kick drill me from behind. I will put that to the fact that a forward was kicking rather than to my positioning.<br />
<br />
In one sequence I called 3 successive penalties against a Chico St player. Clearly a rookie still finding his way around the pitch, he failed to bind correctly at a scrum, played a ball from the ground and came in from the side. He then collected a pass off of a breakdown and dotted down for a try. When I blew the whistle to award the try, he went to his teammate "What did I do wrong?"<br />
<br />
Finally, Santa Rosa's one score took me by surprise. After poaching a ball, they got an all too rare chance to run a couple of phases. Inside Chico St's 22, the flyhalf then kicked the ball. I figured the ball would go dead but the kick was perfectly weighted and Santa Rosa touched it down for the 5.<br />
<br />
NEVADA 44 – Sierra College 34 Referee: Cary Bertolone<br />
A beautiful, sunny day in Reno (although it never got over 36 degrees) saw us kick off at 1:00 PM. Reno took one minute to find the try zone. Two minutes later, Reno's speedy backline dotted another one down and before you knew it, Reno was up 17-0. Sierra steadied up and scored 7 at the 24 minute mark. The score was 22-12 at the half.<br />
<br />
Reno started out the second half with a quick try. At the 17 minute mark of the second half, Reno took a quick tap after a penalty for Sierra not coming through the gate and I figured that about settled the game with a lead of 32-12 and later 39-19, but Sierra came on strong in the end with three late tries to close the gap to a final score of 44-34. Great game with good players and good coaches!! Fun to ref!!!!<br />
<br />
Seconds: Nevada 0 – SIERRA COLLEGE 15 Ref: Bertolone<br />
We had a short seconds game with Reno loaning Sierra a few players. In fact, Reno's scrumhalf scored the last try for Sierra, giving everyone a good laugh. Good spirits and rugby vibes all day long!<br />
<br />
HIGH SCHOOL GAMES<br />
<br />
Lamorinda 12 – DANVILLE 60 Referee: Tom Zanarini<br />
Not all rugby ceases during the Vegas Sevens. Beautiful sunny day on St. Mary's campus. The field was a little worse for wear. Better than most, but pretty torn up for SMC's usual standard. Both teams came out swinging but the bigger, older Danville team won the day.<br />
<br />
FEBRUARY 2 REPORTS<br />
<br />
Barbarians 15 – SAC LIONS 36 Referee: Jordan Bruno<br />
<br />
Seconds: Barbarians 5 – LIONS 31 Ref: Bruno<br />
For both matches, the speed and discipline of the Lions side proved too much for the Barbarians to handle. Lions dominated the scrums and set pieces and showed great agility in their backline to move ball in hand and outscore their opponents.<br />
<br />
COLUSA 31 – Shasta 13 Referee: Anthony Nguyen<br />
The weather was great as the two teams took the field for kick-off. Both teams started off strong with possession changing rapidly between teams. Several close penalties towards Colusa's own try zone allowed Shasta to take multiple penalty goal attempts, two of which they made. Colusa hammered back with quick and fast maneuvers that resulted in two spectacular tries in the first half. Half-time was rapidly approaching, and both teams fought fervently for points before the end of the half, but to no avail. So far, Colusa was leading at 14, Shasta 13.<br />
<br />
The second half started off with a bang with Colusa immediately scoring another try. Shasta fought back harder with strategic runs and excellent gameplay, which earned them a well-deserved try. Much of the same intensity found in the first half also lingered into the second half. Colusa was able to close the match with one more successful try. Final Score: Colusa 31, Shasta 13.<br />
<br />
SJSU 52 – Fresno State 22 Referee: Tony Levitan<br />
<br />
San Francisco State 10 – SIERRA COLLEGE 39 Referee: Paolo Diaz<br />
Reffed SFSU vs. Sierra at Treasure Island.<br />
<br />
Beautiful day for Rugby at Treasure Island. Cool, no wind. 2 PM start so the sun was a little low in the sky.<br />
<br />
Game started out with a lot of intensity. Good hard, rucking and counter rucking by both sides. SFSU scored first and then was matched by Sierra. Went back and forth through the half. Halftime score was 12-10 for Sierra.<br />
<br />
Second half was a different story - Sierra's superior fitness and athleticism overwhelmed SFSU's heart. SFSU threatened to score several times but Sierra's defense was just as committed as their offense. 27 unanswered points by Sierra for a final score of 39-10.<br />
<br />
GRACIOUS VISITOR TO PELICANLAND<br />
<br />
Reffing in and around California<br />
Report from Wesley “wezflash” van der Linde, Natal Sharks Academy<br />
<br />
I’ve been back home in Durban a week now and still can’t believe that my time in California is now over. I will never forget the friends made and places visited. I’m in awe of how blessed I am to have been afforded the privilege of visiting such a vibrant rugby community in California. My time in Sacramento was indeed extra special. I got to stay with such wonderful people, namely Rich and Nola Boyer and Ray and Kat Todd-Schwartz. They treated me like their own son and I cannot begin to thank them for all the hard work they put in to making me feel at home.<br />
<br />
Refereeing in California was quite an unforgettable experience. All in all I refereed close to 15 matches across all age groups. I got a good idea of the quality of rugby in California and it definitely surpassed my expectations. I’ve already shared on my experience refereeing St Mary’s and SFGG, and how I felt the rugby very fast paced and of good quality for a pre-season fixture.<br />
<br />
I was well impressed with Motley Land Park Rugby Club, and believe the work being done there by Richard Boyer, Matt Eason, and the coaching team is going to impact on the National team in the near future (editor’s note: it already has!). Their ball skills and free flowing rugby is something to behold, and I am really happy to have had the opportunity to referee one of their Sunday matches.<br />
<br />
I got to referee a midweek high school fixture between Davis and Kennedy High. It was the first time I had ever refereed on a (gridiron) Football turf and that I will definitely never forget and certainly brag about among my peers. My refereeing experience in LA was also unforgettable. UCLA is stunning. Being able to referee there was quite magnificent. The field was gorgeously green, and the weather was a lot more of what I am used to back home. UCLA’s Dennis Storer Classic was the name of the event. I had the privilege of refereeing Cal twice, once on Saturday and again in the final match of the tournament.<br />
<br />
The next big event I was fortunate to be a part of was the Kick Off Tournament. The 2013 version was the 29th Annual in Sacramento. With 130+ sides from all around this was definitely the biggest tournament I have ever been involved in. The weekend started off on Friday with a referee’s development course wonderfully run by David Williamson (Berkeley) and Paul Cassidy (Alberta), and a referee coach’s course, both of which went very well. That evening we enjoyed an informal dinner and drinks social at Streets of London Pub. The food was great, meeting and chatting with all the refs and those involved in the KOT was absolutely fantastic.<br />
<br />
That next morning we were in full swing! All the refs were there and ready to tackle the day’s rugby matches, which spanned across 9 levels of competition and 7 whole rugby fields! I was amazed at how enthusiastic everybody was and how passionate the rugby players were. Who would have guessed that one would find such joy for the game of rugby in the USA, but here it was, a wonderful rugby spectacle. There was a good crowd in to watch the rugby and they were not to be disappointed. I enjoyed all the support from my fellow referees and we all had such a great time doing what we all love.<br />
<br />
I was given the privilege of refereeing the final match of the day, the Varsity Gold final. This match included a color guard presentation from the California National Guard, and a beautiful rendition of the national anthem. It was all quite overwhelming but I just took in the moment. The match was a great way to end the day’s action, well contested and played in good spirit, with Jesuit triumphing over Lamorinda (last year’s NorCal champs).<br />
<br />
Later that evening all were treated to a ‘fabulous’ referee banquet at the Courtyard Marriot Grand Ballroom (Number 1s required!). We all had a great evening chatting, eating, drinking, and listening to a couple of speeches. Fortunately Ray Schwartz gave me a Pelican mascot, but it didn’t stop there as I found myself with a rather large collection of referee pins, kindly handed over from various people.<br />
<br />
The next morning it was back to business. It is important to note here that we were very well catered for under the (20 x 40’) referees’ tent. Thanks to our “referee mom,” Thais Armenta, we had everything we needed and more. Good food, healthy fruit and plenty of liquid! We couldn’t have refereed as well without it all. Sunday was just as busy as Saturday and we were all once again immersed in the wonderful game of rugby. The weather was once again good and it stayed that way throughout the day.<br />
<br />
We had a few new referees on Sunday, but they all just slotted in and everything ran smoothly. I had a good opportunity to just take in the atmosphere and I realized that what was happening all around me was absolutely phenomenal. I am blown away by the quality of rugby and the commitment of those involved in their local schools and clubs. The commitment that drives the KOT organizers is clearly a reflection of this widespread passion. I don’t know why anyone would not want to be involved in such a wonderful event.<br />
<br />
As the day drew to a close I had to say goodbye to a number of referees who had to catch a plane (or drive) home. It wasn’t easy to do this because of the bonds we had formed. This is what rugby does, it brings us together, and it makes the world a lot smaller. It’s a wonderful thing.<br />
<br />
I would like to thank all those who made this KOT 2013 tournament such a success. I especially would like to thank Ray Schwartz for all his hard work in organizing the referee side of things at the KOT. It was such a blessing getting to know Ray and I’m looking forward to coming back some time soon in the near future. My refereeing season is about to start back home and I believe that the refereeing in California has prepared me very well for the coming months. I’ve grown as a person and referee and this is all thanks to what is going on in California with regards to rugby development. Keep up all the hard work! Keep celebrating and growing this wonderful, heavenly game!<br />
<br />
"Refereeing is not a popularity contest; it is a test of integrity, honesty, and having the guts to make the right decision at the right time, regardless."<br />
- Mark Lawrence<br />
<br />
Regards/Beste Groete<br />
<br />
Wesley van der Linde<br />
E-mail: <a href="mailto:wezflash@gmail.com">wezflash@gmail.com</a><br />
<br />
THIS WEEK’S PHOTO<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iErKetgDNbU/UR5737fOzCI/AAAAAAAAAcU/RZYnF_V1l9I/s1600/Your+Guess.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iErKetgDNbU/UR5737fOzCI/AAAAAAAAAcU/RZYnF_V1l9I/s320/Your+Guess.jpg" /></a> <br />
Something was going on in the concourse at the IRB Sevens in Las Vegas. Let us know what you think it was…<br />
<br />
HAIL, PELICUS!<br />
<br />
For the Senate<br />
Pelicus ScriptorisUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22683413.post-72872275182471109062013-02-06T08:01:00.000-08:002013-02-06T08:01:13.363-08:00VEGAS BREAKHAIL, PELICUS! <br />
<br />
EARLY TO PRESS<br />
<br />
The Senate is packing up and relocating to Southern Nevada for the next week. Penelope and I will be in the Pelicanmobile, planning to cross a line of departure at or before 0600 hours Wednesday, 6 February 2013. You’ll find us at the IRB Sevens, and your intrepid reporter will be attending the continuing medical education conference on concussion in rugby held at Planet Hollywood.<br />
<br />
Which means that this edition of HP is missing a number of match reports, the ones that haven’t come in yet.<br />
<br />
Please send in the scores of the games you reffed, even though it’s too late for the reports. Referee reports form the basis for our billing of teams and they support the audit process when teams claim certain games weren’t played or no ref showed up.<br />
<br />
AVAILABILITY NEEDED<br />
<br />
Send Pete Smith your availability to referee for the upcoming weekends. Once he has enough names he can make the assignments. It’s difficult even to assign one week in advance when only a handful of referees have announced their availability.<br />
<br />
<a href="mailto:me@PetesWeb.com">me@PetesWeb.com</a><br />
<br />
LOTSA GAMES<br />
<br />
Friday:<br />
Seconds: Santa Clara – Stanford Referee: Pete Smith<br />
No report received.<br />
SANTA CLARA – Stanford Referee: Tim Luscombe<br />
We heard that they had a good crowd and that the home team won.<br />
<br />
Saturday<br />
OLYMPIC CLUB 39 – EPA Razorbacks 29 Referee: Tim Day (SoCal)<br />
Evaluator: Mike Malone<br />
AR: Dave Newport, Preston Gordon<br />
<br />
Seconds: Olympic Club 7 – EPA RAZORBACKS 25 Ref: Day/Gordon<br />
GAA fields<br />
It was 7-5 to the home side when I took over from Tim Day at halftime. I had a quick word with the captains to let them know that the ref had had a body transplant, and to ask them to go easy on me since I had just finished an 80-0 game 15 minutes earlier. This game was pretty fast too, and O Club played well, but the EPA backs were good enough to get around them and score 3 or 4 tries. I don’t have my scorecard with me at the moment but 25-7 is reasonably accurate.<br />
<br />
After that 30 minutes of running, I was ready for a break (again) but duty calls and I stuck it out to AR for Tim in O Club’s 39-29 victory over East Palo Alto. It was quite the day of rugby but I’ve recovered well and will be back at it again on Wednesday evening when Cal takes on Cal Maritime.<br />
<br />
Barbarians 15 – SAC LIONS 36 Referee: Bruno? [Not sure who reffed this.]<br />
Seconds: Barbarians – Sac Lions Referee: Nome Tiatia<br />
No reports received.<br />
<br />
EPA Bulldogs 5 – OPSB 42 Referee: Pete Smith<br />
The difference between the international level players and D1 players is very noticeable and Mike Palefau and Miles Craigwell ran wild. EPA Bulldogs had their chances, but couldn’t quite breech OPSB’s line. It was 20-0 at one point and it could have easily been 20-14. Both teams showed up to play rugby and it must have been a great game to watch as it was played pretty wide open.<br />
<br />
SFGG 80 – Santa Rosa 0 Referee: Preston Gordon<br />
Sheeran Field, 1200<br />
Both teams had what looked like their best sides out to play this bye-week game. It may not have counted for the league standings, but one wouldn’t know that from watching the game. Golden Gate kicked off to the south, and Santa Rosa moved the ball up the field and immediately set up camp inside their opponent’s 22m area. They spent most of the first 15 minutes attacking the try line, coming very close on a couple of occasions, but ultimately were unable to score. SFGG broke out on a nice run from deep, with their fullback scoring in the corner, and spent most of the rest of the game on attack, notching 14 tries (5 converted) before it was over. Interplay was good on both sides with lots of great passing and offloading, and the defense was strong. Once again, the score was one-sided, and once again, that didn’t really do justice to the losing team’s efforts. I think this game will help both teams as the season progresses.<br />
<br />
Tim Day, up from Southern California, was nice enough to give me some feedback at halftime. He also asked if I could AR for his game later in the afternoon, where he was being assessed, and of course I said yes.<br />
<br />
However... as Dave Newport and I arrived at the GAA fields, we found Tim already reffing Olympic Club and EPA Razorbacks. I figured that someone must have gotten the kickoff time wrong, but then realized that he was just finishing the first half of the B-side matchup. Apparently someone called him to tell him that he had to do the B-side game too! (Note: this is not the case.) Knowing that this would not be a good way to get ready to ref a D1 match while being watched, I offered to ref the second half so Tim would be in tip-top form.<br />
<br />
<br />
Sac Caps 28 – VACAVILLE 41 Referee: Taueva Favor<br />
Sacramento Capital didn't bring their best game during the very first 15minutes of the first half. Vacaville was ready to play and did really well with the first 30minutes of the first half. Both team needs to work with the keeping the hands off the rock and staying onside. Too many referee-players on the Vacaville team. Second half was Sac Capitals coming back but it was too late. Hope both teams have the best season.<br />
<br />
Fresno 15 – SEAHAWKS 18 Referee: John Pohlman<br />
Wow what a game. Occasionally as a referee you get one of those highly competitive games where all you hope for is not to get in the way. This past Saturday was one of those games.<br />
<br />
I had been traveling for the last 10 days or so. So when I was asked to drive to Fresno upon my return, I hesitated. But in Fresno and San Jose, two of the Division 2 powers, I thought the game might be worth the drive. I was not let down.<br />
<br />
I talked Eileen into driving with me. And we arrived around 11:30 AM. By three minutes after 12:00 I had talked to both teams and done the coin toss.<br />
<br />
On to the game.<br />
<br />
Fresno scored first on a penalty six minutes in. The only challenge I had throughout the game was players losing their feet at tackles, whether it was Fresno counter rucking (which they dominated) and losing their feet as they tried to clear the tackle., or San Jose tacklers falling on the Fresno side slowing ball.<br />
<br />
PLAYERS: YOU ARE TO BE IN CONTROL OF YOUR BODY, ALWAYS.<br />
<br />
San Jose tied up the score at fifteen minutes. Finally, San Jose scored the first try by their man of the match #7 Peter Kobliska.<br />
<br />
Then Fresno tied the score with a try of their own at 35 minutes, and then converted the try for a half time lead of 10-8.<br />
<br />
At half time I like to refuel and possibly talk to captains about potential law challenges. But this was a very clean game. I never gave a penalty for a dangerous tackle or high tackle.<br />
<br />
Fifteen minutes into the second half San Jose's hard working prop, #3 Gabe Escalera, finished a drive where both backs and forwards combined to finally break the tough Fresno defense.<br />
<br />
Fresno continued to control ball and when Coach Dan Wilson came in his leadership gave them some real go forward.<br />
<br />
Fresno won a counter ruck on their 22 and proceeded to drive the ball to the San Jose goal line. Rebuffed on their first two attempts Fresno scored the tying try at 40 minutes. Fortunately for me, as referees we hate ties probably more than players, I had 3 minutes of injury time which I announced to the players and by this time, rabid fans.<br />
<br />
San Jose controlled the ball worked their way down field, but crossing the Fresno try line was not going to happen. San Jose's #10 sensed this and attempted a drop kick which hit the crossbar and bounced over.<br />
<br />
Wow I looked at my watch and about a minute remained in injury time. Fresno gained position on a San Jose kick for touch. As Fresno did all game long, they fought back. One of Fresno's backs broke through and fed another Fresno runner who broke a tackle and seemed able to score a try.<br />
<br />
The Fresno runner felt pressure and heard support, so he made a pass which feel short. The San Jose's hard working # 3 Gabe chasing down field had the ball drop at his feet. With every San Jose player and fan screaming kick it out...he did.<br />
<br />
So for the last time...WOW what a game. Thanks for letting me be part of it.=<br />
<br />
CHICO 75 – Marin 18 Referee: Cary Bertolone<br />
The fog burned off and we had a nice, sunny day. Marin showed up with 14 ruggers and no coach. They had their binder properly filled out though and were ready to play, short. They told me they owed it to Chico to keep the game, even though they might likely lose the game playing short, with no subs. Admirable!!! Mike Comstock still playing, also admirable!!<br />
<br />
Chico greeted me with a couple of 18 year old high school graduate products on their team, Mike Tomasin and Barry Bartlett. They and a few teammates attend nearby Butte College and have joined the "old guys" of Chico to form a nice mixture of ages for the home team. Besides the old guys and the young guys, Chico has some speed in the backline!!!<br />
<br />
Chico blazed through, around and over Marin, scoring 39 halftime points. Marin never quit and scored a try and a penalty kick in each half. Chico was smart to never take the foot off the accelerator, because Marin, even one man down, is dangerous. They all played hard, laughed off the bad parts and had a good run.<br />
<br />
Seconds: Chico 19 – MARIN 24 Ref: Bertolone<br />
Just to get a run in for some that had not played, a sevens match was organized and Chico lent Marin a couple of players to make it work. Beau McSwain (Chico State Coach) was on hand to ref the seconds' game, but since it was a quickie, I just finished it off so he didn't have to put his gear on. Thanks Beau, for being there to back us up!! We played 7 minute halves and as I warned them, that was all they needed. A couple of Marin players scored tries, helping to make the drive worth it. Everybody had fun and then Chico hosted a nice after party with food and beer that completed the rugby weekend.<br />
<br />
Berkeley 5 – BARACUS 48 Referee: Bryant Byrnes<br />
ARs: Neil MacDonald, Jeff Ferguson<br />
Another climate changed winter's day-clear, mild, dry-at Morton Field, Mare Island. Both teams came into this match with early season wins.<br />
<br />
Both have reloaded since I last saw them.<br />
<br />
Obviously, Baracus is further along in the process; certainly it had fewer really, really new guys. What those of us who have been around the game for any length of time tend to forget is how complicated our rugby is. It takes the novices a while to figure it out-and games like these.<br />
<br />
Thanks to the Society's Jeff Ferguson and Neil for being my TJs. Two extra pair of hooded, narrowed eyes does wonderfully in keeping the lads somewhat honest. Sorry to say we lose Jeff at the end of the season to the East Coast.<br />
<br />
Seconds: Berkeley 14 – BARACUS 41 Referee: Neil McDonald<br />
Referee Coach: Bryant Byrnes<br />
Following a morning of youth matches in Danville, Saturday lunchtime saw me headed north on 680 for my inaugural visit to Mare Island, arriving in time to AR for the first team match, with a certain TV theme tune blaring from the sideline and cigar smoke filling the air.<br />
<br />
In the seconds game, a depleted Berkeley squad could not be persuaded to bite off more than 30 minute halves against the superior numbers of Baracus. I had to summon all of my patience to resist the temptation to begin the game with a penalty kick, after a well-meaning player - from a team who shall remain nameless - told me the result of my countrymen's match at Twickenham earlier in the day, and ruined my plans for evening viewing. Berkeley's hooker - who I learned is a man of the cloth - would no doubt have appreciated my magnanimity. When asked about the wisdom of a man of such propriety playing in the front row, he assured me that he saw it as a missionary endeavour. I fear he may have more than a life's work ahead of him.<br />
<br />
After a brief respite for the Berkeley players recycled from the first team game, we got underway on a beautiful afternoon for rugby, as the smoke from the barbecue drifted across the field, and the sun sank lower in the sky. Baracus scored a brace in the first half, before Berkeley pulled them back with a converted score right on half time, cutting the deficit to 5 points. Baracus scored in the first minute of the second half. Berkeley replied minutes later, closing the gap to within a score once more. However, Baracus' numbers along with a couple of moments of Berkeley indiscipline took their toll in the latter part of the match as Baracus ran in four more tries for a final score of 14-41.<br />
<br />
Thanks to Bryant for his coaching, and thanks to the teams for a fun game, and great hospitality.<br />
<br />
Colusa – Shasta Referee: Anthony Nguyen<br />
No report received.<br />
<br />
State of Jefferson – Redwood Referee: Kevin Brown<br />
No report received.<br />
<br />
Eric Rauscher Road Trip:<br />
So Bonnie and I actually look forward to the trip up to the Humboldt area. It is a beautiful drive and gives us time to listen to music.<br />
<br />
We also discovered a great restaurant. I like to drive up on Friday, so Friday night after checking into the hotel, we went out to "Bless My Soul" cafe right there in Eureka. It is Creole food and very good. The owner of the place kind of wanders around from table to table making sure that all is ok, and just in general making you feel at home. I highly recommend it On to the reports.<br />
<br />
HUMBOLDT OLD GROWTH 24 – Mendocino Steam Donkeys 5 Referee: Eric Rauscher<br />
Bonnie and I actually saw a number of Steam Donkeys at Fort Humboldt, and I think Mendocino calls themselves Steam Donkeys. Anyway, the game was played at Manila Community Field which is about one foot above sea level. The last time I was here it was covered with water, but this time it was dry and covered with gopher mounds. The sky was overcast, but not raining. It turns out that those teams to the North play for the Emerald Cup. The cup is defended by the home team and only lost to a team that can beat them. It would be great to see other such mini-competitions in our area just to add a bit of flavor. The only other one of which I am aware is the Cal/UBC World Cup. Back to the game. Humboldt put up a couple of tries early on off of either a knock on or errant pass. They got another "gimmie" in the second. This was too much for Mendocino to overcome. The teams were fairly balanced, but these types of scores just come out of the blue. The first was a Humboldt knock on. I called advantage, Mendocino scoped out the ball and advanced past the gain line. About a millisecond after I called "advantage gained" the ball was lost forward into the arms of a Humboldt player who ran it in.<br />
<br />
The Humboldt captain was being very judicious in approaching me and letting me know of subs coming in. Then late in the second half, the sidelines (those that hadn't played yet) decided it was time to do substitutions. The Captain became frazzled and I had to stop the game and make sure that they had it all worked out. After I explained the intricacies of the substitution law, and sorted things out we restarted play. The players that came in were of no help to the team. Scuffles broke out like chicken-pox and I had to have the captain call his team together and settle them down. Not really sure what it was all about, but it ended up with a yellow card against Humboldt at 34 min. After the game both sides seemed to put it behind them as the beer came out, but I was on to my next match.<br />
<br />
HUMBOLDT STATE women 60 – Fresno State 15 Ref: Rauscher<br />
The game was played on the synth turf field at Humboldt State with a crowd of about 100 cheering fans in attendance. Fresno came out strong and pretty much dominated the forwards play. Then at about 18 min into the match, Humboldt decided to shift gears and start employing their backs. The tries came like clock-work about every 4/5 min. The score at half was 41/0. Fresno never dropped their heads or gave up. They were able to get their hands back on the ball in the second half and once again displayed a very good pick and go type of offense. They were able to put up three tries in the second, matching Humboldt's three. Each time I approached the Fresno captain towards the end of the game asking her if she would like me to call it early, her response was no. Good on her. Fresno may not have come away with a win, but a winning never say die attitude.<br />
<br />
As a sidelight, Humboldt's #10 Meredith Conrad-Forrest, really stood out. Her skills were great and a work rate that had her involved in seemingly every play. I asked about her after the game and her coach said that she was coming back after an injury last year, but had played for Davis girls for four years.<br />
That was four years that have paid off.<br />
<br />
VALLEJO 32 – Stanislaus 15 Referee: Bruce Bernstein<br />
Tight first half match which continued for much of the 2nd.<br />
<br />
Vallejo outscored Stanislaus in the 2nd who hung in & had a few good mauls & rucks to either score or back up Vallejo.<br />
<br />
SIERRA FOOTHILLS 42 – Reno 17 Referee: Lee Bryant<br />
<br />
Monterey Bay Beach Dogs 19 – SOUTH VALLEY 34 Referee: Bruce Carter<br />
Monterey Bay is now playing their home games at St. Francis HS in Watsonville. It’s basically just over the Hecker Pass road from Gilroy and about nine miles as the pelican flies from South Valley’s home pitch.<br />
<br />
In that way, it’s a bit like England: two small cities, each about 50,000 souls, separated by a scenic drive of but a few miles, each with a rugby team and a budding rivalry.<br />
<br />
I had a lot of ‘support’ – lots of representatives of my generation were on hand, familiar names from Santa Cruz rugby lore: Vaughn Stumpf, Dan Smith, Larry Freitas, Larry ‘The Landlord’ Hebert, Charlie Ukestad, Tif Aiono, Stevie Ball (still playing!) and others...<br />
<br />
The home team got out to a good start with two converted tries from lots of chaotic, pinball type rugby (imagine balls bouncing off bumpers, bells ringing, lights flashing). This pace couldn’t sustain long, and when the game settled South Valley had more overall success moving the ball leaving the game 14-12 at half.<br />
<br />
South Valley then scored four second half trys, with Monterey Bay’s one being the final tally.<br />
<br />
Carmona’s BBQ and deli just down the road had signs up welcoming both teams and a good spread, ending this day’s good edition of D3 rugby.<br />
<br />
Paso Robles 0 – SFGG 112 Referee: James Hinkin<br />
Help! The referee society is trying to kill me!<br />
<br />
[Editor’s Note: that makes it 294-0 in James’ last two games.]<br />
<br />
ST. MARY’S 81 – UC Davis 0 Referee: Aruna Ranaweera<br />
In the opening match of the D1A season for both teams, SMC sprinted to a 41-0 half-time lead and finished with 13 tries.<br />
<br />
Seconds: St. Mary's – UC Davis Referee: Pescetti<br />
Referee Coach: John Coppinger<br />
No report received.<br />
<br />
CALIFORNIA 104 – Arizona State 0 Referee: Bruce Ricard<br />
AR: Rob Hendrickson<br />
Beautiful game of rugby. In the first half, Arizona State was infringing a little too much. Around the 25th minute, their tight head prop got a yellow card for repeated infringements. They had only three players able to play front row, so we had to play the 2 or 3 scrums that happened in the next 10 minutes uncontested.<br />
<br />
After that, the game was very clean, only a few infringements, not many knock-ons. The contest was pretty fair, and the game pretty challenged, except that Cal was scoring on almost every possession, while ASU was unable to enter their opponent’s 22.<br />
<br />
Sac St 0 – CENTRAL WASHINGTON 78 Referee: Derek Summers<br />
AR and reporter: Ron DeCausemaker<br />
It was a nice balmy day to play rugby, like most other venues this day. Had a slight delay to starting, since goal post pads were not in place, and flags needed to be positioned.<br />
<br />
Briefly, CW won 78 – 0, scoring seven trys each half. One conversion in the first half, three in the second.<br />
<br />
Most of CW's trys were from getting the ball out to the wings, and then a 30 meter sprint to the try line. Some of their field advantage came from long kicks down the field. Sac St. primarily relied on running up the middle, to little avail.<br />
<br />
San Jose State – Fresno State Referee: Tony Levitan<br />
No report received.<br />
<br />
SANTA ROSA JC 19 – UC Santa Cruz 17 Referee: Matt Hetterman<br />
Perfect rugby day in Santa Rosa - overcast, but not raining, pitch was<br />
soft but not muddy.<br />
<br />
Half-time: Santa Rosa JC 12 - UCSC 5. Full-time: Santa Rosa JC 19 - UCSC 17<br />
<br />
SF State – Sierra College Referee: Paolo Diaz<br />
No report received.<br />
<br />
Maritime Academy – USF Referee: Paul Bretz<br />
No report received.<br />
<br />
CSU-Monterey Bay 21 – UOP 25 Referee: Giles Wilson<br />
Saturday - what a rugby day! Started out with an early trip to the Brit in Cupertino for breakfast and to watch the Calcutta Cup (happily retained by England). After that game, on down to the old Ft Ord and CSUMB.<br />
<br />
A very nice field, well marks and only a little let down by the goal posts - I am told that a rugby specific field is on the way, more good news for N Cal rugby.<br />
<br />
This was a classic game of two halves. CSUMB had two ball-carrying, battering props who set the stage in the first half. They carried well, went forward and UOP were pinned back and under pressure. CSUMB also have some very good backs who work space well. This formula carried CSUMB to a 21 point lead from 3 goals which UOP countered with a late try, while CSUMB were down a player to a sin bin.<br />
<br />
At half time one of the props was replaced (he came back when the other one was injured) and UOP put a vigorous 9 man game into over drive. Relentless picking and jamming by the whole pack and even some of the backs was rewarded with a series of tries. Occasional mistakes gave the CSUMB backs some scraps to feed off but as a team they couldn't summon the energy after being sapped by having to defend against the driving of UOP. UOP punched in 4 second half tries to no reply from UOP.<br />
<br />
A very good game, both clubs deserve credit - it is great to see "small" colleges develop such good rugby.<br />
<br />
Final CSUMB 21 (3 goals); UOP 25 (5 tries).<br />
<br />
Sonoma State – St. Mary's thirds<br />
No report received.<br />
<br />
STANFORD women 37 – Santa Clara 24 Referee: Bob Polito<br />
Good game, with SCU ahead at half 12-10, but ultimately losing 37-24.<br />
<br />
UC DAVIS women 21 – California 10 Referee: Scott Wood<br />
<br />
Seconds: UC Davis 5 – CALIFORNIA 31 Ref: Wood<br />
<br />
Sac St Women – SF Bats Referee: Phil Akroyd?<br />
No report received.<br />
<br />
BELATED REPORTS<br />
<br />
Saturday, January 26:<br />
Seconds: UOP 10 – Sonoma 5 Referee: Rob Keene<br />
After stepping off the field at Sonoma State Dan Hattrup called me out on me previous comment of wishing to ref my first game. Sonoma approached Pacific for a Bside match, and Dan knew just where to find a referee.<br />
<br />
As the sun began to disappear behind the clouds a weary Pacific team strung together a side using some of Sonoma's players, while Sonoma produced a seemingly well rested group of players. However, it was clear they were smaller and inexperienced.<br />
<br />
As the 20-min half began it was certainly clear that even after the 80 min Pacific’s experience would be a good match for the Sonoma Seconds. After a few early penalties Pacific was able to get Sonoma on their heels and push in a try. However, just like in the first game Sonoma was able to respond with one of their own. It would have been two, but the second row ran the ball over dead ball line before touching it down.<br />
<br />
Pacific responded again after costly penalties by Sonoma and were again able to push in a try in the 17th minute. The match featured good back and forth play by the forwards, with both teams having ample attempts to make big plays, but not converting. Play continued past the final minute as Pacific refused to kill the ball, and played on attempting to score. To little avail they killed the ball after 23 minutes with a final score of 10 to 5 Pacific.<br />
<br />
HIGH SCHOOL GAMES<br />
<br />
Friday February 1st, 2013 at Elsie Allen in Santa Rosa<br />
ELSIE ALLEN 19 – Oakland Warthogs 7 Referee: Cary Bertolone<br />
We kicked off at 7:00 PM under the lights at Elsie Allen's artificial turf rugby field. Oakland began to attack and beat on the smaller Elsie Allen players, but made quite a few mistakes, as they have some athletic but inexperienced players. After a penalty for diving over at the 40 meter line, Elsie's scrumhalf took a quick tap and ran right through most of the defenders for a try.<br />
<br />
Another long try at the ten minute mark and Elsie Allen was up 14-0. The teams played evenly for a while and then Elsie broke through for a third try, leading 19-0. This led to Oakland kind of losing rugby perspective and one red card later, Oakland was playing down one for the rest of the game.<br />
<br />
In the second half, a lot of the penalties that were occurring at the tackle and in the rucks (diving over, playing it on the ground, hands in, not coming through the gate) disappeared, finally, and the game was considerably improved. Oakland scored a converted try and kept Elsie from scoring, but tenacious tackling by Elsie kept Oakland from scoring more. At least two "almost tries" were thwarted by impressive defense. These teams will get better and be tough for other teams to handle.<br />
<br />
Friday night - High School<br />
HAYWARD 29 – Marin 12 Referee: Bruce Bernstein<br />
Tied 12 each at half Hayward's scrum & specifically prop broke the game line continuously leading to scores off goal line scrum downs by their #8 & scrumhalf.<br />
<br />
Marin had opportunities to kick for points but opted to go for tries unsuccessfully.<br />
<br />
THIS WEEK’S PHOTO<br />
No photo. I’ve got some video from the Who playing Quadrophenia at the Oracle Arena last Friday night…<br />
<br />
HAIL, PELICUS!<br />
<br />
For the Senate<br />
Pelicus ScriptorisUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22683413.post-63114004393430168832013-01-31T12:45:00.004-08:002013-01-31T12:45:56.044-08:00WEEKLY FIXHAIL, PELICUS!<br />
<br />
ATTENTION TEAMS: PLEASE CHECK THE ASSIGNMENTS SCHEDULE<br />
<br />
We’ve been having problems with the schedules we were given in the pre-season not agreeing with what various teams have. This makes for big problems when we find out on Thursday that a game will be played four hours from where we thought it was going to be played.<br />
<br />
Please look at this website and compare what we have to what you have. If there are any discrepancies for the rest of the season, we need to resolve them now.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://pelicanrefs.com/beta/">http://pelicanrefs.com/beta/</a><br />
<br />
Please immediately inform Pete Smith me@petesweb.com and John Compaglia compagliarugby@aol.com . If we don't hear from you, we will presume the information is accurate and make assignments accordingly.<br />
<br />
WEDDING BELLS<br />
<br />
Congratulations and hearty best wishes to Bruce Ricard and his new bride Carla, who were married on Friday.<br />
<br />
AVAILABILITY NEEDED<br />
<br />
Send Pete Smith your availability to referee for the upcoming weekends. Once he has enough names he can make the assignments. It’s difficult even to assign one week in advance when only a handful of referees have announced their availability.<br />
<a href="mailto:me@PetesWeb.com">me@PetesWeb.com</a><br />
<br />
PLAY THE GAMES<br />
<br />
Friday, January 25<br />
Stanford JV 7 – USF 27 Referee: James Hinkin<br />
Friday night under the lights saw Stanford’s B side take on the University of San Francisco. While fighting through rush hour traffic to get to Palo Alto for the 7:00 kickoff I had decided to start the game off with a penalty against Stanford, but it turned out that the Stanford captain answered to the noble name of James so I decided to let it slide this time. Well played, Coach Sherman.<br />
<br />
Stanford got on the board early with a quickly taken penalty that caught USF napping but USF soon answered with a converted try of their own to tie the score at 7 apiece. A penalty kick from USF near the end of the half finished off the scoring for a 10-7 halftime lead. For the second half Stanford started bringing on subs and the inexperience showed for a number of these young ruggers. USF didn’t make any subs as they traveled with only 15 players. The second half started with the home side down to 14 men as a dangerous tackle on the opening kickoff saw the Stanford hooker in the bin for 10 minutes and USF took advantage with a try to extend their lead to 15-7. Soon after the teams regained full strength USF returned the favor with a touch of retaliation but Stanford couldn’t take advantage. Again at full strength USF was able to put 2 more tries across as Stanford’s youngsters couldn’t stop the USF runners.<br />
<br />
<br />
MARITIME 14 – UC Davis 12 Referee: Pete Smith<br />
Two tries on intercepts produced a win for the Keelhaulers in this friendly. Davis had a penalty that they might have kicked for the win but chose to tap and go, and didn't make it.<br />
<br />
Seconds: Maritime Academy 0 – UC DAVIS 53 Referee: Rich Boyer<br />
This was my first run on Cal Maritime's new turf pitch. Quite a difference from the former old "mud puddle".<br />
<br />
Both teams scrambled to find a 15th player. Davis came out stronger in the rucks and scored numerous times off pick and drives. CMA tried desperately to defend but were on the back foot all night long.<br />
<br />
It was evident this was the first game for a few players, but opposing players helped the new ones with technique. The game was played in fine spirits, even after the second-half try-parade put on by Davis.<br />
<br />
I had a smile on my face after every restart as the CMA kicker would let out an expletive after kicking the ball which was generally mis-struck every time. But occasionally the ball was well positioned despite the mis-strike. Same expletive was uttered.<br />
<br />
Kudos to CMA for not quitting. Nice team play by Davis resulted in a 53-0 win.<br />
<br />
Saturday<br />
<br />
SAC LIONS 73 – EPA Razorbacks 17 Referee: Paul Bretz<br />
Seconds: Favor Taueva<br />
<br />
EPA Bulldogs 12 – SFGG 50 Referee: Pete Smith<br />
Seconds: Nome Tiatia<br />
<br />
Seahawks – Sac Caps rescheduled to April<br />
<br />
Fresno – Vacaville Referee: Jeff Jury<br />
No report received.<br />
<br />
BERKELEY 41 – Chico 12 Referee: Stephen Valerio<br />
My rugby weekend started Friday night coaching my kids' youth team. Saturday I jumped in the car and went up to Morton Field. The pitch was soft, and it was breezy leading to a view restarts not going the requisite 10 meters.<br />
<br />
The first half was a choppy affair. Lots of scrums, and they weren't very stable. After a couple of penalties they settled and the overall play started to get more flow. Berkeley were able to put together a couple of tries for a 12-0 halftime lead.<br />
<br />
Berkeley put it all together in the 2nd half. The added 2 more tries and a penalty before Chico got on the board with a try of their own. After Berkeley put their fifth try across, I thought the game might be a one-way affair, but Chico put its best sequence together of the game with several phases of rugby, from which they got a much deserved try.<br />
<br />
The match had one last twist as Berkeley had a breakaway that was brought down just short of the try line. The defender released the tackler, but never left his feet, as he dove over and sealed the ball. With Berkeley's support already there a penalty try was awarded.<br />
<br />
Seconds: Berkeley 7 – CHICO 20 Ref: Valerio<br />
Chico was short on numbers so many of their A-side players agreed to play a single half for the B's. The came out strong with several strong runs from their backs, and quickly pulled ahead 15-0. Berkeley B's then put together with a powerful burst from their front row and collected a converted try. Chico closed out the scoring though the mysterious disappearance of their tee didn't help their kicking, with the last one banging off of the cross-bar.<br />
<br />
I had to pass on Berkeley's hospitality to get back in the car to head to Sacramento to help out with the KOT.<br />
<br />
BARACUS 54 – Marin 0 Referee: Preston Gordon<br />
West Sunset Playground, 1300<br />
It's always nice when you find out that you know several members of both the teams in your match, as was the case for me this past weekend. Each side looked well prepared for the game and we got the pregame chats out of the way with minimal fuss and kicked off on time. Baracus opened their account with a converted try at 16', followed by an unconverted one at 28'. They added 2 penalty goals at 36' and 37' to stretch the lead to 3+ scores, although that would be it for the half. In the second period they started quickly with a 41st-minute try, followed by 5 more (at 44', 47', 52', 55', and 69'), converting 3 of those to leave the result at 54-0. Baracus played well, but the lopsided scoreline didn't really seem to do justice to Marin's efforts. A yellow card to Marin in the 59th minute for retaliation was offset by one to Baracus in the 67th minute for cynically killing an attack that was approaching their own goal line.<br />
<br />
There were two other interesting occurrences in this game. First, a Marin player wondered why I hadn't seen his quick throw-in to himself and subsequent unmolested stroll to the try line. I had been busy repositioning the touch judge on that side (he was new, and went way too far down the line after a Baracus kick went directly into touch from in front of their 22) and didn't even notice the would-be scorer until he was standing in the Baracus in-goal area with the ball, ~40 meters away. I apologized to him at the time for missing it, but he was gentleman enough to admit after the match that one of the soccer players on the adjacent pitch had tossed him the ball before he took his throw-in - I was relieved to be off the hook for that one but it was a good lesson to remember!<br />
<br />
Second, as Baracus was working an attack up the same touchline later in the game, a soccer ball bounced into the middle of several players just as some good interplay and offloading was in progress. Believing that any rugby player would know to ignore the predictably-bouncing shiny round ball with the silly colors, I called "play on". None of the defenders was obstructed by that object and a few seconds later Baracus scored. One of the Marin guys wondered why I had let it continue, but I thought it was reasonable to do so. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get near enough to the offending ball to look cool by kicking it out or grabbing it myself on the run without tripping/knocking someone else over, so we all had to get on with it.<br />
<br />
The common moral of these stories: keep in mind that you might see some new things every time you go out there.<br />
<br />
A B-side match was played, but I didn't ref it. I had taken a boot to the calf late in the A game, which was still pretty stiff, and I had a classmate from New York to entertain during his 5-hour layover at SFO before he headed on to Australia.<br />
<br />
Redwood 10 – COLUSA 17 Referee: Rich Anderson<br />
<br />
State of Jefferson 0 – HUMBOLDT 41 Referee: Kevin Parks<br />
<br />
Mendocino 0 – SHASTA 14 Referee: Sean Peters<br />
<br />
SIERRA FOOTHILLS 29 – Vallejo 0 Referee: Scott Wood<br />
Location: Back 40, Johnson-Springview Park, Rocklin, CA<br />
Sierra Foothills is growing in numbers and talent. Vallejo has talent but was lacking in numbers; they started the match with 13 and one arrived at halftime.<br />
<br />
The first half was sloppy, ugly rugby bereft of continuity, flow or structure. A true homage to Division III industrial grade rugby. Numerous penalties (my wife was probably more than thrilled not be in attendance...), multiple pleadings with the captains, two yellow cards (one per team). Isn't that enough? Sierra's game plan was suspect to start but they were able to put together some impressive drives only to miss out on two scoring opportunities. Vallejo stood its ground and covered the wings very well considering a two-man overlap.<br />
<br />
Halftime: Sierra 3, Vallejo 0<br />
<br />
Apparently, Sierra cobbled together a game plan during the break as they came out attacking pretty well. Unfortunately for them, Vallejo didn't get the message and disrupted play just as well. It wasn't until the 60th minute that Sierra was able to score a try. Penalties reduced in the second half but that's more due to the teams employing their backlines. Vallejo kept with it and would have scored a try but for an intercepted pass. Sierra managed three more tries before the final whistle.<br />
<br />
Fulltime: Sierra 29, Vallejo 0<br />
<br />
Note, in my opinion (and the opinion expressed by some Sierra folks), Vallejo could have possibly won if they had a full side (and some substitutes) in attendance.<br />
<br />
Blackhawks – Stanislaus Referee: Jim Crenshaw<br />
No report received.<br />
<br />
SFGG 3rd Division 58 – Monterey Beach Dogs 12 Referee: Bruce Bernstein<br />
I had the pleasure of reffing on a beautiful day at Treasure Island and saw Monterey start the match not only keeping pace with SFGG but pushing them on their heels which lasted for the first 20 minutes. They only scored one try however and SFGG took over with either its #8 Steve taking the ball up or the two half backs setting up Irish Steve at inside center who either scored or set up the rest of his team. Both teams played very well as a team but SFGG is on another level which should only get better as the season continues.<br />
<br />
SF Fog 12 – SOUTH VALLEY 37 Referee: Giles Wilson<br />
Beautiful day on Treasure Island, clear with a consistent wind.<br />
<br />
South Valley kicked off into the wind and applied solid pressure with a good pick and drive game augmented by a willingness to move the ball wide once the tight defense had been committed. An effective game plan well executed.<br />
<br />
Fog defended well in spells and had some good attacks when their backs ran well into space; they lacked the defensive cohesion and support play generally to take advantage of opportunities with or without the ball.<br />
<br />
South Valley ended the half with 5 tries and 27 points to 0; but a player in the bin. In the second half Fog capitalized on two opportunities while South Valley scored two more tries for a final of 37 (7 tries) to 12 (2 tries).<br />
<br />
CALIFORNIA 176 – Stanford 0 Referee: James Hinkin<br />
ARs: Rob Hendrickson, Ron DeCausemaker<br />
Yes, the score is accurate. The halftime score was 95-0, which led to a brief bit of parity early in the second half when Cal scored another try and the scoreboard read 00 – 0… until the conversion went over for a 02 – 0 scoreline.<br />
<br />
Thanks go to Ron DeCausemaker and Rob Hendrickson for their able assistance – it is a luxury to have ARs. To read all about the game you can go to <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/collegesports/article/176-0-rugby-win-for-Cal-4226360.php#photo-4092837">http://www.sfgate.com/collegesports/article/176-0-rugby-win-for-Cal-4226360.php#photo-4092837</a><br />
<br />
Seconds: California – Stanford<br />
No report received. Not sure who was supposed to ref it. The schedule said Hetterman but he did a game at St. Mary’s.<br />
<br />
Santa Clara 5 – CENTRAL WASHINGTON 61 Referee: Kurt Weaver<br />
Seconds: Santa Clara 0 – CENTRAL WASHINGTON 108 Ref: Weaver<br />
Scores from Central’s website.<br />
<br />
ST. MARY’S 53 – Olympic Club 11 Referee: George O'Neil<br />
<br />
ST. MARY’S seconds 26 – Seahawks 15 Referee: Matt Hetterman<br />
Old guys vs. young bucks friendly match. Muddy - which probably helped the old guys.<br />
<br />
Half time: SJ 5 - St M 14. Full time: SJ 15 - St M 26<br />
<br />
Fresno State University 19 – UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA RENO 46 Referee: Aruna Ranaweera<br />
On my way to Fresno to referee Colin Kaepernick's alma mater (UNR), I briefly stopped for a cheeseburger at his home town, Turlock, but did not see any road-signs mentioning his name. Perhaps that will change if the 49ers win the Super Bowl.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, the field at Wawona HS was well-cordoned with several other games being played on the adjoining field. UNR dominated the first half to take a 22-0 lead before Fresno joined the party in the 2nd half to make it exciting for the spectators. UNR won comfortably, 8 tries to 3.<br />
<br />
SANTA ROSA JC 35 – San Jose State 15 Referee: Bryant Byrnes<br />
Global warming as a reality-a beautiful spring like day in Santa Rosa. The Spartans were certainly larger and fairly fit, but Santa Rosa JC's experience prevailed. Thanks to Sonoma's excellent high school rugby programs, some of these fellows have played for six years.<br />
<br />
SJS scored first on a niftily intercepted pass, but Santa Rosa JC settled (figured out the ref) and cranked it up with quick ball out to a skilled backline. These adroit gents pinned back their ears and went straight at the defense. 21-5 at half; at the end of day, five tries pretty much between the posts; five conversions. Kudos to two enthusiastic, well coached teams.<br />
<br />
Seconds: Santa Rosa JC 22 – SAN JOSE STATE 29 Ref: Bryant<br />
Two more enthusiastic, well coached teams. Thanks to Tyler Ahlborn for reffing the second half.<br />
<br />
UC Santa Cruz 46 – CHICO STATE 60 Referee: Bruce Carter<br />
The schedule said this game was in Chico. Chico State planned to host. The assigned ref (not me) got in touch with the ‘home’ team and everything was set.<br />
<br />
Until UCSC wrote on Thursday to inquire who was going to referee their home game. Then it was scramble time. Hence the plea at the top of this week’s Hail Pelicus asking teams to confirm the schedule for the rest of the season.<br />
<br />
I was pulled from a B side match and asked to drive to the Slugs’ place for the second Saturday in a row. Tough duty.<br />
<br />
Chico State’s captain, Tyler Poland, was a wing. It being inconvenient for the captain to be an outside back, generally when this is the case there’s a good reason. And today, the captain scored five tries.<br />
<br />
They needed them – the game was tied at 41 with about twenty minutes left. Until that point it was like an NBA playoff game, trading scores.<br />
<br />
Seconds: UCSC – Chico St Referee: Robbie Bellue<br />
No report received.<br />
<br />
U. of the Pacific 20 – SONOMA STATE 39 Referee: Dan Hattrup<br />
In Sacramento for the first ever presentation of the new IRB coaching match officials course, I put the material to work by picking up a game to referee.<br />
<br />
UoP were the original hosts and informed me that the school closed the pitch due to the inclement weather that we experienced all weekend in Sacramento. I understand their concern about the weather, as I'm sunburned from having forgotten to put on any sunscreen.<br />
<br />
Saturday morning I watched a visiting referee from New York at the KOT, then jumped in the rental and headed off toward the vineyards for the relocated game. Blue skies, a slight chill in the air and college students eager to play combined for a great afternoon of rugby. The hosts came out flat and UoP jumped to a quick 5-0 lead after some nicely worked phase ball; this was the last time they would lead the game.<br />
<br />
Sonoma State's crowd, and scoreline, began to build throughout the rest of the 80 minutes. Bursts from a few key strike runners, followed by security from the forwards meant that Pacific was mostly chasing during the game. It was great to watch Pacific stick to their game plan, building structured rugby, adding pressure and punishing penalties with kicks to the corner, setting up short distance tries. However, the individual effort and ability of a few of the players from Sonoma State was simply too much, and 60-70 meter runs led to the score line keeping the same gap, even as the magnitude increased.<br />
<br />
Standing with me at the half way, as his team readied itself for a restart kick, Rob Keene (second row and drop kicker extraordinaire for UoP) made the stray comment "I can't wait to ref my first game, I just took the course in Fresno", not realizing that the rugby gods often grant such wishes.<br />
<br />
With the final whistle gone, the captains asked "would you be willing to do the B-side match?" I smiled and said "I know just the man for you."<br />
<br />
HUMBOLDT 51 – CSU, Monterey Bay 5 Referee: Cary Bertolone<br />
Saturday January 26th at Humboldt State University in Arcata<br />
On a mostly sunny, quite beautiful day in Arcata, we kicked off at 5 minutes before 1:00 and Humboldt State quickly went to work. They scored their first try before 2 minutes went by, and a couple more 10 minutes later. Forwards were getting the ball out to the backs and the backs were scoring tries. Even playing with one large forward down, for 10 minutes, they dominated the first half and took a 31-0 lead.<br />
<br />
The second half saw a little closer game. Monterey did better with their tackling and made a few offensive thrusts. Humboldt still scored 4 tries, but the longer the game went, the harder Monterey played, which was impressive and gratifying to coach Mark Ferguson. They ended the game with a nice, well deserved try of their own to complete the scoring at 51-5.<br />
<br />
I have to say a couple of things about that game and one thing about the drive. Those two clubs were loaded with polite gentlemen. They played hard rugby, but completely respected the ref and I must have received 20-30 thank yous after the game. All four coaches, two from each team, headed by Mark Johnson and Mark Ferguson, lead by example and they were a pleasure to work with, even when things were not going their way. The crowd was great too. The field, new to me (in the last year or two), was beautiful also. Lastly, the drive, was "over the top" as well. I had a great weekend!<br />
<br />
SF BATS 46 – Sac State 12 Referee: Olivia Martinez<br />
It was a beautiful day in San Francisco, nice and sunny. The ladies played on the "sunken field" (turf) on the USF campus. Don't let the score fool you, it was a hard fought battle and a great first game for the players, coaches, and me!<br />
<br />
It came down to discipline and control of the game from the Bats. They have a seasoned team and managed to keep possession even though they played 2 ladies down for most of the game. Their #12 scored 3 tries and is mighty fast. Their kicker did an excellent job and successfully made two PK's.<br />
<br />
Sac had a few great breakaways and managed to get some points up on the board. Overall, it was a delightful game to ref.<br />
<br />
California women 0 – STANFORD 38 Referee: Lois Bukowski<br />
I had the 2nd match of the slate of 4. A tale of two halves at beautiful Witter Field on Saturday.<br />
<br />
Slight wind blowing west to east, sun shining down....the Cal Women had their homecoming happening for their alumnae; could they get the monkey that wears maroon and white off their back?<br />
<br />
It certainly looked that way in the first half with only one unconverted try for Stanford at about the 20-minute mark.<br />
<br />
Sloppy breakdowns made for a painfully long first half; the referee needed to find her whistle quicker and put an end to some shenanigans happening on the ground way too often. A series of repeated ball-slowing and offside calls ended the half with Stanford short one player, but that would not affect them in the least.<br />
<br />
After a talk with captains to start the second half, letting them know that I was going to be tighter at the breakdown with a quicker whistle, Stanford came out gangbusters with some amazing athletic runs and penetrating drives into the Cal defense. 5 tries, 4 converted in the second half made this one a run away.<br />
<br />
Word to the wise, if you have a poor 1st half, you can start over again at halftime. Don't give up!<br />
<br />
I talked a bit more, had a zero tolerance on crap on the ground and voila! Things cleaned up quite nicely.<br />
<br />
Seconds: California– Stanford Referee: Rob Hendrickson <br />
No report received.<br />
<br />
CHICO STATE women 33 – UC Davis 5 Referee: Tom Zanarini<br />
Assistant Referees Don Walsh (and a Chico Old Oaks player, I didn't write his name down).<br />
At Chico State University<br />
Driving up I-5 one consecutive weekends, I was unable to have a deja-vu moment as a fog thick as molasses rolled onto the highway, obscuring visibility to a 3 second approach. The field was a thin veneer of mud, but in otherwise good condition. Both teams were ready for an 11am kickoff. The pace of the women's game is improving as is the athleticism. Lots of fast ball popped up from tackles and good pass support. Chico had the upper hand in attack, which definitely showed when they scored 2 tries when down one player due to yellow cards. Chico received 3 yellows for 'high tackles,' in quotes because the tackling player managed to grab the long ponytail along with the jersey. Hair is on the head and that's a high tackle. I found it odd that probably 26 of the 30 players had long ponytails, that would be the last thing I'd want flying around when playing rugby. At any rate, 3 yellows and 25 minutes (one card 5 minutes before the final whistle) with 14 players didn't seem to matter much. On another note, there was discussion during the week about the lack of a b-side match and how this does nothing to 'grow the game.' I would like to add that constant verbal abuse of the referee from a coaching staff also does nothing to 'grow the game.' Rugby is a game played by gentlemen and ladies, it should be coached and refereed by them as well.<br />
<br />
UNR – UCSC Women Referee: Lee Bryant<br />
No report received.<br />
<br />
HIGH SCHOOL GAMES<br />
Kick-Off Tournament report by Eric Rauscher<br />
So I left Berkeley late Thursday afternoon so as to avoid traffic on my way out to Sacramento. I decided that I would rather spend an extra night in the hotel, rather than get up early Friday morning for the drive out. Thursday night there was a small dinner for those that showed up. It was small but very international. We had refs from Germany, South Africa, Canada and the US.<br />
<br />
Friday morning saw the start of two all day classes. There was the annual ref development course and a ref coaching course. The ref coaching course is a re-work of the old one and we were the first group to take it. The new course is much streamlined and more practical. Very early on we had a discussion as to whether the meeting between the ref and his observer should be called an intervention or as I suggested an encounter. All in all both courses went well with most of the attendees meeting that evening for a buffet dinner at a local pub "The Streets Of London"<br />
<br />
Saturday morning came early, with the first games (8) scheduled to start at 8am. Those of us who had just taken the ref coaching course were assigned to watch new refs, and those that had just completed the ref development course were who we watched for the most part. The more established refs from out of town handled the higher level games, but if a neebie showed promise, they would be bumped up.<br />
<br />
I had been scheduled to drive down to UOP to do their game against Sonoma, but Friday afternoon I got an email from Pete asking if I wouldn't mind letting Gilligan do that game and me drive up to cover the Sierra men vs Sac State friendly. I said sure. We later discovered that the UOP game had been shifted to Sonoma, so Gilligan got a nice tour of Northern California.<br />
<br />
Sierra mens club 15 – SACRAMENTO STATE 35 Ref: Eric Rauscher<br />
On a field somewhere in Rocklin I found Scott Wood just finishing the first half of his game between Sierra and Vallejo. It was interesting to me that as I did the boot check for Sac State, I realized that two of the players on the team. Travis Haugen and Donny Deaile, I had just watched ref games at the KOT.<br />
<br />
After Sierra had a little rest and re-organization, we played two 30 min halfs. Sac State came out strong and scored four converted tries in the first period, unanswered by Sierra. Sierra showed a propensity for lying around the ball at tackles and had to be warned often. I was expecting wisdom and guile to win out over youth and beauty, which it almost did in the second half with Sierra running in three unconverted to Sac States one converted. In the end however, those fresh young legs won the day. Sac State made a lot of early season/rookie errors, but showed promise.<br />
<br />
Back to the KOT in time for the Saturday night Banquet, #1s and smiles all around<br />
<br />
Sunday once again saw games starting at 8am, and was pretty much a repeat of Saturday with different divisions (all the way from U10s to Boys Varsity Gold). Once again we got to practice what we had learned on Friday. I came to a realization that the KOT has morphed from a pre-season warm up tourney, to a vehicle for an intensive program for ref development. It is almost as if the teams are there just for us to practice on. Not really, but pretty close.<br />
<br />
Where else can you watch an 8/9 year old kid ref his first games? I repeat, GAMES. We get to watch refs develop doing 4/5/6 games over a two day period. As a learning experience it is unequaled.<br />
<br />
THIS WEEK’S PHOTO<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MeIafDwtTl4/UQrXKTE8uLI/AAAAAAAAAcE/6RMIU_YfGC8/s1600/Top%2Bof%2Bthe%2BWorld.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="181" width="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MeIafDwtTl4/UQrXKTE8uLI/AAAAAAAAAcE/6RMIU_YfGC8/s320/Top%2Bof%2Bthe%2BWorld.jpg" /></a><br />
The UC Santa Cruz pitch overlooks Monterey Bay, where sailboats can be seen having almost as much fun as the ruggers.<br />
<br />
HAIL, PELICUS!<br />
<br />
For the Senate<br />
Pelicus ScriptorisUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22683413.post-90193038928102512972013-01-23T17:18:00.003-08:002013-01-23T17:18:43.046-08:00PERFECT DAY FOR RUGBYHAIL, PELICUS!<br />
<br />
AS ALWAYS<br />
<br />
Not enough refs – no ref at all for Humboldt – B sides uncovered all over Pelicanland.<br />
<br />
Part of the problem this weekend is the fact that there are three youth tournaments. But youth and high school games draw refs the entire season, leaving fewer for the clubs and the colleges, which are the purview of the NCRRS.<br />
<br />
We beg understanding of the teams that don’t get refs.<br />
<br />
Let us hope that every team from U-6 up to men’s D1 has at least one certified referee among its number – these ‘team refs’ are going to be needed.<br />
<br />
Here's a secret: the referee society doesn't have a source of referees. We have referees. None of our members are potential referees, or under-utilized referees.<br />
<br />
Rugby teams are the source for referees. If you are a player, consider refereeing. If you are a coach, you know which players would make good referees. Tell them so.<br />
<br />
We cannot make bricks without straw.<br />
<br />
PLAY THE GAMES<br />
<br />
Friday, January 18, 7PM<br />
MARITIME ACADEMY 24 – Sac State 21 Referee: Bruce Ricard<br />
Referee Coach: David Williamson <br />
Cal Maritime started the game very well, keeping possession of the ball, and moving forward. At the 4th minute, as they attacking, Sac State center intercepts a pass, no one will catch him. 7 - 0 for Sac. After 10 minutes, Cal Maritime gets a penalty kick 22m from the posts, and chooses to go for points. Their kicker passes the ball through the posts, and gives 3 points to his team. A couple minutes later, Cal Maritime is back in their opponents 22, and the forwards score a try 2 feet from the touch line, after a ruck just in front of the line, and no one defending the blind side. Five minutes later, they are back in Sac's 22. Their lose possession of the ball, Sac State starts to run forward, and a couple of passes later, their winger gets the ball, and will run into in-goal. 14 - 8.<br />
<br />
At the 23rd, Cal Maritime gets a penalty advantage 15m from the try line, and their 10 attempts a drop kick, the bounces on the crossbar, and passes though. Then minutes later, Cal Maritime's once again attacking, and once again they get intercepted, and Sac State scores their third converted try. Three minutes later, Cal Maritime gets another penalty kick 20m from the posts, and gets three more points. Despite Cal Maritime strong domination, Sacramento leads at the half. 14 - 21.<br />
<br />
In the second half, Cal Maritime was still dominating, but was more careful about their passes. They scored two tries at the 29th and 34th minutes, both not converted. Sac State had 15 minutes to try to score again to win. They were almost for the first time of the game in Cal Maritime's 22, and at the 40th minute, as they are attacking, they knock the ball forward, and the game is called.<br />
<br />
Final score: Cal Maritime 24 - 21 Sacramento State.<br />
<br />
Saturday<br />
<br />
Sac Lions 22 – EPA BULLDOGS 29 Referee: Phil Akroyd<br />
A/R: Favor Taueva<br />
If this is winter rugby, sign me up.<br />
<br />
What a great way to finally get the D1 season underway in NorCal. The field was the opposite of last week's postage stamp marsh at Danny Nunn - full-size, dry, almost over-firm and the weather could not have been much better.<br />
<br />
The sun was shining and the B-side game was just getting underway as I arrived at midday. Favor Taueva was in charge of the curtain raiser and he had himself a real game. Both organizations had fielded completely separate A and B sides, but there wasn't a huge difference in capability between the two tiers (Sac won the B side game).<br />
<br />
We finally got the A-side game going at around 1:45pm. It was a little later than scheduled, but nobody was surprised at that. It was a very open game with decent discipline; however EPA gave me no choice than to put a man in the bin after nine minutes of play. Sac had charged up the field, cutting EPA apart and the full-back was tackled seven meters short. The covering Bulldog winger made the tackle, but knowing his team was in trouble, he laid on the wrong side as Lions arrived in numbers. To make matters worse, he shifted the ball back to his side with his hands. That's a "twofer", so he sat out for ten minutes (plus he got a bit of a shoeing that even the Bulldogs didn’t complain about). Interestingly, Sac took the tap from the penalty, passed to the fly-half, who then kicked the D.G. I thought it interesting and said a lot about their attacking ambitions.<br />
<br />
The two teams really kept the scores close for much of the game. The Lions went in 8-5 up at half, but EPA had knocked on from five meters out on two occasions by that point. Both situations were "open goals".<br />
<br />
I thought that this spoke to the preparation of each team. In pre-match talks, EPA said they had no pre-season games and hadn’t really been working together that much. The Lions had been hitting the gym as a group, running weekly training sessions and had some pre-season.<br />
<br />
It appeared that EPA managed to knock the rust off in the second half. They pushed the lead out to 15-22, with some excellent back play. With four minutes to go, the Lions leveled up the scores at 22 each. From a "game-on" point of view as a ref, it’s exactly what you want. But from a "looks like I'm about to buy a lot of beer for a lot of refs", point of view, it was pretty bad. Good thing that the EPA number eight had stiff-armed the Lions try scorer in the act of scoring, as it applied a penalty from the restart and gave one of the teams an opportunity to uneven the scores.<br />
<br />
With time ticking down, the Lions were making progress to the Bulldog's line but a lazy, floaty pass to the backs off a ruck, served the ball up on a plate for the veteran Bulldog outside center, to run in for the game winner under the posts. The Lions knew they had thrown the game away, but they also knew that they had a lot of fun playing<br />
in great display of rugby… and the barbecue was going, so that was good.<br />
<br />
Seconds: SAC LIONS 30 – EPA Bulldogs 19 Referee: Favor Taueva<br />
My game last week turned out really good. Both team played very clean the first 10 minutes, it was about 20 minutes into the first half couple high tackles occur, but I handled it right away. Both teams decided to play only 25 minutes of the last half. Sac 30-19.<br />
<br />
EPA Razorbacks 7 – SFGG 84 Referee: John Coppinger<br />
No report received. Score from Rugbymag.com<br />
<br />
Seconds: EPA Razorbacks – SFGG Referee: Eric Rauscher<br />
No report received.<br />
<br />
Sac Caps – Fresno Referee: Jim Crenshaw<br />
No report received.<br />
<br />
SANTA ROSA 51 – Diablo Gaels 3 Referee: Cary Bertolone<br />
Referee Coach: Mike Malone<br />
I was guessing this was going to be a heavily contested match, and it was, until about the last 20 minutes. The game began at 1:00 PM and the Gaels went up by 3 within the first three minutes. A see-saw battle ensued and nobody could score a try until the 16th minute. Seven minutes later, Santa Rosa forwards punched another one in against a very determined Gael defense. The score was 10-3 until the last play of the half, when Santa Rosa scored a 50 meter corner try by their backs and they somehow converted<br />
<br />
In the second half, Santa Rosa scored a quick, unconverted try and then no one could score for 20 minutes. Tough defense from both teams; it was a good, hard fought match. The last 20 minutes, however, went to Rosa as they appeared to be in better shape and their subs were just as good as their starters. They scored 5 more tries in the last 20 minutes and the final score was out of hand at 51-3. It seemed sooo much closer, and it was, for the first 60 minutes.<br />
<br />
Bob Polito reffed the second game and appeared to do a great job!!<br />
<br />
Seconds: Santa Rosa – Diablo Gaels Referee: Bob Polito<br />
No report received, other than that it was a great job.<br />
<br />
BARACUS 24 – Chico 21 Referee: Rich Anderson<br />
This was a fun match to start the season with. What both teams lacked with some sloppy play at the tackle and ruck, they more than made up for with effort and determination.<br />
<br />
BA controlled the pace early and was able to get ahead on the strength of strong goal kicking from their #9. His injury in the second half helped Chico get back in the match, which was tied 21-21 with 5 minutes left.<br />
<br />
Baracus was able to take the re-start and move down the field, converting a Penalty kick to pull out a 24-21 win.<br />
<br />
<br />
Vacaville 13 – Seahawks 13 Referee: Donagh O'Mahoney<br />
Ideal playing conditions, no rain, very little wind and not too warm.<br />
<br />
With the ideal conditions both teams tried to play open rugby with very little kicking in the first half. San Jose opened the scoring with a penalty but Vacaville scored a well worked try but failed to convert to lead by 5-3. Both sides came close to scoring but it was Vacaville who extended their lead in the first half to 8-3.<br />
<br />
The second half was played in the same fashion with both teams spreading the ball when possible. Early in the second half, Vacaville kicked and up and under from just inside their own half. An error from San Jose caused the ball to be loose near their own line and Vacaville pounced to score another try. Leading 13 - 3 Vacaville looked good for the points but San Jose came back to score 2 unconverted tries to tie the game. Vacaville defended for the last 10 mins but were penalized for not releasing in the tackle with 1 min to go in the game. San Jose missed the penalty.<br />
<br />
Both sides played rugby and it was a very enjoyable game to referee.<br />
<br />
Seconds: Vacaville 5 – SEAHAWKS 17 Ref: O'Mahoney<br />
Again a very open game with both sides running at most opportunities. San Jose were on top for the game and scored 3 tries to one.<br />
<br />
Vacaville were very hospitable in the after match liquid refreshments as we debated rugby and who would fill the last spot in the Qtr Final of the European Heineken Cup.<br />
<br />
For anybody interested Munster reached the 1/4 Final of the Heineken Cup to the expense of Leinster, who now play in the Amlin.<br />
<br />
Marin – Berkeley Referee: Stephen Valerio<br />
No report received. <br />
<br />
COLUSA COUNTY 91 - Mendocino Steam Donkeys 3 Referee: Tom Zanarini<br />
At Colusa, CA<br />
Colusa had two full sides, Mendocino had 13 players. Needless to say, Colusa found the overload gaps quite successfully.<br />
<br />
SHASTA 115 – State of Jefferson 0 Referee: ???<br />
Highlight reel from the Jan 19 State of Jefferson at Shasta Highlanders match:<br />
http://rabidrugby.com/state-of-jefferson-elite-shasta-highlanders/<br />
<br />
Thanks to Scott Wood for the link. Anyone able to identify the ref? We’d like to thank him.<br />
<br />
[webguy note: Second half was refereed by Andreas Mittry]<br />
<br />
Humboldt – Redwood<br />
Not sure if this one was played. We were not able to find a ref to go to Humboldt.<br />
We have the same problem this weekend, Humboldt State hosting CSUMB, and no ref able to make the drive.<br />
<br />
VALLEJO 31 – Blackhawks 24 Referee: Scott Griffin<br />
Vallejo hosted Sacramento Blackhawks on a nice day; the pitch was in good shape. Competitive game beginning to end. I learned that I could have used cards to help control Vallejo's inability to get back 10 after penalties. Although Vallejo was not as fit as Sacramento (nor as young) they won 31-24. Final minutes were a particularly pitched battle with Sacramento struggling to score deep in Vallejo's territory and being continually repelled.<br />
<br />
Stanislaus 17 – RENO 50 Referee: Matt Hetterman<br />
My first NCRFU league match gave me a bit of deja vu - the drive from Walnut Creek to Turlock was eerily similar to my annual trip from my playing days between Pasadena and Bakersfield to play Kern County ... quick run through the foothills, over a pass, and then a long flat drive through the central valley.<br />
<br />
Reno had a MUCH longer drive, but were already there when I arrived ~1 hour before kickoff. I sorted out the details of the match paperwork with the clubs, ran through my standard pre-match, and we were off right on time.<br />
<br />
Reno came out of the gate strong - quick off-loads, or pick-and-go's if the ball carrier went to ground, with several big line breaks, while Modesto's game plan was more set the ruck and play very controlled rugby. Modesto did impress with quite good lineout work and mauls off of lineouts, but they were burned by committing too many men to defensive breakdowns. Half-time score had Reno up 24-5.<br />
<br />
Halftime led to bench-clearing subs on both sides - Reno actually did a disfavor to themselves with this, as their continuity seemed to fracture, and Modesto put up two early tries, one converted. Modesto was unlucky with one certain try that the winger ran 5m past the dead ball line, and one solid lineout maul that was pushed into<br />
touch-in-goal. Reno regrouped in the last 20 minutes and ran away with it - final score was 50-17.<br />
<br />
The match did have one curiosity - my first instance of this as a player or a ref - on a restart kick that did not go 10m, Reno elected a re-kick instead of a scrum @center. Not sure why, as the scrums were pretty equal, but I am going to blame it on the fact that Reno had a fullback as their captain. He did redeem himself with a beautiful Garryowen from the attacking 22m that he fielded himself on the fly to score under the posts.<br />
<br />
Had a good time sharing a few beers at the social - looking forward to getting out and meeting more folks across the NCRFU.<br />
<br />
MONTEREY BEACH DOGS 8 – San Francisco Fog 5 Referee: Bruce Bernstein<br />
Beautiful day and field (St. Francis Central Coast HS) where I reffed a competitively fought 3rd division match which was notched 0-0 at half & 5-5 most of the second half.<br />
<br />
With 2 minutes to go the Fog were guilty of first a high tackle & then killing a ruck deep in their defending try zone, which resulted in the hosts finally making one of the many kicks both teams missed earlier.<br />
<br />
Also a nice, fun party at a local BBQ joint 1/2 mile down the road in the scenic Monterey Bay region.<br />
<br />
Morgan Hill – Paso Robles RESCHEDULED<br />
<br />
ST. MARY’S 83 – Chico St 10 Referee: Preston Gordon<br />
Pat Vincent Field, 1300<br />
In this friendly match, St. Mary's got into gear early with 3 tries in the 1st, 8th, and 12th minutes before Chico State had a chance to respond with a penalty goal at 15' (after missing an earlier attempt). St. Mary's scored another try at 18' before their #4 went to the sin bin at 28' for a high tackle. While he was cooling his heels, his teammates scored another try at 30', but Chico State had the last word before halftime with a converted try at 37'. At the break it was 33-10 and things were still looking reasonable.<br />
<br />
However, as they had done in the first half, the hosts started running in tries early. They managed to score 8 more before the end of the game (at 1', 5', 8', 10', 19', 27', 33', and 35'), while Chico State had a few good opportunities they ultimately couldn't capitalize on, with one of their players being penalized on the goal line for a double movement after some very nice running and interplay. St. Mary's converted all but 4 of their tries in the game, leaving the final score at 83-10, and almost had another but for the last offload being forward as time expired.<br />
<br />
All in all, it was a good game to be involved in, especially as this was the first one I had refereed in a while.<br />
<br />
SAINT MARY’S 2nds 52 – Santa Rosa JC 12 Referee: Bruce Ricard<br />
Saint Mary completely dominated the first half, scoring six tries, while Santa Rosa scored one. 38 - 7 at the break. The second half starts very quickly with a try by Saint Mary's at the second minute. At the fourth minute, Saint Mary's winger is running towards the goal line alongside the touch line. As he's five meters from the try line, the opposite winger catches up with him, grabs him by the collar, and pulls. An instantaneous whistle makes him release, and a penalty try is awarded. At the eighth minute, Santa Rosa scores an other try. The rest of the game will still be very challenged, but no more points will be scored.<br />
<br />
SAINT MARY’S 3rds 41 – Chico State 2nds 0 Ref: Ricard<br />
I stayed at the pitch to watch Preston's game between those teams first sides, under this great weather in Moraga. As the game ended, I understood that a third game was going to take place, and that they had no referee for it, so I offered to do it, and they seemed to be happy not to have to do it themselves.<br />
<br />
As the two previous games of the day, this game was totally dominated by Saint Mary's team, in a very friendly atmosphere. Except for a few words exchanged after a player had blocked the ball at a penalty, and got pushed by an opponent, this whole day was very cordial.<br />
<br />
Saint Mary's scored seven tries, without letting Chico scoring any point.<br />
Final score : Saint Mary's 41 - 0 Chico<br />
<br />
Stanford 27 – SAN JOSE STATE 38 Referee: John Pohlman<br />
Stanford hosted San Jose State this past Saturday. It was a beautiful, Northern California day. Stanford's field is in good shape.<br />
<br />
I arrived a few minutes after noon. It looked like 30 to 40 players were warming up for each side.<br />
<br />
The game opened quickly with Stanford's backs taking advantage of SJS turnovers to dot down the first two trys at 6 and 8 minutes.<br />
<br />
SJS steadied the ball and game. The SJS forwards were much bigger and more physical. This led to three unanswered scores at 21, 24 and 31 minute mark.<br />
<br />
Stanford's backs stole another try just at half to make the score SJS 19, Stanford 17.<br />
<br />
My penalty count against SJS was adding up so I went to chat with their captain, #6 Jeremy. I explained repeat infractions within the 22 would force me to the next level. Jeremy thanked me and passed the word on to his players.<br />
<br />
Both captains and teams were great in responding to most of my direction. There was never a concern from my point.<br />
<br />
Stanford led off the second half with a penalty to move ahead six minutes in for, the third lead change of the game. SJS scored a try 4 minutes later.<br />
<br />
At the 14th minute of the second half I gave my first card of the 2013 season, a yellow for repeat offenses within the 22 to SJS. Twelve minutes later I went to my pocket again for the same reason against SJS. Four minutes after that I carded another SJS player for a dangerous tackle.<br />
<br />
With two SJS players in the bin, Stanford scored a try for the fifth lead change of the game.<br />
<br />
Stanford 27 SJS 24.<br />
<br />
One of SJS yellow cards came back onto the field about the time the Stanford #8 made a dangerous tackle for my forth yellow of the game. SJS scored on a nice back line break at 30 minutes for a SJS 31 Stanford 27.<br />
A final try by SJS backs finished of the scoring.<br />
<br />
San Jose State 38 Stanford 27<br />
<br />
SJS has good numbers, some very athletic players and good coaching. If they learn to control their aggression they could compete for the Division 2 playoffs.<br />
<br />
Seconds: Stanford – San Jose State Referee: A San Jose State coach<br />
<br />
SANTA CLARA 74 – Fresno State 0 Referee: James Hinkin<br />
Santa Clara seems to be listening to what Coach Paul Keeler has been telling them as they put in a complete performance against the visiting Fresno St team on a perfect day for rugby. Last week's under armor was not needed as the sun was out giving tantalizing hints of spring with nary a cloud to be seen. Both teams had arrived early and were preparing when I arrived 75 minutes before kickoff and were ready for the game to get going, so I obliged. Santa Clara were the dominant team throughout scoring 6 tries in each half and could have had more if their players had remembered that the rugby lines were marked in yellow and the purple/white lines near the try zone should be ignored. Fresno St played hard and had their moments, putting together some solid phases and attacks but couldn't seem to out it all together and cross the line. Santa Clara was able to exploit a lack of defensive organization on the 3rd and 4th phases while keeping their own defensive shape through all the phases Fresno could put together.<br />
<br />
Seconds: Santa Clara 17 – FRESNO STATE 58 Ref: Hinkin<br />
Fresno St traveled with 1 1/2 teams to this fixture so they recycled several A side players to give the Santa Clara B siders a game. The skill and experience differential was apparent as the tables were turned for the B side match as Fresno ran rampant against the Santa Clara opposition. To be fair, many of the Santa Clara players were new to the sport and show some promise, as indicated by the 3 tries they were able to score, but they need more hours on the practice and game pitch. The defensive organization and offensive structure just wasn't there and Fresno exploited their advantage to the fullest, breaking tackles and shooting through gaps that were not there in the first match. The last 30 minutes or so were played with uncontested scrums as inexperience had caused too many collapses and front row safety became an issue. (Surprisingly enough, the back row players didn't want to go uncontested - possibly because they were not the ones going face first into the turf.) A solid 80 minutes saw both sides playing hard their entire time on the pitch. Fresno St is a young program but the foundation has been laid for a successful program.<br />
<br />
149 points over two games makes for one tired referee.<br />
<br />
UC Santa Cruz 24 – CAL POLY 57 Referee: Bruce Carter<br />
Another California winter day: ice on the windshield in the morning, but 75 degrees at game time.<br />
<br />
My wife was out of town, but I held to our weekend routine of walking the dogs while the espresso machine warmed up. Then I was off for a home game, it being a mere 50 miles to the heavenly UC Santa Cruz pitch.<br />
<br />
There were three games on tap, with only the one appointed ref - such is the state of our society these days. We always hear about all these new refs, but they don't ask for assignments. News flash: there's no assignments fairy. We don't know you want a game unless you tell us.<br />
<br />
Robbie Bellue of UCSC was kind enough to volunteer for the two games that I couldn't do, my leg muscles having somehow become less rapid and resilient over the past few decades, and he did a fine job.<br />
<br />
The first match was the Slugs hosting CSUMB. My old friend and teammate Marc Ferguson is coaching now and wonders what possessed him to drop out of the game for twenty years (besides raising a family, career, etc). He had never seen the current pitch, it having debuted in the early nineties.<br />
<br />
The Otters played well. They took the kickoff, controlled the ball for more than two minutes, and scored a centered try after many phases. This is small-college rugby in the first minutes of the first game! What a continuous game our sport has become, certainly more spectator-friendly.<br />
<br />
Then it was time for my game:<br />
UC Santa Cruz 24 - CAL POLY 57 Referee: Bruce Carter<br />
This game featured an ambitious lower-division team against an established upper-division team. Cal Poly also have several games under its belt, and came out firing.<br />
<br />
Cal Poly doesn’t do the contemporary multi-phase up-the-gut: one of two phases, then the ball goes to opposite wing who either scores or gets tackled, in which case there are two phases and then it goes to the other opposite wing. Nobody kicks for having run out of ideas; the idea is to run with the ball.<br />
<br />
The Slugs did notch four tries, three by a winger who outran his opponents for one, poached a ball for a second, and perfectly timed the hop from his flyhalf's grubber for the third.<br />
<br />
When the B-side match began I wandered up onto the hillside above the pitch to get some pictures. Game in the foreground, sailboat-dotted Monterey Bay below, and the Monterey peninsula and mountains of the Big Sur coastline standing off into the distance with no clouds to mar the view.<br />
<br />
On a day like this, for a few minutes, paying ever-increasing California taxes has some consolation.<br />
<br />
UCSC seconds – CSUMB Referee: Robbie Bellue<br />
<br />
UOP 32 – U. of San Francisco 29 Referee: Scott Wood<br />
AR: Ron Decausemaker<br />
TJ: Benji<br />
<br />
Two evenly matched teams. For the most part, UOP dominated the first half. HT: UOP 22, USF 5<br />
<br />
Tale of two halves: USF found its steam and the balance was tilted more into their favor. Better continuity and ball possession. Nonetheless, Pacific missed at least two scoring opportunities (one held up, another knocked-on in goal). USF battled to within three points as Pacific played short for the last six minutes of the match.<br />
<br />
GIRLS KICK-OFF TOURNAMENT<br />
<br />
Someone should have copyrighted the phrase ‘kick off tournament’, the way Magic Johnson owns the rights to ‘Dream Team’ and Pat Riley owns ‘Three-Peat’.<br />
<br />
We had one kick-off tournament last weekend, and there are three more this coming weekend (Sacramento, Fresno, San Jose).<br />
<br />
Report by Bryant Byrnes:<br />
High School Girls' Kick Off Tournament, a sunny, warm Saturday on TI.<br />
<br />
A tournament of their own. Twenty teams, 32 games, tons of fans, full concessions, expertly run by Karen Chance (and great help from Ron Chance). A wonderful idea, and wonderful day for everyone.<br />
<br />
The Gold Division championship match was the best of the day. The Amazons beat Bishop O'Dowd 17-5 (or something like that.)<br />
<br />
And the referees contributed immeasurably to the day. We not only had a certified ref at every game, we had two certified Assistant Refs as touch judges on every game. We also had referee coaches on the vast majority of matches.<br />
<br />
The total Society members contributing were twenty two plus. Shout outs are as follows:<br />
<br />
First matches refereed ever: Alyssa Heekin and Olivia Morales.<br />
<br />
Best posses/pods of refs: Kevin Kenny and his sons; Ed Barfels and his gang; Ron DeCausemaker and son.<br />
<br />
Refs about to contacted by Pete Smith and Bruce Carter: Well, everybody, but in particular Nome Tiatia and Jen Tetler.<br />
<br />
Ref who now best knows the bus route to TI: our very own Hubie Wong.<br />
<br />
Society Old Reliables who whistled but more importantly coached (to great effect): Eric Rauscher, Mike King, Paul Bretz, Donal Walsh, David Williamson, and me.<br />
<br />
Apologies to referee heroes inadvertently unsung.<br />
<br />
So, to all refs and fellow travelers, a resounding ''well done'' and thanks.<br />
<br />
<b>NOTE TO ALL OF THESE NEW REFS:</b> We are all volunteers, and we appreciate you stepping up. But if you want to referee, you have to raise your hand.<br />
<br />
It’s easy enough: e-mail Pete Smith and let him know which Saturdays you can do games: <a href="mailto:Me@PetesWeb.com">Me@PetesWeb.com</a><br />
<br />
The assignments gig is easily a thousand-email-a-week job. There’s no slack for seeking out the non-volunteers among us.<br />
<br />
If you say you can ref, you’ll get games. It’s that simple.<br />
<br />
Report by Eric Rauscher:<br />
Both SFGG's pitch and the pitch across the street were used, with the street in between closed off and used for staging/vendors area.<br />
<br />
The weather was astounding. There was a pretty constant cool breeze from the north, but no heavy cross wind and fog that is normally found out there.<br />
<br />
It was sunny all day. At least 20 teams showed up. I ended up reffing two games and ref coaching four new refs. Games were 25 min with short half.<br />
<br />
Amazons 17 / Dixon 0 This was a great game. The Amazons won it, but the game was very close and was played all over the field. The level of play was a joy to behold.<br />
<br />
Dixon 5 / Alameda 0 A low scoring affair, but once again a very well-played game by both sides. The ball was distributed quickly and cleanly by both sides, once again giving me a wide open and very enjoyable game to ref.<br />
<br />
I enjoyed ref coaching four newbies, watching them do their very first game. It is quite a thrill to me to be able to help people improve their game and see the results. I did not get to watch all of them do a second match, but those that I did showed marked improvement. That is the real strength of the KOT. To be able to give new refs a chance to do their very first game in a low-stress environment, with lots of feedback and support for them from more advanced refs.<br />
<br />
One can only hope that at least a handful will truly pick up the whistle in a dedicated fashion.<br />
<br />
HIGH SCHOOL GAMES<br />
<br />
Live Oak 29 - BELLARMINE 38 Referee: John Pohlman<br />
High school rugby in the South Bay is alive and well. <br />
<br />
This past Friday a refereed a pre-season varsity game between Bellarmine and host Morgan Hill/Live Oak. Both teams had 25 players plus for the varsity squad.<br />
<br />
This was a competitive well played game. Live Oak had larger and a bit more physical forwards. Bellarmine had speed and conditioning.<br />
<br />
Bellarmine is led by their captain #10. He attacked the defense throughout the game and took what they gave him. And the Bell's #12 was big, strong and hit the ball with pace and direction. Bell's lead at half time 31 to 12.<br />
<br />
The second half Live Oak stepped up and let their forwards control the game. This led to three trys being scored by Live Oak's forwards.<br />
<br />
Pleasanton 0 – BISHOP O'DOWD 47 Referee: Bryant Byrnes<br />
Lovely Sunday match in Livermore. O'Dowd's mix of experience with new but skilled players overran a Pleasanton team who is rebuilding and reloading. A fast, spirited game by disciplined teams.<br />
<br />
OLD BUSINESS<br />
<br />
The fact-checker lost Phil Akroyd’s report from January 12 while checking its facts.<br />
<br />
Final Score: SACRAMENTO CAPITALS 29 – Cal Poly B 17 Ref: Akroyd<br />
Another week of D1 calamities meant that by Friday lunchtime, I was still without a game. This one came up so I took it - there's always something to work on.<br />
<br />
For some reason, I expected the final score to be somewhere near the reverse of what transpired. The game was slow to get going as the small field and very soft ground made conditions difficult. When both teams had shaken off a little rust, we got some decent passages of play. Both teams had very functional lineouts, the Caps had the upper hand in the scrum, as well as some mobile forwards, a capable fly-half and a back line that knew what they were doing.<br />
<br />
The visitors had a lot of newbies, a comparatively lighter pack and a lot of deficiencies in law knowledge. They also didn’t have much of a game plan but generally hung with play until half time, when the older, wiser heads of the Caps took control.<br />
<br />
Overall, a surprisingly decent game, given the postage stamp swamp on Danny Nunn's west field.<br />
<br />
THIS WEEK’S PHOTO<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IgdAdc8fPUs/UQCIWmbP1LI/AAAAAAAAAbw/ZfiPIPiprxw/s1600/EdToddreceivedAwardatUSARRNationalConference2013.120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="154" width="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IgdAdc8fPUs/UQCIWmbP1LI/AAAAAAAAAbw/ZfiPIPiprxw/s320/EdToddreceivedAwardatUSARRNationalConference2013.120.jpg" /></a><br />
The Denis Shanagher Award was presented to Ed Todd this past weekend in SoCal.<br />
<br />
Denis, of course, was one of the founders of the NCRRS and one of the first Test referees for the USA. The ‘lifetime achievement’ award for USA Rugby referees is named for him.<br />
<br />
NorCal’s Bryan Porter and Donal Walsh are two of the ten recipients so far, and I think we can also claim Ed.<br />
<br />
His curriculum vitae, excerpted from his introductory speech by Don Morrison:<br />
<br />
In the 1990s Ed was Chairman of the Nor Cal Referees Society. Under Ed's leadership, Nor Cal Referees Society made many contributions to USA Rugby, three of which I wish to highlight:<br />
<br />
Nor Cal Referees Society shared its wealth of talent with other American referees by inviting them into Nor Cal to referee games, be observed and, as a result, develop their refereeing skills.<br />
<br />
Nor Cal Referees Society agreed to share its outstanding Newsletter (Pelican's Beak) with all USA Rugby referees when USA Rugby's effort (Communique) came up short. <br />
This newsletter, which Ed edited, was original, thought provoking and informative.<br />
<br />
Nor Cal Referees Society hosted the 1996 Conference on the Game, which was not only a massive effort but also a highly successful effort.<br />
<br />
In the 2000s Ed became more directly involved in USA Rugby matters.<br />
<br />
In 2005 he led a strategic planning session for the USA Rugby R&L Committee, which provided the vision that led us to where we are now.<br />
<br />
In 2006 he became the first full-time referee administrator for USA Rugby. He continues to serve in that role today. I believe all of you are aware of how far USA Rugby refereeing has advanced in these six years, so I shall simply say to Ed, "Well done."<br />
<br />
Photo: There were a few Pelicans on hand to congratulate Ed on the occasion of his recognition as one of the pillars of USA Rugby refereeing.<br />
<br />
Left to right: Don Pattalock, Matt Eason, Lee Bryant, Ed Todd, Kat Todd, George O’Neil, Aruna Ranaweera.<br />
<br />
HAIL, PELICUS!<br />
<br />
For the Senate<br />
Pelicus ScriptorisUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22683413.post-641473056177191672013-01-20T14:35:00.004-08:002013-01-20T14:35:49.198-08:00SIX HUNDRED MILES AND WELL WORTH ITHAIL, PELICUS! <br />
<br />
DESPERATE SITUATION FOR REFS<br />
<br />
We are eight-ten refs short for January 19, and there are two A-side matches which are not covered. YOU CAN GET A GAME IF YOU WANT TO REFEREE THIS WEEKEND.<br />
<br />
Let Pete Smith know of your availability: <a href="mailto:Me@PetesWeb.com">Me@PetesWeb.com</a><br />
<br />
NEED DUCATS FOR THE IRB SEVENS IN LAS VEGAS?<br />
<br />
Tickets are called ducats in Vegas. We know because we grew up there. The tournament is only three weeks away.<br />
<br />
One of our refs bought a pair of Field level tickets for the event and would like to sell them. Contact Chad St. Pierre: <a href="mailto:saint22@peoplepc.com">saint22@peoplepc.com</a><br />
<br />
SIX-HUNDRED RUGBY-MILE WEEK<br />
By Bruce Carter<br />
<br />
Wednesday, January 9: 240 miles<br />
This was the first Society meeting of 2013. It is always a pleasure to attend the meetings of the finest referee society in the USA, and Preston Gordon is doing an excellent job of organizing informative and interesting programs.<br />
<br />
I car-pooled with Pete Smith, James Hinkin and John Pohlman. This extends the meeting for an hour in either direction.<br />
<br />
One revelation: the IRB has finally figured out how to describe a forward pass. New guidelines for Television Match Officials were released last week, including this one:<br />
<br />
“2.6 For forward passes the TMO must not adjudicate on the flight of the ball but on the action of the player who passed the ball i.e., were the player’s hands passing the ball back to that player’s own goal line.”<br />
<br />
This makes it clear that a pass can travel forward without having been thrown forward.<br />
Here are the three things the passer is not responsible for:<br />
The wind blowing the ball forward<br />
The ball bouncing forward from the ground<br />
The passer’s momentum carrying the ball forward<br />
<br />
The fact that the ball was caught ahead of where it was thrown in not germane to whether it was a forward pass. You have to determine this by watching the movement of the passer’s hands and wrists relative to his body. <br />
<br />
Saturday, January 12: 220 miles<br />
The first game of a new year is a time of reflection for me. This year I am beginning my 26th season as a full-time referee, embarking on my second quarter-century of reffing.<br />
<br />
This year began with a perfect clear day, rain having been followed by cold air and unlimited visibility. What that visibility reveals driving down the Salinas Valley is views of the nation’s fresh produce for the next few months, and as you go farther south, next year’s wines.<br />
<br />
Paso Robles plays on a lovely field, agriculture-grade, manicured and leveled, with room for four full-size pitches. Unfortunately, not enough of their CIPP folks turned up to field a full side.<br />
<br />
But Monterey Bay, having traveled with plenty, loaned them enough to have a match including some of their better players. (Match report below.)<br />
<br />
Afterwards, I found myself the first one at the pub because everyone else seemed to want to enjoy the sunshine pitch-side, talking rugby. With no-one to stand me a pint, I hit the road for Fresno.<br />
<br />
Thirty-three rugby years in California with as many as 30,000 automobile miles in some years means that it’s not often that I find myself on an unfamiliar road. But Highway 41 in the no-man’s-land between Highways 101 and I5 was such a road.<br />
<br />
California has more attractive corners than a Playboy club. Gorgeous scenery surrounds the road, pleasant valleys leading to hills and mountains which stair-step into the blue-shift that atmospheric distance provides. Rain plus sunshine in our winter equals chlorophyll: they should put some cattle or sheep up there, who would be perfectly happy.<br />
<br />
I got to Fresno about the time the 49ers playoff game started, which was ideal: not being a fan of sports other than rugby and bicycling, I had the restaurant almost to myself.<br />
<br />
Sunday, January 13: 150 miles<br />
Scott Wood and I taught a level one officiating class at Wawona Middle School in Fresno to sixteen students. It’s a real pleasure not having fifty or more to deal with.<br />
<br />
Most of these folks are interested in the youth and high school game, which is of course where rugby’s growth is.<br />
<br />
As always, it was a lot of fun and a day spent with ruggers who are interested in refereeing almost makes up for being away from home.<br />
<br />
GAMES<br />
<br />
The season is off to a pathetic beginning, to be honest.<br />
<br />
Lots of forfeits, and both the men’s D1 and the D3 schedules have been altered willy-nilly by the teams after the schedules were sent to the NCRRS for appointing referees. Teams have simply decided not to play, or to switch home and away, without telling us.<br />
<br />
Our commitment is to do the best we can with the information we have. We do not promise to overcome the efforts of those who would thwart us.<br />
<br />
SFGG – Barbarians<br />
This game doesn’t seem to have happened. No idea why not. We had two refs assigned. This is a luxury we cannot afford, refs twiddling their thumbs while other games go uncovered.<br />
<br />
EPA BULLDOGS over Olympic Club by forfeit<br />
<br />
Baracus – Berkeley Referee: Rich Anderson<br />
This was just a practice scrimmage to knock the rust off. No score to report.<br />
<br />
St. Mary's 17 – SFGG 40-odd Referee: Wesley van der Linde (visiting from South Africa)<br />
ARs: George O'Neil, Ray Schwartz<br />
PR: Kat Todd<br />
On Saturday the 12th January I had the privilege of refereeing a pre-season warm-up match between St Mary’s College and SFGG, hosted at the St Mary’s Pat Vincent field. What a beautiful day it was for a game of rugby, albeit a little on the cold side. Ray Schwartz and I took a drive down to the game early on Saturday morning and we were able to make a stop off at a Farmer’s Market near UC Davis. It was great being able to take in a few of the sights, sounds, and smells of the local scene en route to our destination.<br />
<br />
St Mary’s itself was quite stunningly beautiful. The playing field was green and a pleasant crowd was gathering for what would be a grueling encounter. The teams were both looking up for the match and I was very excited, although a little nervous too! I have been told that nerves (or butterflies) before a rugby match are a good thing. Once the pre-match talks and preparations had been completed, we were ready to take the field. I was fortunate to have Kat Todd at the grounds to watch and review my performance, and I had the trusted assistance of Ray and George O’Neil on the sidelines.<br />
<br />
The match got off to a flying start and I had to quickly adapt to the situation, having found that my positioning wasn’t quite right at first. A lot of the players were big and physical and you could feel that with every hit, every tackle. SFGG got off to a flying start and they rang in a few, well worked, early tries. St Mary’s were able to get on the score board too thanks to some brilliant backline play. Both teams were a little rusty and so handling errors and timing were always going to be an issue. This though did not detract from the passion and desire that both teams had to play some entertaining and hard rugby.<br />
<br />
As much as St Mary’s tried hard to keep up with play and add to a thrilling contest, they were outdone on the day by an SFGG side had more game time under their belts. There is no doubt St Mary’s will improve and learn from this, their first match of the year. The score ended up about 40 odd points to 17 in favour of the visitors.<br />
<br />
I thoroughly enjoyed refereeing the match and felt that the quality of rugby was right up there. It was definitely one of the fastest games I have refereed before and I certainly can take a lot out of the experience going forward. I felt very welcome at St Mary’s and had a number of people come up and introduce themselves to me. There were a couple of matches after mine and those too were good entertainment and much needed practice for both players and referees. After the day’s play Ray and I made our way back home but couldn’t resist a stop at Thompson’s Corner in Cordelia Junction, to catch a bit of the 49ers football match versus the Packers. An interesting place indeed!<br />
<br />
From Thompson’s Corner we were off to the UC Davis Alumni dinner, organized by Barry “Demon” Beuhler and Donal Walsh, who brought nearly 100 old mates together from the 1970s. A great little function, we broke bread with Don Goard, Steve Gray, Jim Crenshaw, John Tomasin, Billy Ekhern, to name a few.<br />
<br />
I’m looking forward to refereeing some more local rugby in California and I appreciate all the efforts by people to make me feel right at home. USA rugby is definitely stronger than people back home in South Africa realize and I’m just so grateful for the opportunity to be here.<br />
<br />
ST. MARY’S seconds 60 – Marin 0 Referee: George O'Neil<br />
<br />
St. Mary's 3 – Marin 2 Referee: Ray Schwartz<br />
“Score was about 12-10.”<br />
Which means – we don’t know who won.<br />
<br />
State of Jefferson – Colusa Referee: Kevin Brown<br />
This is one of the games that the teams seem to have thought better of.<br />
<br />
This is not the kind of game your writer knew: all we ever wanted to do was to play rugby.<br />
<br />
MENDOCINO over Redwood by forfeit. Referee: Sandy Robertson<br />
The Mendocino Redwood match did not occur. At the 1PM scheduled kickoff time Mendocino was at the pitch ready to play but only 2 Redwood players had arrived (they'd been there for half an hour or more). By 120PM no additional Redwood players had arrived, nor I believe, had anything been heard from Redwood.<br />
<br />
Mendocino decided to play some 7s. While playing 7s more Redwood players showed up. Their coach/organizer said that Redwood thought the game was scheduled to start at 2PM. Mendocino declined to play. I expect that the two teams will discuss the issue w/NCRFU and decide about rescheduling.<br />
<br />
[Editor’s Note: E-mails showed that Redwood had acknowledged the scheduled 1 PM start.]<br />
<br />
Humboldt – Shasta Referee: Cary Bertolone<br />
This is another of the games that the teams decided not to play. WTF???<br />
<br />
Reno – Vallejo CANCELED<br />
This one was due to weather. Presumably, the spirit of rugby lives on in these two sides.<br />
<br />
Blackhawks 7 – SIERRA FOOTHILLS 64 Referee: John Coppinger<br />
Sierra Foothills decisively beat Blackhawks at the Danny Nunn Field 64-7 in Sacramento in a match that was never in doubt. Sierra Foothills had a steady ball possession game plan, which they executed very well. Blackhawks were completely out of sorts with a number of Blackhawk players having only CIPPed in the morning before kickoff. Foothills were led by evergreen Mike Dopson who scored three or four tries and kicked 7 conversions.<br />
<br />
Paso Robles 28 – MONTEREY BAY 45 Referee: Bruce Carter<br />
Officially, this has been reported as a forfeit because the home team only had nine players. But on a weekend where fully one-third of the matches scheduled featured either one or both teams who wussed out, Monterey Bay wanted to play. I’m proud to say that this was the last team whose jersey I wore as a player.<br />
<br />
It was sunny and calm at Paso’s perfect pitch, with lots of wives, kids and dogs in attendance. Monterey Bay loaned enough players, including some of their best, to get things underway.<br />
<br />
Refereeing for more than a quarter-century prepares you for days such as this: rank beginners packing down next to or opposite skilled and accomplished players. Do you hold everyone to the same standard and have a whistle concerto, or do you make allowances? Didn’t Aristotle say that treating unequal things the same is not justice?<br />
<br />
For example: five minutes in, I found myself penalizing Paso’s #12 for the third time for playing the ball from the ground. This guy was built like a prop. Give him a card, let someone explain the nuances of the tackle law to him for ten minutes?<br />
<br />
But before I was a referee I was a coach (of the All Army team) for four years. Here’s a big, fit young fellow WHO’S MADE THREE TACKLES IN THE FIRST FIVE MINUTES. This is a guy we want playing as much rugby as possible.<br />
<br />
Between me and his captain, I figure we can teach him the tackle law on the fly: I’ll yell in his ear at every subsequent tackle, and his captain will make sure he knows to pay attention.<br />
<br />
Monterey led 26 – 7 at the half. They took back some of their newer players, to let them work with teammates, and lent out some of their stars. Paso Robles then actually won the second half, 21 – 19.<br />
<br />
Note to young refs: you can enjoy the game on your way up, and you can enjoy it just as much on your way down.<br />
<br />
As long as God gives me breath to breathe and legs to run, I’ll be happy doing games like this.<br />
<br />
Fog 0 – SFGG 2nd/3rds? 60 Referee: Bryant Byrnes<br />
On the Fog's TI home pitch on a day that reminds us of why we live in the Bay Area-absolutely pristine. I actually called my daughter on the East Coast to rub it in.<br />
<br />
Rugby can be odd to the point of being unfair. For reasons beyond their control Gate's very good D1 team of last year is now a D3 team-and they played like it. It was something of a clinic of excellent skills.<br />
<br />
And yet the Fog did not roll over. To their credit, it was a contested match for 80 minutes. There were no cheap tries by Gate. As usual, the social was excellent.<br />
<br />
Fog seconds 0 – SFGG 3rds/4ths MANY Referee: Bruce Bernstein<br />
I reffed a very loose scrimmage b/w the Fog's "2nd" team against whoever from SFGG 3rd division team wanted to play more (another 30 minutes after the first regular season game) hosted by the Fog & reffed by Bryant Byrnes, who also gave me a few goodpointers/coaching advice for me to get the rust off. Just like his match, mine was a blowout for SFGG many points to zilch.<br />
<br />
<br />
SOUTH VALLEY 36 – Harlots 31 Referee: John Pohlman<br />
Often when I sit down to write my rugby write-up I'm at a loss if there was nothing special about the game, drive, weather.<br />
<br />
This week I had a few interesting items.<br />
<br />
This was my first game of 2013 and no injuries.<br />
<br />
I visited a new rugby pitch. South Valley is playing their games at the Kirigin Cellars in Northwest Gilroy. The drive was pleasant from 101 south to the Watsonville highway. Beautiful farms, vineyards and sweeping vistas.<br />
<br />
Then I arrived at the Kirigin Cellars winery to a brand spanking new rugby pitch. The pitch was pretty close to perfect from the size to the well-marked lines to the padded goal posts. Oh and a brand new tasting room with bathrooms.<br />
<br />
South Valley was hosting their first home game at their new field. It was a friendly against the Modesto Harlots, formerly Stanislaus. This was a bit confusing because Northern Cal has them listed as Stanislaus and South Valley said they were Stanislaus. But no Stanislaus CIPPed. Modesto is CIPPed.<br />
<br />
OK, on to the game.<br />
<br />
South Valley, SV, scored first with a bit of an intercept try by their speedy wing. This try was answered a few minutes later by Modesto. And so it went. Some pretty decent and competitive rugby for a pre-season friendly.<br />
<br />
Half time had SV 17 Modesto 12.<br />
<br />
Somehow SV ratcheted up the intensity for 25 minutes to open the second half with three unanswered tries. SV 36 Modesto 12. Seemed like a runaway.<br />
<br />
Then with well less than 10 minutes left the Harlots found their rhythm. They scored two converted tries to make it SV 36 Modesto 31 with a few minutes to play. But the whistle blew and South Valley had the win.<br />
<br />
As I walked off, you would have never known who won. Modesto buoyed by their two late tries were jubilant, whereas SV was disappointed with almost losing.<br />
<br />
One more of the items which caught me was the true friendship between these two teams. Many players having played together before and a real rugby bond.<br />
<br />
The last interesting item was a try for S.V. being confirmed by the video referee. The only fault of this field was pretty short try zones. On SV's last try their #10 scored by diving on a lose kick. This was one of those bang-bang plays were I wished I had a better view or help from my touch judges. When the try was scored I thought the player had grown the ball properly, but I stopped and looked to see if anyone had a better<br />
view. No one did, so I awarded the try.<br />
<br />
After the game, I was taking to Modesto's captain and coach Paul and one of their second rows who I knew had seen the try. The second row stated he thought it was past the dead-ball line, thus no try. But he had the try recorded, so the video replay would confirm. On Sunday he e-mailed me the picture....TRY. Finally proof that I got one right.<br />
<br />
UC Davis 17 – CAL POLY 45 Referee: Jim Crenshaw<br />
Crisp day in Davis Saturday and a tale of two halves.<br />
<br />
Davis scored first on a long breakaway try to take the lead 7 - 0 at about the ten minute mark. Cal Poly tied it and then took the lead (12-7) late in the half. Both teams showed early season rust, with turnovers and inconsistent play ruling the half.<br />
<br />
The second half started out well for Davis as they tied it up about 10 minutes in. Cal Poly regained the lead for good with a converted try a few minutes later and then padded their lead with an unconverted try.<br />
<br />
Cal Poly were much more organized in the second half. Davis, on the other hand, were still trying to get it going and a red card for a tip tackle from the neck didn't help late in the half.<br />
<br />
They did make it closer with another unconverted try, but the rest of the day belonged to the gentlemen from San Luis Obispo.<br />
<br />
Seconds: UC Davis – Cal Poly Referee: Rich Boyer<br />
No report received.<br />
<br />
<br />
Santa Rosa JC 12 – SANTA CLARA 17 Referee: Tom Zanarini<br />
For Pete's Sake Field, Santa Rosa<br />
Beautiful Sunny day in Santa Rosa. A preseason match-up between D1 and D2 squads. Good contest for the ball, lots of action from the backs. Santa Clara had just a slight edge breaking tackles for tries, otherwise a pretty even match. SRJC scored all their points in the first half, SCU scored all of theirs in the second half. Maybe a fitness edge as well?<br />
<br />
Seconds: SANTA ROSA JC 27 – Santa Clara 15 Referee: Stephen Valerio<br />
Since I am still getting around to many of the NorCal pitches for the first time, I looked forward to heading up to Pete's Sake Field. I had seen the name many a time, but now I finally got to see it. Very sturdy posts. I'll leave it at that.<br />
<br />
The match was the story of 3 games. Santa Rosa, dominated the first third. Keeping it in tight and banging away they opened up a 15-0 lead off of 3 tries. Santa Clara finally got the ball into the hands of their backs who put together some knifing runs and scored a try before the break to in down 15-5. They continued their impressive back runs after the break and scored 2 more tries evening things up with about 10 minutes left. Fatigue finally made its appearance in the final third and things got sloppy. The lack of clean ball deprived Santa Clara the opportunity to use their backs and suited Santa Rosa's forwards. Santa Rosa scored the final 2 tries, including one on the final whistle. On a day when most of the kicks at post went everywhere but between the posts, the last conversion was good.<br />
<br />
SANTA ROSA 53 – Sierra Renegades 10 Referee: Rob Hendrickson<br />
Santa Rosa's For Pete's Sake field hosted 3 games this weekend, the last of which was Santa Rosa against the Sacramento Renegades in a final pre-season tune up game of 3 X 30 minute halves. Santa Rosa showed up with almost 3 complete sides, allowing almost line change substitutions at each half, while Sacramento had to make do with 17 players and a limited ability to substitute. The weather was clear and cool, and the pitch was soft, but not muddy, a great day to play rugby. I unfortunately had to miss the social afterward to be able to drive home in time to catch the 49er's vs Packers (although I caught the interception on the radio waiting in traffic on 80 in Berkeley)<br />
<br />
Stanford JV 12 – PENINSULA GREEN 55 Referee: Bruce Ricard<br />
We played U19 rules. Very good game on a beautiful pitch, as usual in Stanford. Pen Green dominated the whole game. Their forwards were turning over rucks impossible to win, and their backs were stronger and faster than the Stanford ones. Two tries were scored on a kick and run from their 22, Stanford had no full back.<br />
<br />
Stanford got a penalty try on maul collapsed 2m from the try line, and managed to score another try in the second half.<br />
<br />
Pen Green's biggest problem was their indiscipline at mauls, which cost them several penalties, a penalty try, and a yellow card.<br />
<br />
STANFORD 15 – U. of San Diego 8 Referee: Tony Levitan<br />
AR: Neil MacDonald<br />
Referee Coach: David Williamson<br />
On a c-c-c-cold night at Stanford's always well-kept rugby pitch, Stanford and USD opened 2013 with a non-league battle that showed both rust from the holidays and promise for the season. Things looked a bit ominous for the visitors when Stanford ran an easy try over with less than 2 minutes gone to lead 5-0. But USD regained their composure and fought a tough first half, scoring 23 minutes in off a long penalty by their talented #10, 5-3. Stanford extended its lead again with some stout forward play, dotting down with 3 minutes left in the half, 10-5. Even with USD down a man due to a yellow card, the first half ended with the brick-outhouse-built USD #13 swinging into in-goal 5 meters in from the left touchline and work to get in closer to the posts only to fumble the ball once pressured by the pursuing Stanford defenders. Halftime whistle, much to USD's consternation.<br />
<br />
Halftime distractions included watching an ambulance take USD's flyhalf from the pitch, the training staff having been unable to return a dislocated elbow to its socket. Tough blow for USD, losing one of its best players. But they soldiered on admirably. Mostly ...<br />
<br />
Play got a bit chippy mid-way through the second half thanks to USD's #1 whose disposition was more blockhead than loosehead. Sent off after a yellow for repeated offenses late in the first half, he re-offended less than 10 minutes after his return, the ensuing red card leaving his team shorthanded for too long, which proved to be especially punishing in the pack where every scrum either went to Stanford or USD on its heels. Nonetheless, a multi-phase concerted effort resulted in a USD try midway through the half, 10-8 Stanford. Stanford finally iced the chilly night's match with one more unconverted try, the forwards bulling over from a lineout from 5 meters out, 15-8.<br />
<br />
When the whistle blew, this ref wasn't the only one to notice that the final margin was equivalent to the possibly converted try that USD fumbled away right at the half.<br />
<br />
Great thanks to Dave Williamson for coming out on this biting cold evening, as well as for his always insightful recap of my match highs and lows. And especially large helpings of appreciation to Neil MacDonald who stayed to AR after a number of runs at the daytime Stanford Women's Invitational.<br />
<br />
Sunday, January 13:<br />
Stanford GSB – Seahawks Referee: Bob Polito<br />
No report received.<br />
<br />
STANFORD WOMEN'S INVITATIONAL<br />
Saturday, Sunday<br />
Referee: Bryant Byrnes, Lois Bukowski, Pete Smith, Neil McDonald, Tony Levitan, Lee Bryant, Byrnes, James Hinkin, Giles Wilson<br />
<br />
Giles Wilson:<br />
Vallejo decided not to travel to Reno and when I got to Reno for business that evening, the rental counter described Friday as "the worst weather he'd seen with ice and snow" - since he was an "experienced" gentleman, I had to decide that Vallejo may have made a wise decision. This game is pending a make-up date.<br />
<br />
Pete asked me to fill in for one game at Stanford so Cal vs Western WA it was. Cal have good speed and organization in the backs and a very solid forward pack. The greatest impact comes from a prop who is also the kicker but also made several devastating tackles - hard, legal and putting a stop to anyone running into her channel; the best choice was to try to make a move to avoid some of the contact.<br />
<br />
Cal pulled out to a 19-5 halftime lead with 3 tries (2 conversions), a scoring pattern they would repeat in the second half. WWA managed to score twice in the second half, in each case well supported sequences with good off-loading but they were not able to maintain this against Cal's defensive aggression and pace in the backs.<br />
<br />
Sunday Results for James Hinkin<br />
<br />
STANFORD 25 – Oregon 20 Referee: James Hinkin<br />
With special rules on the second field (no posts so no kicking for any points – not much in the way of lines) the game was fast – it almost had a 7s feel. Breakaway tries followed by the scored upon team getting back to midfield right away to kick off. Stanford dominated play in the first half scoring 5 unanswered tries but showed some depth issues as subs were run in for the second half and didn’t perform at the same level. Oregon dominated the scoring of the second half with 4 tries of their own but ran out of time to complete the comeback.<br />
<br />
California 7 – UCLA 17 (Semifinal) Ref: Hinkin<br />
California dug themselves a hole early when their fullback was issued with a yellow card in the 3rd minute for cynically killing the ball 2 meters from the goal line. UCLA were able to score a try with the woman advantage and continued their scoring ways - combined with a sterling defensive effort that included 2 Cal surges that were held up in goal - to build a 17 point lead by the half. Cal played much better in the second half and clawed back a try but could not overcome their first half mistakes.<br />
<br />
UC-Los Angeles 7 – CHICO STATE 15 (Final) Ref: Hinkin<br />
UCLA scored first in an action packed final but that seemed to galvanize a solid Chico St squad. Chico were able to get a penalty on the board to reduce the half time deficit to 7-3. In the second half UCLA were having difficulty in defending the Chico attack and after Chico scored twice to take a 15 – 7 lead they started resorting to penalties to slow down the ball. This eventually led to a yellow card for their influential (albeit often out of control) #3 and they would never recover. A good sign for both UCLA and Chico was on the final play of the match with Chico holding an eight point lead, insuring the result was not in doubt. UCLA continued to attack until the UCLA winger was put into space for a 70 meter sprint to the try zone. The Chico #13 chased her all the way and tackled her just inside the 22 to save the try, with more Chico defenders arriving to force a knock on and end the gamer. 100% effort from both teams on a cold, crisp winters day.<br />
<br />
HIGH SCHOOL GAMES<br />
<br />
PITS 17 – Berkeley Rhinos 10 Referee: Rob Hendrickson<br />
Berkeley hosted Piedmont to a crisp morning pre-season scrimmage at Gilman Field, as both the varsity and JV sides had a chance for a good run. Berkeley lent Piedmont a couple of backs and forwards to make the game more competitive, and both sides took advantage of the opportunity to dust off the cobwebs of pre-season and improved their play as the game progressed. Lots of good productive play, punctuated by early season mistakes that they will learn to overcome.<br />
<br />
THIS WEEK’S PHOTO<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FNb4pvkMdw4/UPxvlCdHfOI/AAAAAAAAAbc/rnttZy2tZyE/s1600/Try%2BConfirmed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="320" width="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FNb4pvkMdw4/UPxvlCdHfOI/AAAAAAAAAbc/rnttZy2tZyE/s320/Try%2BConfirmed.jpg" /></a> <br />
John Pohlman is proven correct, courtesy of the Modesto video. And full marks to the Harlots for being up-front in providing it.<br />
<br />
HAIL, PELICUS!<br />
<br />
For the Senate<br />
Pelicus ScriptorisUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22683413.post-33562308430255608342013-01-09T10:01:00.000-08:002013-01-12T10:01:54.256-08:00GET YOUR BIRD ONHAIL, PELICUS! <br />
<br />
MEETING TONIGHT<br />
<br />
Remember to get on the road early enough to be at the Golden Gate clubhouse on Treasure Island for our first 2013 meeting tonight.<br />
<br />
The Evaluation Committee meets at 6:30, the Society meets from 7 until 9.<br />
<br />
Food will be available for early arrivals.<br />
<br />
REFEREES ALWAYS NEEDED<br />
<br />
We are at least two refs short for January 12, and many more than two short the rest of the month. Please let Pete Smith know of your availability: Me@PetesWeb.com<br />
<br />
ROUGH START TO THE D1 SEASON<br />
<br />
SACRAMENTO LIONS – Olympic Club by forfeit<br />
Efforts were made to allow OPSB to compete for a national crown after the super league’s demise (where Beach finished second last season), because there are no other D1 teams north of Sacramento.<br />
<br />
It was not practical to have every NorCal team travel to Seattle, so an unbalanced schedule was drawn up, with OPSB having fewer games than everyone else, but enough to qualify for the playoffs.<br />
<br />
The problem is obvious: how do you determine who’s leading in the standings when everyone doesn't play the same number of games? Do wins or losses take precedence?<br />
<br />
We remember when Cal did this for years – they played each of the other NorCal teams once, and those games counted for double points in the standings because the other teams played each other twice.<br />
<br />
Why something similar couldn't be worked out, we don’t know (and ‘we’ weren't asked), but on the eve of the season Olympic Club objected to the unbalanced scheduled.<br />
<br />
This somehow led to forfeiture last Saturday.<br />
<br />
Not sure not playing rugby solves anything, but we’ll keep hoping things get worked out so that more games are played – even though we don’t have enough refs.<br />
<br />
EPA Bulldogs – San Mateo cancelled<br />
San Mateo was not able to meet the requirements to enter the competition and was written out of the schedule the week before the season started.<br />
<br />
USA Rugby’s website show them with 32 registered player – but no certified coach.<br />
<br />
This is the pioneering team of Islander rugby in USA, and former national champions in both Sevens and fifteens.<br />
<br />
We hope that these players find outlets with other sides, and that they find a coach to enable them to resume playing for one of the storied names in American club rugby.<br />
<br />
GAMES THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED<br />
<br />
SFGG SEÑORS 40 – Bald Eagles 35 Referee: Giles Wilson<br />
The Señors and Bald Eagles played a full game broken into 20-minute sections to allow recovery - several referees played with the teams. The Señors were short on players and several stand-ins were well below the age cut off, causing some concerns.<br />
<br />
The Baldies started well working a good lead through the first two periods but in the last two Westie, at 38 one of the younger but legitimate Señors, dominated the game frequently being involved 3 or 4 times in moves by looping and supporting. Along with solid supporting play from the other Señors, pulled the Señors back to a tie with 3 minutes to play. Another move led to a final try with 7 seconds on the game clock.<br />
<br />
Final Señors 8 to Bald Eagles 7 - no kicks at goal were taken. A vigorous old boys game played in good spirit and true old boy style.<br />
<br />
SFGG seconds 24 – Sierra Renegades 21 Referee: Eric Rauscher<br />
Overcast with a slight breeze from the south. A preseason game. SFGG field in good shape. The SFGG "B" side is made up mostly of guys trying to make their way onto the "A" side, one of the best D1 teams in America. Sierra I think is made up of guys coming out of the Sierra JC program. SFGG came out strong in the first part of the game, scoring at 5 min and again at 11, with very few resets in between. The play was wide open and all over the pitch. SFGG went on to score two more tries in the first half. to Sierra's one. The thing that kept Sierra in the game was repeated penalties by SFGG (mostly offside at rucks) which became 9 pts in penalty kicks. Score at half SFGG 24 / Sierra 14. The second half saw quite a bit of injury time. It started off with another made penalty kick by Sierra at 3 min in. The rest of the half was pretty much back and forth play, but no scores. I awarded Sierra a penalty at their own 22 with very little time left and they then put together a fine sting of plays that resulted in a try at 44 min. It was a fine end to a very good game played by two very good teams.<br />
<br />
SFGG 35 – Old Puget Sound Beach 7 Referee: Marquise Goodwin (SoCal)<br />
Referee Coach: Giles Wilson<br />
<br />
Barbarians – EPA Razorbacks Referee: James Hinkin<br />
Seconds Referee: Bob Polito<br />
No reports received.<br />
<br />
SIERRA FOOTHILLS 14 – Berkeley 7 Referee: Phil Akroyd<br />
The main theme of this one was to create space. The field was a middle school football field in the City of Rocklin, making it very narrow. As both teams wanted to play 10 man rugby, enabling fast ball for the pick and drives, as well as clean offside lines for the backs, was key.<br />
<br />
Sierra were slightly the better team, but had indiscipline at the tackle/ruck. Berkeley tried to play a more expansive game but kept getting held up in the tackles and turning it over. It took Berkeley sixty minutes to realize that their strengths were in keeping it tight, at which point they leveled the game up at seven each with ten to play. The visitors had their tails up and seemed to sniff a victory if they kept attacking the fringes and taking advantage of Sierra's indiscipline.<br />
<br />
As my watch was beeping for time, one of the Berkeley backs was being held up in a tackle about 20 meters out. The Sierra #8 (Niico?) and standout player on the team, ripped the ball and took it all the way to the other end for his second try, and the game winner.<br />
<br />
Vacaville – Baracus Referee: Chris Tucker<br />
No report received.<br />
<br />
SAN JOSE SEAHAWKS 41 – South Valley 0 Referee: Bryant Byrnes<br />
The Seahawk venue is kinda retro; a high school grass practice field converted to a rugby pitch, obscurely behind the new football field and next to the community garden. If you had not been there before...<br />
<br />
But there was nothing obscure about Seahawks game plan, which was straight at 'em. The loose forwards slashed, the backline spun the ball wide, and quick support at breakdowns.<br />
<br />
My compliments to South Valley. Outgunned this day, but a credible effort-and no whining, no backchat, no lawyering (god forbid).<br />
<br />
Seconds: Seahawks 10 – South Valley 10 Ref: Byrnes<br />
A rump game, but a good opportunity for new players and old guys to get a run in. Pretty good stuff and kudos to all the new guys that played their first game, but both teams need to work on safe tackling-the two yellows are two too many. Everyone agreed before even stepping onto the field that safety is non-negotiable.<br />
<br />
COLUSA 30 – Sacramento Capitals 20 Referee: Cary Bertolone<br />
For this early in the season, we had a great, hard fought battle between two evenly matched sides. The Capitals opened up the scoring with a try at the 5 minute mark, Colusa came back with two unconverted tries, mostly from their running, driving forwards, the Capitals scored another try for a 10-10 tie. Colusa closed out the half with a penalty kick and another try to take a 18-10 halftime lead.<br />
<br />
Between their unexpected lead and the sizeable crowd cheering them on, they entered the second half with enthusiasm, but the Capitals were equal to the task. Very even second half with both sides scoring 2 tries each. A yellow in each half against Sac for high tackles might have been the main difference between these two sides. Great game and both teams had positive attitudes.<br />
<br />
Seconds: Colusa County 5 – SAC CAPS 21 Ref: Bertolone<br />
The Capitals extracted a little revenge by scoring three tries to one in the second game in another fun match. Again, it was hard , tough rugby, but with an element of friendliness as the scrummies were joking and laughing, at times. Good rugby for this early in the year.<br />
<br />
US U20's scrimmage at Cal Maritime Referee: Pete Smith<br />
No report received.<br />
<br />
THIS WEEK’S PHOTO<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XLs2-gzl8hM/UPGkFkdZk4I/AAAAAAAAAbM/yK2NJ-L6P-I/s1600/Pelicans%2Bin%2BCharlotte.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="195" width="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XLs2-gzl8hM/UPGkFkdZk4I/AAAAAAAAAbM/yK2NJ-L6P-I/s320/Pelicans%2Bin%2BCharlotte.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
Last weekend found USA Rugby’s Referee Training Committee meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was also the scene of a best practices two-day session for IRB trainers and educators (the folks who present the various referee courses).<br />
<br />
Four Pelicans made the winter migration:<br />
Bruce Carter, Mike Malone, Matt Eason and Scott Wood.<br />
<br />
Bruce and Scott will be putting their newly-polished skills to work at a Level One refs’ course this Sunday in Fresno.<br />
<br />
HAIL, PELICUS!<br />
<br />
For the Senate<br />
Pelicus ScriptorisUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22683413.post-38441717488842106192012-12-22T19:49:00.000-08:002012-12-31T19:49:51.832-08:00ONE SEASON LEADS TO ANOTHERHAIL, PELICUS! <br />
<br />
SEASON’S HERE – SEASON SOON TO START<br />
<br />
Christmas and New Year are upon us. Hot on their heels is Rugby 2013, with games beginning January 5.<br />
<br />
Out with the old and in with the new: Pete Smith will be taking over assignments.<br />
<br />
Your scribe has done this since 2000. It’s a big job, but it has its rewards: allocating some of the best games in the United States to some of the best referees. It has been my privilege do to this and to play a part in the development of several referees who did Internationals.<br />
<br />
We appreciate all of the volunteers who make it possible to fill in the spreadsheet blanks, and trust that they will continue to do so for Pete.<br />
<br />
CALL FOR REFEREES<br />
<br />
Please let Pete know your availability for the Saturdays in January: me@PetesWeb.com<br />
<br />
For new referees: this is how you get games. E-mail Pete that you are available. Same for old referees.<br />
<br />
Pete cannot read your mind any better than I could. IF YOU DO NOT LET HIM KNOW YOU ARE AVAILABLE, YOU WON'T GET AN ASSIGNMENT.<br />
<br />
We need about ten refs on January 5, twenty on January 12, and then forty or more thereafter until mid-April.<br />
<br />
Plus the following non-Saturday/evening opportunities:<br />
<br />
The Stanford Invitational will be Saturday-Sunday Jan. 12-13.<br />
Friday, Jan. 18: two games at Cal Maritime.<br />
Wednesday, Jan. 23: one game at Cal<br />
Friday, Jan. 25: two games at Maritime, one at Stanford<br />
<br />
REMOTE GAMES<br />
<br />
We have even more games that are remote from the Bay Area/Sacramento nuclei, where most of our referees live.<br />
<br />
This is where we demonstrate our love of the game the most: driving to do these games.<br />
For example:<br />
January 12: Home games in Yreka, Ukiah, Arcata, Reno, Turlock, Paso Robles<br />
January 19: Redding, Colusa, Arcata, Turlock<br />
January 26: Fresno, Yreka, Ukiah, Reno, Paso Robles<br />
We’ll need everyone to travel at least twice this year. Get in the running for Pelican of the Year by raising your wing for some distant games!<br />
<br />
<br />
BACKLOG OF GAMES<br />
<br />
December 8<br />
SIERRA FOOTHILLS MEN 10 – Sierra JC 5 Referee: Rich Boyer<br />
I met up with Jim Goddard, new head coach as Sierra JC, and we walked from there nearly a mile, or so it seemed, to the pitch in Rocklin.<br />
<br />
Both teams had a number of new players and the coaches requested a brief session illustrating tackle, gate, last foot on D. It was agreed no kicking, except for touch, for the first 10 minutes. This mutual agreement last about one minute and no complaints/offsides arose.<br />
<br />
Sierra Foothills were a little surprised at the intensity and tackling of their younger foes. SF pushed hard with pick and drive, using their strong forward pack, but Sierra JC would not break. First try went to Sierra JC off a free kick for early scrum engagement. The Mens club was challenged to get back 10 and the Sierra JC backs took full advantage with Pate scoring under the posts. The kicker (hooker) forewarned me that his kicking style was "unorthodox". No tee was used; he held the ball upright on the ground with his index finger and simultaneously kicked. Needless to say it missed....<br />
<br />
The Men’s club woke up after that. They were much stronger and experienced in the scrums and it showed, damp ground adding to the effect. After sustained pressure and pick and drives the Men’s club #8 Nate scored a converted try using brute strength and straight forward running. 7-5 Men’s club.<br />
<br />
The remaining two periods saw good forward play and rather limited back play due to the slick conditions. Sierra JC tackled like no tomorrow, and the Men’s passage of play was many times inches away from a big break then little issues would crop up: knock on, penalty, etc.<br />
<br />
Close to half the Men’s club took a penalty conversion. 10-5.<br />
<br />
Try as they might, neither team came close to scoring for the remainder of the game. 10-5 Sierra Foothills Men in a physical game played with great sportsmanship.<br />
<br />
Sierra JC #12, from South Africa, had the hit of the day off a Men’s runner from ruck play.<br />
<br />
I enjoyed refereeing Pate, Niko, David and Jordan, four young men I coached in summer sevens a few years back. I also enjoyed refereeing Luigi, Brent Bueno and Dopson.<br />
<br />
Jim Goddard is doing a great job with the JC and Dave Faingold has instituted a great pattern of play for the Men’s club.<br />
<br />
FRESNO STATE women 17 - UCSC 7 Referee: Bruce Bernstein<br />
Match/scrimmage got moved to Marina because of last week’s rain.<br />
<br />
Fresno State in its first year has some great players who knew what to do including a big center with nice moves & dominant #8.<br />
<br />
When they play together even more & get scrum downs better they should be fighting in the playoffs.<br />
<br />
<br />
University of the Pacific 22 – FRESNO STATE 35 Referee: Giles Wilson<br />
UOP hosted Fresno St - the hosts were much smaller than the visitors but tacked hard and attacked the contact zone to great effect which knocked Fresno off their stride in the early stages.<br />
<br />
Both teams were well drilled and eventually the effects of making tackles and missing some conditioning during the recent storms wore down the very game UOP players. The first half ended 20 - 12 and the final was 35 - 22 in favour of Fresno.<br />
<br />
The teams then played a "third half" to get all the players on the field, many players from the first game carried on. This was played as two 20 minute halves with Fresno leading 21 - 0 at half time and 33 - 0 at the end.<br />
<br />
I was good to see Walt from Fresno and Kreg from UOP coaching these college teams; both have well drilled teams and they were a pleasure on the sidelines.<br />
<br />
<br />
ST. MARY’S 58 – Diablo Gaels 24 Referee: John Coppinger<br />
ARs: Rich Anderson, Bryant Byrnes<br />
It was a beautiful day for rugby at St. Mary's. Diablo Gaels roared out the gate to score two quick tries against St. Mary's, which seemed to unsettle the home side for the first part of the match. Diablo did not have the fitness to sustain the effort and sloppy handling and aimless kicks by the Diablo Gaels allowed the young Gaels to settle and then attack with power, pace, and advantage in numbers as the young Gaels of St. Mary's ran away 54-28. Diablo Gaels battled throughout scoring at the end of the match after the clock had expired fighting through many phrases of play and penalties by St. Mary's.<br />
<br />
Thanks to Rich Anderson and Bryant Brynes for their services as ARs.<br />
<br />
Olde Gaels 0 – DUENDES RFC 31 Referee: Jordan Bruno<br />
ARs: Matt Hetterman, Eric Rauscher<br />
A touring Argentinian side stopped off in Orinda on a crisp Wednesday evening to play the Olde Gaels. The Argentines arrived fresh from airport and seemed to be a bit jet-lagged during warmups--this quickly wore off as their side scored early, breaking through the Gaels defense and slotting down with a forward drive. The next try of the first half was handy work done by the Duendes backs, who were able to offload with ease in the tackle. The Gaels had a few opportunities to score in the first half, but were unable to secure ball in hand, leading to lost momentum. The start of the second half saw more speed in the Duendes backs leading to a couple of more tries. A more stalwart Gaels defense prevented the Argentines from running up the score, and great forward crashes saw a structured pack move upfield with progress. Overall, a great exhibition match. Many thanks to Matt Hetterman and Eric Rauscher for running at AR, to David Williamson for post match commentary, and to John Compaglia for hosting a great match.<br />
<br />
St Mary's 3rds 42 – Diablo Gaels 2nds 15 Referee: Bryant Byrnes<br />
A beautiful day for a fistful of games in Moraga; this was the first match of four.<br />
This being early days for both teams, the younger fellows were well matched by the Gaels forwards in the pack and lineout. But in spite of Tim's earnest claim of ''new guys'', the St Mary's backline literally galloped against a backline that really was shaking hands for the first time.<br />
<br />
<br />
EPA RAZORBACKS 46 – Bay Barbarians 10 Referee: Bruce Ricard<br />
The game started 30 minutes late, on a nice grass pitch with freshly drawn line. Apparently the line drawer was drunk, and the pitch looked a bit like an Australian football field with its curvy lines. The 2 inches wide lanes also gave me a lot of trouble during the whole game...<br />
<br />
The game started on a nice pace, with the Barbarians scoring a try in the first minutes of the game. The Razorbacks passed a penalty kick from the 22 a few minutes later. The Razorbacks had a difficult start, someone who knows the team could say "as usual", but they had a very good game after the first 10 minutes. The game was pretty even the whole game, but the Barbarians were way to undisciplined, maybe due to the quite large amount of new players in the team, which gave the home team a lot of penalty kicks.<br />
<br />
Some of the new players in the Razorbacks' senior team had their skill level improve a lot in the last year. Especially one prop, who made a few 10m breaks though the defense, and pushed his team forward.<br />
<br />
<br />
UC Santa Cruz women 7 – FRESNO STATE 17 Referee: Bruce Bernstein<br />
Match/scrimmage got moved to Marina because of last week’s rain.<br />
<br />
Fresno State in its first year has some great players who knew what to do including a big center with nice moves & dominant #8.<br />
<br />
When they play together even more & get scrum downs better they should be fighting in the playoffs.<br />
<br />
CHICO MIGHTY OAKS 34 – Sacramento Capitals 22 Referee: Ray Schwartz<br />
Dec 8th, after a 3-hour volunteer workday w/ 30 shovels helping to grade out the pitch at Bidwell Middle School, Chico<br />
<br />
I was originally scheduled to ref in Santa Rosa but opted instead to go ref where two teams were legitimately registered w/ USA Rugby. Hard to believe these guys would not have had a ref if I hadn't switched at the 11th hour.<br />
<br />
I arrived at Bidwell Middle School (the site of a gopher infested rolling moor of a pitch John Coppinger had declared "the worst field ever" last spring) to see not enough cars to represent two teams, but an old baby blue Mt. Zion Baptist school bus. Made my way to the pitch and sure enough two sides were warming up, and the fence was lined w/ 30 well used shovels.<br />
<br />
Though the bus surely helped, this match surely proved how tough it can be for a DII to travel in the preseason. I had reffed the Caps at home just a few weeks earlier, and this side was missing some key players. But, opportunity for others to step up. Out of the gate, however, Chico was sharper, and jumped out to a 10-0 lead after the first 20 minutes. Chico always seemed to have the upper hand, though the Caps appeared dangerous at times. Lots of hand-to-hand combat and fierce tackling.<br />
<br />
The Caps got in the try zone once but failed to convincingly dot it down. The same player did not make the same mistake again when in the tryzone next. Midway though the final 20 the Caps brought it to within 3, at 20-17. But Chico finished strongly w/ 2 converted tries.<br />
<br />
A nice BBQ at the pitch, some time to relax in the sun, and then the Caps (and the bus) were gone. A relaxing shower and beverage lead to the Bear where the spirited Mighty Oaks held their annual Ugly Xmas Sweater party.<br />
<br />
December 15<br />
<br />
Chico Holiday (hypothermic) Classic<br />
Dec 15th, Bidwell Middle School<br />
Refs: Favor Taueva, Mark Godfrey, Sean Peters, Ray Schwartz<br />
This poor event seemed destined to be rained out! First scheduled, then rescheduled and finally rescheduled again as a rain or shine event... the field dwindled as the timing now conflicted w/ Finals week at schools. Chico Mighty Oaks started out at 10am vs Colusa, w/ Favor at the whistle, and as I diligently tried to take referee coaching notes, the light drizzle started and never stopped. My pen eventually failed! Sean Peters reffed Shasta v Vacaville as I debriefed w/ Favor. Mark Godfrey would ref the Chico Women v Humboldt St, but Humboldt was snowed in, unable to come over the pass to attend, so Chico women played a good intersquad match and then went home to shower, warm up and study.<br />
<br />
As the Men's games resumed it was now a light rain, constant and cold. Favor handled the Mighty Oaks v Shasta, I took Colusa v Vacaville, Favor got Chico Mighty Oaks again, this time v Vacaville (playing back to back). But whereas Vacaville stayed warm, Chico could not warm up... hypothermia was setting in! No 2nd women's game, no Colusa v Shasta... we ended early, took long showers and enjoyed the warmth of good company at the Bear soon enough. Favor made some good adjustments on the day. He will make for a very good ref this season, very useful.<br />
<br />
Colusa, not the strongest team on the pitch, clearly won the party! Hats off to the fighting rice farmers!<br />
<br />
SF/Golden Gate seconds 28 – OLDE GAELS 43 Referee: Paul Bretz<br />
Gaels beat SFGG2 43-28 in their preseason match. Both teams showed a lot of potential. On a personal note Gaels started 4 players that played for my high school team several years ago.<br />
<br />
SFGG 84 - EPA Razorbacks 0 Referee: John Coppinger<br />
This match was billed as the EPA Bulldogs at SF/GG and SF/GG and I were surprised to see the EPA Razorbacks stroll into the SF/GG grounds on TI.<br />
<br />
The Razorbacks fielded a young side with relatively little experience and never really put SF/GG under pressure as SF/GG ran past and over EPA 84-0. SF/GG was slowed by the weather conditions as a steady rain fell throughout the match.<br />
<br />
<br />
Santa Rosa 18 – SAC LIONS 32 Referee: Phil Akroyd<br />
There were two main headlines to this game. The first being that Santa Rosa were all over this game for the first 35 minutes and the second that mistakes dominated.<br />
<br />
The field was heavy, conditions cold and wet with plenty of knock-ons. In fact there were three occasions of attacking players knocking on in-goal. Rosa scored first, Lions countered with two tries, then Rosa kept it interesting with a penalty goal just before half, making it 10-12 to the Lions at half. They turned it on in the second half but there were still plenty of mistakes from both sides. A pretty entertaining pre-season game.<br />
<br />
Seconds: SANTA ROSA 29 – Sacramento Lions 17 Ref: Akroyd<br />
<br />
<br />
Stanislaus 12 - SIERRA FOOTHILLS RENEGADES 39 Referee: Bryant Byrnes<br />
An early season match in lovely Turlock on a gray day in its sunken fields (part of the Pacific Flyway?). At half, the new guys led 15-5 over Stanislaus. Stanislaus went to the D3 playoffs year, but is experiencing the bane of Valley rugby-reloading every season. For this match they fielded 8, 9 new guys to replace that number who are not back.<br />
<br />
On the other hand, Sierra Foothills Renegades are the offspring of the junior college team of the same name; at least half played with the JC team. They also had an interesting infusion of Sac City JC football players, studs but new to the sport.<br />
<br />
The Renegades won fair and square, but Stanislaus made them work for it. Game highlight-several excellent red zone defensive stands by the Renegades.<br />
<br />
SEAHAWKS 26 – Sierra 25 Referee: Bruce Ricard<br />
<br />
Seahawk B 0 – SIERRA A (playing again) 22 Referee: James Hinkin<br />
On a cold wet Saturday there was still rugby to be played and only the Mayan Apocalypse could stop it. Fortunately that is the following Friday so after the A side match the teams regrouped and did it all again. Sierra was expecting the local JC to travel with them and play the B side but that never materialized leaving the A side to play both matches. The captains agreed to 20 minute halves, the kickoff and defensive ends were decided and we were off.<br />
<br />
The Seahawks have a squad deep enough to fill out 2 sides comfortably in December so that is a good sign for them, but at this point there are too many inexperienced players. This, of course, is why they need to play these games but the lack of rugby nous was exploited by the veteran Sierra side. Case in point: I called a “rookie reset” on a scrum because the Seahawk flanker kicked the ball out of the Sierra scrumhalf’s hands as he was putting it in. Things were explained and we moved on. The Seahawks never really looked like scoring because every time they started to get close to the Sierra 22 they either foolishly kicked away possession or bad passes/knock ons would kill the move. Sierra, while making their share of mistakes as well, were far more clinical and had a couple of runners that were very hard to stop. Look out for a dreadlocked center (or flanker?) who is a powerful runner and a strong tackler when he remembers to use his arms.<br />
<br />
That being said, there are some athletes there on both sides and with coaching and experience they will do well.<br />
<br />
THIS WEEK’S PHOTO<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NM98FBLzb5o/UOJcuNEAGYI/AAAAAAAAAas/6brTtMU5gLg/s1600/Santican.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="320" width="232" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NM98FBLzb5o/UOJcuNEAGYI/AAAAAAAAAas/6brTtMU5gLg/s320/Santican.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
This reminds us of why we need to get away from the keyboard now…<br />
<br />
HAIL, PELICUS!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22683413.post-44671235536396930272012-12-05T19:45:00.000-08:002012-12-31T19:46:02.084-08:00SHOPPING FOR RUGBYHAIL, PELICUS! <br />
<br />
GAME TONIGHT<br />
<br />
Would you like to see a good match this evening? The Old Gaels will be playing Duenas from Argentina at 7 PM in Orinda.<br />
<br />
The game will be at the Orinda Sports Fields just north of Highway 24 on Camino Pablo. Jordan Bruno will referee. Matt Hetterman is one AR – wanna be the other?<br />
<br />
REFEREES NEEDED DECEMBER 8<br />
<br />
We need three or four refs this coming Saturday, including one in Chico and one in Humboldt.<br />
<br />
December 15 is covered. Thanks to the even dozen refs who are available.<br />
<br />
GAMES DECEMBER 1<br />
<br />
Baracus over-thirty 30 – BARACUS under-thirty 62 Referee: Eric Rauscher<br />
TJs from club<br />
I woke up Saturday morning to pouring down rain. Great, a good soaking day, and I wasn't really looking forward to it.<br />
<br />
The game had been moved from a grass field to an synth turf field, Franklin Park in SF. As I got to the SF side of the bridge, the rain let up, and it did not start raining again until after the last period of play.<br />
<br />
This game is their annual "old boys" vs young whipper-snappers. The game was played in five 20 min periods, with time for re-adjusts in between. The final score does not do justice to the level of play early on. Period by period the score line ran<br />
10/22/27/30/30 and 14/21/31/43/62. As can be seen, the first couple of periods were pretty close, but young legs are a real asset towards the end.<br />
<br />
Once again youth won out over beauty. The old boys displayed a better feel for play and savvy of the game, but feeding the ball out to the young backs made the difference.<br />
<br />
One interesting thing was two drop kicks by the old boys. It is not very often you see one in a game let alone two, and both were set up and thing of beauty to watch. There was a lot of chatter by both sides. If it had been a regular season game I think I would have clamped down on it, but it wasn't mean-spirited, mostly just banter among friends.<br />
<br />
<br />
Maritime Academy 26 – ALUMNI 36 Referee: Bruce Ricard<br />
A lot of players were on campus to play this game. About 50 students, and 25 alumni. The game started under a light shine, which stopped pretty quickly to let the backs play their game.<br />
<br />
The alumni scored the first try of the game after their left prop got tackled 2 feet from the goal line, and reached this line with the ball in a beautiful single movement. After that I believe that only back tries were scored, which is not that surprising when you know how this team plays.<br />
<br />
The game was pretty balanced, but the students went to the break with a 9 point benefit. (21 - 12)<br />
<br />
Both teams came back on the field with the energy to win the game, and both teams scored early in the half. At the beginning of the last quarter, the students were leading 26-24.<br />
<br />
The coaches told me at the beginning of the game that the alumni were old and out of shape. I was expecting the students to kill the game in the last 20 minutes, but the alumni found the energy to finish the game, and scored 2 more tries to take the lead for the first time 10 minutes before the end, and to finally win the game. Final score 36 - 26.<br />
<br />
The new players of the team wanted to play some more rugby to get experience, so a second 25-minute half game was organized between those players as the rain started to fall. They for sure got experience playing under wet conditions.<br />
<br />
Stanford men: WHITE 34 – Cardinal 29 Referee: John Coppinger<br />
On the very dry oasis of Steuber Rugby Field in the middle of a very drenched Northern California, the White side held on to overcome the Cardinal side 34-29 in a preseason inter-squad match. Lots of running and a great way to start the season. I only had to reset the scrum once for lapsing into the old engagement sequence.<br />
<br />
Stanford women: White – Cardinal Referee: Bob Polito<br />
No score reported. The ref said he had fun.<br />
<br />
<br />
RAIN-OUTS:<br />
San Jose State – Opponent<br />
Seconds: San Jose State – Opponent<br />
<br />
NO REPORTS RECEIVED:<br />
<br />
Santa Rosa – UC Davis Referee: Matt Hetterman<br />
Seconds: Santa Rosa – UC Davis Referee: Giles Wilson<br />
<br />
St. Mary's – Vacaville Referee: George O'Neil<br />
<br />
GROWING THE GAME<br />
<br />
A level one referee course was taught at Bellarmine in San Jose on Sunday, with 56 students in attendance. People from elsewhere always think your scribe is exaggerating when he says we have courses with such numbers.<br />
<br />
There’s something about the first week in December: we taught one with 45 students last December 4 at Campolindo.<br />
<br />
In line with that, I spent Saturday at the Los Gatos youth team’s first practice with my grandson. This club was founded by Chris Fisher two years ago. Now it has almost 200 members. This is just a reflection of what’s happening all over Pelicanland, and elsewhere.<br />
<br />
Encourage everyone who loves the game to take up a whistle from time to time. Absent easy cloning of existing referees, this will be the only real solution to our growing problem.<br />
<br />
HAIL, PELICUS!<br />
<br />
For the Senate<br />
Pelicus ScriptorisUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22683413.post-32160030859817545002012-11-27T17:11:00.000-08:002012-12-04T17:11:52.467-08:00TOO BUSY TO BEAKHAIL, PELICUS! <br />
<br />
REFEREEING IN DECEMBER<br />
<br />
December 1<br />
We are showing ten full games plus a tournament in Chico this Saturday, and only six refs available at press time.<br />
<br />
The Chico Holiday Classic was delayed from November 17 on account of rain. They may have hit an unfortunate daily double with the current forecast. But if not -they are going to need referees.<br />
<br />
Let us know if you can do a game in:<br />
Chico (two pitches all day)<br />
Humboldt (two games)<br />
Santa Rosa (two games)<br />
San Francisco<br />
Stanford (two games)<br />
<br />
December 5<br />
Night game in Orinda<br />
<br />
December 7<br />
Night game at Maritime<br />
<br />
December 8<br />
Stockton<br />
St. Mary’s (four games)<br />
Ukiah<br />
Santa Cruz<br />
<br />
December 15<br />
Only one game on the list so far, but expect a few more<br />
<br />
THIS WEEK’S PHOTO<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zHxrbYkPN4o/UL6fLNnEvaI/AAAAAAAAAaU/hL9j309OKxY/s1600/Coaches%2BPanel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="181" width="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zHxrbYkPN4o/UL6fLNnEvaI/AAAAAAAAAaU/hL9j309OKxY/s320/Coaches%2BPanel.jpg" /></a> <br />
The Coaches Panel at the annual pre-season meeting of the NCRRS on November 17 featured Matt Sherman, John Cullom and Mike Caravelli (right foreground) and was moderated by Preston Gordon (hidden by pole).<br />
<br />
The assembled society hangs on to their every word.<br />
<br />
HAIL, PELICUS!<br />
<br />
For the Senate<br />
Pelicus ScriptorisUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22683413.post-75859741390259559582012-11-14T13:46:00.000-08:002012-11-20T13:46:44.108-08:00ALL BLUES AGAINHAIL, PELICUS! <br />
<br />
PROMOTIONS<br />
<br />
Three referees have earned the C3 grade recently: Austin Brown, Neil MacDonald, and Stephen Valerio.<br />
<br />
If you see any of these worthies, they owe you a drink…<br />
<br />
SOCIETY ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING THIS SATURDAY<br />
<br />
Plan to be at the Golden Gate clubhouse this Saturday, November 17, for our first meeting of the 2013 season. The meeting will be from 10 until 3. Early arrivals will find breakfast snacks and rugby conversation.<br />
<br />
Our first speaker will be Ed Todd, the original Pelican Ref.<br />
<br />
ALUMNA<br />
From Phil Akroyd in Florida:<br />
<br />
The WPL final was reffed by Anna McMahon, who started as a ref in 2007 in NorCal. I think we can chalk that one up to the Pelicans.<br />
<br />
I should also mention that Berkeley won again!<br />
<br />
GAMES<br />
<br />
MARITIME ACADEMY 25 –Univ. of the Pacific 7 Referee: Jen Tetler<br />
Another chance to referee at the beautiful new pitch at Cal Maritime. The first half started out with both teams ready to play, though it was a "friendly" game to start off the season. Cal Maritime dominated the first half and scored two tries, but UOP kept up their intensity and scored in the last minute of the half off a penalty quick tap. The first half ended with a score of 10-7. CMU opened it up a little more in the second half and got 3 unanswered tries. Two of them were beautiful 8-picks off of scrums. Unfortunately, CMU was having a little trouble with their kicks, and didn't make any conversions. Final score: 25-7 CMU.<br />
<br />
MARITIME ACADEMY 24 – Sonoma State 12 Referee: Donagh O'Mahoney<br />
Very good game. As it was a training game we played 4, 20 minute periods. Both sides trying to play open rugby and it was played in good spirits.<br />
<br />
Maritime were the better team for the opening 20 minutes and opened the scoring with a well-worked try in the last play of the first 20 mins to lead 7-0. The balance of the match was even with Sonoma scoring 2 tries with 1 converted to Maritimes 3 with one conversion.<br />
<br />
At Sheeran Field: Bald Eagles 17 – VANCOUVER ROWING CLUB 49 Referee: James Hinkin<br />
AR: JC Van Staden – many thanks<br />
San Francisco was showing off for our northern visitors and you could not have picked a better day for rugby. The match was played on the Gaelic Football fields a few blocks up from the SFGG clubhouse and the field, while erratically lined, was in great shape. This will be significant later. I showed up to see both teams with most of their members ready, although the lads from Canada were a little bleary eyed after what was apparently an epic drinking session the night before. Once everyone was present and accounted for we set out the ground rules for the match (VRC player: 5 minute halves sound just about right) it was decided to play 4 15 minute periods with the Bald Eagles playing their A side for the first 2 periods and their B side for the final 2 periods.<br />
<br />
The match started with some early pressure by the Americans that almost resulted in a try. After busting through the defense with ease the Bald Eagle #8 strolled into the try zone and dove beneath the posts to ground the ball. The only problem is that the posts were on the dead ball line not the try line so he succeeded in giving the opposition a 22 meter drop. After the laughter died down and I told him that I had explained to both captains where the posts were before the match.<br />
<br />
We restarted and the Bald Eagles took the ball back towards the goal line. This time, the CBE ball carrier was determined not to make the same mistake and once he broke free and saw the line he dove and grounded the ball... about 3 meters short. He had grounded it over a Gaelic line. The third time was the charm as the Bald Eagles were able to finally turn their pressure into points and score a legitimate try.<br />
<br />
By now the Vancouver side had shook the cobwebs free and almost immediately replied with a try of their own. The first period ended tied at 5 apiece. The second period was another back and forth affair with the only score being to the visitors who ended the A game with a 10-5 lead.<br />
<br />
The third period saw the Bald Eagles put in their B side and it showed as the Vancouver team started scoring at will. 4 tries in the third period put the game out of reach but was notable for possibly the best training ground move I have ever seen. A scrum to Vancouver deep in their end was spun out to the fly half who ran about 3 steps and put the ball on the ground. The center then ran to the ball and FLIPPED IT OFF THE GROUND BETWEEN HIS LEGS to the onrushing weak side winger who ran the length of the field untouched. Timed perfectly that move had both sides cheering and shaking their heads in amazement.<br />
<br />
The final period was a bit more balanced as the Bald Eagles were able to put 2 tries on the board to eh VRC’s 3 and the match ended at 49-17 to the visitors.<br />
<br />
Then we drank beer.<br />
<br />
Final score: Bald Eagles 17 – Vancouver Rowing Club 49<br />
<br />
[Editor’s Note: This description of the ‘training ground move’ reminds me of a play from a Pebble Beach final in the mid-eighties.<br />
<br />
[The Combined London Old Boys had kicked the crap out of everyone they’d met. Your writer knows – he played for Monterey against them in the first match on the main pitch.<br />
<br />
[The final was against the Old Blues, at the time perennial USA champs. But CLOB continued to dazzle.<br />
<br />
[From a lineout about midfield, they won the ball and spun it. To the outside center. Who caught it on a full sprint, placed it on the ground about ten meters from touch, and kept running. His wing ran along in parallel with him, downfield and away from the ball.<br />
<br />
[The ball was just lying there as they ran away. The Blues all started to move toward it – leaving any defensive organization behind. Who has practiced defending something like this?<br />
<br />
[But the fullback – he had been lined up very deeply. He ran onto the ball and fly-hacked it on a dead run, all the way across the pitch, to the far-side winger who had been precisely on-side, caught it in stride and jogged the rest of the way for a (four-point) try.]<br />
<br />
ST. MARY’S thirds 58 – U. of San Francisco 10 Referee: Jordan Bruno<br />
A warmup scrimmage for the upcoming season saw St. Mary's 3rd side score early and often. USF showed good defense at the ruck, but St. Mary's forward pack was too powerful a force to compete with in open play. USF's defensive backline did well to stop the St. Mary's backs from making too many breaks down the field in the first half. A few missed tackle assignments led to St. Mary's tries later in the match. USF had great opportunities to score in the first half with solid drives by a few standout forwards. Overall, a great friendly.<br />
<br />
SACRAMENTO CAPITALS 60 – Modesto Harlots 17 Referee: Ray Schwartz<br />
AR: Mark Godfrey<br />
Danny Nunn Park, Sacramento<br />
Very preseason for both teams, Modesto seemed to have arrived early but lacked front row players, the game eventually got started with a borrowed prop. And at the first scrum Sacramento’s loosehead “Vince,” a nice guy, but a 400-pound monster of a man, asserted himself. He seemed to back off from there, but clearly, if Vince keeps playing and getting fitter, he’ll be a force. He would later score and convert his try with a drop goal.<br />
<br />
The Caps came out strong and confidence built as they scored 26 points in the first 20-minute period. Subs came in for both teams in the next quarter, and a carload of ruggers from South Valley turned up wearing Modesto uniforms. The game changed, becoming decidedly more competitive. Modesto outscored Sac 17-12 over the next 40 minutes, but injury and fitness took its toll as Sac scored 4 more unanswered tries over the last 20 minutes. A speedy Fijian back scored early, and again late. Where had he been all game, I asked? Out of the middle periods w/ a little injury.<br />
<br />
A nice day, nice crowd, some talented players on display. I’d like to mention two: Rollan Pacheco of Modesto, so small and skinny you’d hardly notice him (5’ 9” and 150 lbs wet), but the kid can play! He started playing at age 17 and now at 19, the former pole vaulter, gymnast and high school football player has found his niche. His ability to pounce on a mistake and elude tacklers was breathtaking.<br />
<br />
Justin Mano played in only his 2nd game at flyhalf for the Caps (just beginning his 2nd season of play). The 21-year old Samoan looks the part: Fit, strong, great intensity, good passing and kicking skills. Late in the game, Mano dialed up an “I” formation backline off a scrum center, that sent his support players every which way, and cut his Fijian flyer free for his 2nd try. Executed perfectly, it was impressive.<br />
<br />
The party rolled to a Sacramento classic, the Club 2-Me, where we feasted on delicious grub and tasty beers. Things are looking bright for the Caps. Coach Jason Crother (also the chef!) recognizes the club bottomed out last season trying to compete at D1 with a number of D2 players. The club is rebuilding with new faces and a new attitude. A lot of decent Sac St. ruggers are sticking around to play, which is of course a very good thing. Many thanks to AR Mark Godfrey.<br />
<br />
Saturday at CSUMB:<br />
<br />
There’s been a passing of the torch at this Monterey Bay-side campus, with last year’s driving force Ryan Scott giving up his rugby responsibilities in order to be able to graduate next month. Marc Ferguson has stepped up, with the help of a slate of newly-elected player-officers, to try to build on the momentum of last year for this young program.<br />
<br />
This was the third time they’ve been allowed to play on the soccer fields, the two gorgeous pitches that the 49ers built on campus and donated to the university. It may also be the last: their rugby pitch is being sodded this week and the soccer players can keep to themselves.<br />
<br />
Three games were laid on. It was sunny but the first cold day of the year, the wind brisk off the bay, spectators bundled by blankets into groups of three and four.<br />
<br />
Craig Lusiani was there – a once and future Pelican, to judge from our conversation. Craig is practicing law in Carmel and perhaps he thought he’d lost the rugby jones when he moved here from Sacramento.<br />
<br />
Seconds: CAL POLY 51 – San Jose State 5 Referee: Bruce Carter<br />
The Spartans of San Jose State played all three games – good on them. The Mustangs of Cal Poly played two games, while competing in and hosting the California Sevens at home at the same time – good on them. And the hosts, as you will see, made a nice 2013 debut in front of their fans – good on them, too.<br />
<br />
San Jose State scored first, a well-worked multi-phase try in the right corner. Celebrations all around – then the deluge.<br />
<br />
Cal Poly’s horses ran wild. I guess that’s what mustangs do, by definition.<br />
<br />
Cal Poly 15 – SAN JOSE STATE 31 Referee: Neil MacDonald<br />
Referee Coach: Bruce Carter<br />
SLO hauled San Jose back from a 10-0 lead, only for San Jose to get back in front with a converted try right on half time. San Jose scored two more converted tries in the second half before SLO scored just before full time.<br />
<br />
CSUMB 39 – San Jose State 0 Referee: Eric Rauscher<br />
ARs: Bruce Carter, Neil MacDonald<br />
Sunny with a constant cool breeze coming off the bay. I arrived at CSUMB for the last of three games that day. Bruce and Neil did the first and second and I got the home team match-up. The pitch is the field that the 49rs built as their practice field, and as I understand it, only used for six weeks. CSUMB is actually building a rugby-specific field with full sized pitch, bleachers etc that is supposed to go into action for this upcoming season.<br />
<br />
The game was a pretty lop-sided affair as can be noticed by the score. Each game that day was two 30 min periods, and SJSU had already played two games so they were pretty tuckered out. The funny thing was that SJSU dominated the scrum like nobody's business. At CSUMB's put ins, they normally found themselves going backwards with the ball won by the opposition. At one point I had to remind the CSUMB scrumhalf that even though they were getting pushed around, he still had to put the ball in straight.<br />
<br />
One unusual play happened after I awarded a penalty to CSUMB. They elected to kick for touch, but the ball was shanked so badly that it traveled about one or two meters forward and pretty much directly for the touch line. A CSUMB played caught it on the run and made 5/10 meters forward until being shepherded into touch with the lineout going to SJSU. It was one of those "I don't think I have ever seen that before" moments. Basically, a foot-pass.<br />
<br />
In the last quarter of play, CSUMB sent a couple of players in and the game took on an Islander feel. Long passes back from a tackle and across field for a very wide open style of play. One pass off a tackle in the middle of the pitch went back at a 45 degree angle and traveled at least 20-25 meters. Another of those moments.<br />
<br />
All in all a good day with my thanks to Bruce and Neil sticking around to AR for me.<br />
<br />
Fog men 5 – RENO ZEPHYRS 46 Referee: Stephen Valerio<br />
It was a good rugby day.<br />
<br />
A 50 hour hiatus between 2 business trips gave me the opportunity to pick up a match and I was rewarded with a match under sunny skies and the temperature comfortably in the 50s. Cool enough to run around in comfortably and the spectators weren't freezing.<br />
<br />
After taking care of the pre-game matters, I looked over to the sideline to see the cheerleaders (?!?!) getting ready. This was a definite first for me and they kept going strong after 2 games, plus an extra half. A nice touch by the Fog.<br />
<br />
The game kicked off and Reno rapidly struck for 12 points. While the pack and breakdowns went back and forth, the potent Reno backs took advantage of any gaps in the defensive line. The Fog picked up a try but 2 more by Reno before the break left them comfortably ahead. The second half found Reno holding a decided territorial advantage from which their backs were able to strike for 4 more tries. While a lack of front row forwards meant the last couple of scrums were uncontested, the match kept moving overall (though there were some long breaks at the scrums while we waited for all the forwards to join). Both sides kept the ball moving and generally in hand, which made for a fun match to cover.<br />
<br />
For a final touch, several World War II era aircraft flew overhead as the match wound down. While I can't be sure the flyover was for the ruggers, I'd like to think so.<br />
<br />
<br />
Fog seconds – UNR Referee: Bruce Ricard<br />
We played 3 periods (30 + 30 + 20), on this first cold Saturday of the year.<br />
UNR really dominated the first 2 periods, scoring 8 tries against 0, despite the two yellow cards received for not staying on their feet at the rucks. In the 3rd period, FOG used more players from their first team, and both teams scored 2 tries.<br />
<br />
SUNDAY, Nov. 11<br />
<br />
Stanford Sevens College Qualifier<br />
Referees: Jen Tetler, Tony Levitan, John Pohlman, Neil MacDonald, Bruce Carter<br />
ARs: Mike King (10 games), Eugene Baker (11 games)<br />
Referee Coach: David Williamson<br />
Videographer: Bruce Carter<br />
<br />
Report by John Pohlman:<br />
This past Sunday Stanford women's 7's hosted Oregon State, Cal. Chico State and Santa Clara University in a national qualifier.<br />
<br />
Not sure on the details of qualifying. One of the coaches said Cal and Oregon State had already qualified. Those two teams were clearly the best in this qualifier.<br />
<br />
My first game was Stanford versus Cal. Cal scored three trys in the first half and another three in the second, with two converted for a 34-14 win.<br />
<br />
Next was Santa Clara versus Chico State. The first half was pretty even. Half time score Chico 14 Santa Clara 7.<br />
<br />
Chico's bigger player broke through tackles and controlled the second half. Final score Chico State 43 Santa Clara 7.<br />
<br />
The final pool game saw Cal. playing Oregon State. This would be repeated for the final an hour or so later.<br />
<br />
Very good game. Oregon State played better sevens and pretty much all their players were skilled, fast and tackled well.<br />
<br />
#10 was the standout player of the tournament. She made try-saving breakaway tackles, poached ball and generally ran the back-line. She told me she had been playing for 6 years.<br />
<br />
Of note, once play began there was no distinction in player positions for Oregon State.<br />
<br />
Cal won and controlled the first half with two trys. Half time score Cal. 10 Oregon State 7.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately Cal lost two players to injury. Their captain Aubry and a winger who may have been the fastest player in the tournament.<br />
<br />
With these two off Oregon State scored two trys to none for a 17-10 win.<br />
<br />
This was a great game to referee and possibly the best game of the tournament. Before the game I wondered if both teams would play the best players. I was certainly hoping so. I believe both had already qualified for the finals.<br />
<br />
Thanks for a great game to officiate.<br />
<br />
Report by Bruce Carter:<br />
This was a great event, professionally run, with programs, announcers, and keen Sevens players on parade.<br />
<br />
We started with frost on the grass but by the time the sun was above the yardarm it was comfy and nice. You could work up a sweat during a match and not miss it afterwards.<br />
<br />
Stanford and Oregon State had won their opening games handily, so I anticipated their matchup.<br />
<br />
Stanford 0 – OREGON STATE 38<br />
The Beavers have some dynamic players, including two Hannahs at the halfbacks, who ruck/tackle/run/pass/score interchangeably.<br />
<br />
Hannah Lockwood, the captain, is the best Sevens player I’ve seen in the women’s game this side of Las Vegas. She isn’t large but wins solo counter-rucks several times per match.<br />
<br />
OREGON STATE 19 – Chico State 15<br />
Chico State was in it from the start, controlling the ball for two minutes and scoring a try. But Oregon State is disciplined and all seven players support, loop, and take a perpendicular to the try line when they get the ball.<br />
<br />
3rd place: STANFORD 17 – Chico State 12<br />
This game demonstrates the fallacy of reasoning by relative scores, which suggests Chico State by 34.<br />
<br />
Stanford has the big-game experience from fifteens and is learning how to play up in Sevens as well.<br />
<br />
Report by Jen Tetler<br />
STANFORD 40 – Santa Clara 0<br />
The tournament kicked off at 9am with Santa Clara looking a little small (in numbers) compared to Stanford. Santa Clara put up a strong fight, but Stanford had a few people who were great at running through tackles and giving stiff-arms. Stanford scored 3 tries each half, while keeping Santa Clara to none. Final score was 40-0.<br />
<br />
OREGON STATE 61 – Santa Clara 0<br />
It was clear who was the dominant team in this match-up when Oregon State received the kickoff and ran for a try in the first minute. Oregon State had a few really fast girls, and their kicker was excellent. Santa Clara just couldn't get the Oregon girls down. Oregon had some nice passes and changed the field really well to get where the defense wasn't. Santa Clara didn't give up, though, and kept playing through the second half. The final score was 61-0.<br />
<br />
11/9/2012 – WOMEN’S NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS Fort Myers, FL<br />
Report by Phil Akroyd:<br />
<br />
Pittsburgh Angels 21 - 12 Norfolk Storm<br />
This game took place on Friday lunchtime in the beautiful Fort Myers, FL. It was the location of the Women's National Championships, which we were using for the second half of the Level 3 course. The games afforded the opportunity to display on field competencies, in front of the assembled Performance Reviewers and IRB Educators.<br />
<br />
I felt less than ready to impress, as I got off the red-eye that had departed Sacramento at 11:45pm on Thursday evening and arrived in Florida, via Atlanta, at 10:00am. I'd had a solid three hours sleep on the plane, then headed to the fields.<br />
<br />
The venue was in the "Fenway Two" complex that houses JetBlue Park - a very impressive, purpose-built minor league baseball park used by the Red Sox for Spring Training. We were in the shadow of the stadium, on the multi-use fields, that resembled the Las Vegas Invitational fields surrounding Sam Boyd Stadium. That may be a little harsh as they weren't quite as dry and firm as Vegas, but equally large and fast.<br />
<br />
I had one of the DII Quarter Final Games and had a pretty good time. The good thing about Championship tournaments is that it's win or go home, and the quality of play tends to rise a little. From looking at the pre-game warm-ups, Norfolk looked the more athletic and more organized but Pittsburg were no slackers. The Angels took a fourteen point lead, but Norfolk came back with twelve points in the final three minutes leading up to half-time. That made it interesting and more pleasing for me, their second try came after a long period of advantage that I was in two minds whether to call back. Glad I gave them the opportunity to play!<br />
<br />
The game held at 14-12 for most of the second half, but the Angels scored on an interception try late in the second half to seal it 21-12. Both teams were great and a pleasure to ref. They made it really easy for me to just get out of the way and let them play a very fast, competitive game.<br />
<br />
11/11/12<br />
Norfolk Storm 19 - 24 Las Vegas<br />
Sunday is trophy day, but not for all teams, particularly Norfolk Storm and Las Vegas. That's OK, because the good thing about rugby is that players want to win, even if it's just for the sake of winning.<br />
<br />
This was the 5/6 place DII decider, but it felt like the WPL Final. Norfolk took an early 3-0 lead with a penalty goal, but then Las Vegas went out to 3-21 in a pretty short period. However, just like in the Friday game, Norfolk put points on the board just before half, making it 8-21. Without too much exaggeration, there could not have been more than eight penalties in the first half. There were just long periods of extended play, and as the weather was already in the mid-70s by half-time, the players were starting to feel it. More specifically, Vegas were starting to feel it.<br />
<br />
The Nevadans were a considerably bigger team and it later turned out that Norfolk's game plan was to play fast and hard and rely on their athleticism to pull through the second half. They clawed their way back with another two penalty goals - yes, that was three by now - making it 16-21. The game was pulling in players, officials, spectators and everyone around. I could feel the tension building, the players sounding more hectic, the sniff of blood in the water and Norfolk were trying to bite.<br />
<br />
With fifteen to go, Las Vegas appeared to have given themselves a little more breathing room with their own penalty goal (now a total of four) at 16-24 but Norfolk did as Vegas predicted - "They are going to come back at us with their hair on fire!"<br />
<br />
Just three minutes later, the Vegas left-wing took down her Norfolk opposition with a high-tackle, outside the twenty-two and between the 15m and 5m. Again, a shot at goal, and another three points with the score at 19-24 (take note NorCal D1 men, this is a women's D2 game with five difficult but successful shots at goal).<br />
<br />
The final thirteen minutes were a joy to be a part of. (Lady) balls-out rugby for no other reason than playing to win and displaying hard running, great hands and good tactics. I just had a smile on my face all the way through. The game went down to the wire but Norfolk could not pull it off. Oh well. Both teams were fantastic and made me fall in love with the game again. Great weather, in Florida for the weekend, hanging out with rugby types and enjoying reffing good teams with nice players and coaches. It does happen every so often.<br />
<br />
THIS WEEK’S PHOTO<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TG7yReaTgEg/UKv6GxKjVeI/AAAAAAAAAaA/Ptjx13CV4Vc/s1600/English%2BAles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="181" width="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TG7yReaTgEg/UKv6GxKjVeI/AAAAAAAAAaA/Ptjx13CV4Vc/s320/English%2BAles.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
Refs in Monterey often end up at English Ales in Marina, as here you see Neil MacDonald and Eric Rauscher. This is also often the destination after mountain bike rides on Fort Ord. We know a Salinas resident who would be happy to take you there and stand you a pint.<br />
<br />
HAIL, PELICUS!<br />
<br />
For the Senate<br />
Pelicus ScriptorisUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22683413.post-1266708288977917012012-11-07T10:44:00.001-08:002012-11-07T10:44:19.597-08:00I VOTED FOR RUGBYHAIL, PELICUS! <br />
<br />
ANDREW MITTRY MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT<br />
Report by Bruce Carter<br />
<br />
I moved to San Francisco in June of 1980, having towed my Toyota Corolla behind a 24-foot Ryder truck containing my and my roommate-to-be's belongings, all the way from Georgia. And I found Rugby Heaven in Golden Gate Park before I even found a place to spend that first night: I played touch with the old Hastings RFC.<br />
<br />
They were excited about the coming weekend's sevens tournament in Dunsmuir. Would I join them?<br />
<br />
As much as I loved Sevens even then, I had to find an apartment and prepare to begin my medical internship. Regrets.<br />
<br />
So, I had been meaning to cash my Redding-area rugby rain-check for 32+ years. After all, there will come a day when I can't do this any more, and before then I want to experience every pitch and pub of Pelicanland.<br />
<br />
When I saw the Andrew Mittry Memorial on the schedule I said to Penelope, "Wanna take a Friday off in November and go to Redding?"<br />
<br />
She demurred. But not me!<br />
<br />
Giles Wilson and Stephen Valerio met me at the San Joaquin General Hospital, conveniently located on I5 in French Camp, and we rode up together. It's about 350 miles for me, but the miles are as nothing when rugby folks are getting to know each other better.<br />
<br />
Stephen's from New Jersey - he hadn't heard our stories, nor we his. Even better.<br />
<br />
Andrew's brother Andreas was nice to enough to arrange for rooms at the Red Lion. The new guy got the roll-a-bed. We immediately decamped for the Alehouse, just a few blocks down Hilltop.<br />
<br />
This place literally has more beers on tap than it has seats for patrons. You've heard of three or four of them - if your beer-knowledge is well-whetted.<br />
<br />
We asked some people if they were rugby, but they weren't. They said the rugby guys had already gone home(!)<br />
<br />
So we limited ourselves to dipping our toes into the beer-pool for an hour and then went to bed.<br />
<br />
Saturday dawned clear and warm, and we saw how pretty it is up there. Redding is in the foothills just north of the great Central Valley, on the way up to higher altitude and Mount Shasta. And the rugby pitches at Enterprise Park were full-sized and gorgeous.<br />
<br />
I was lucky enough to be assigned an opening match – the two guys in the front seat were considered to be the ones who arrived at the pitch first – and my teams were warming up well ahead of time.<br />
<br />
CHICO STATE 31 – Southern Oregon 10<br />
Chico’s outside backs had three tries in about twelve minutes, then went off the boil and we had an even match the rest of the way.<br />
<br />
SOU is from the Shakespeare-festival town of Ashland. I should have worn my AVON CALLING shirt with a picture of the Bard.<br />
<br />
SACRAMENTO CAPITALS 17 – Shasta 10<br />
I don’t believe I’d ever refereed Shasta. Matter of fact, I hadn’t: I just word-searched the 2300+ games in my Matches list for ‘Shasta’ and ‘Redding’. There were two hits, both for November 3, 2012.<br />
<br />
Good bunch, typical D3 mix of talent and energy, inexperience and enthusiasm. Vociferous players who argue specific points of law loudly, dead wrong in public, but always punctuating their complaints with ‘sir’.<br />
<br />
D2 meets D3, and a close match to boot. Good stuff.<br />
<br />
SIERRA 29 – Shasta 10<br />
If the touchline scuttlebutt is correct, Sierra has morphed from a top-notch community college team into a men’s club. While this is a loss for the college scene, it allows them to welcome some mighty fine alumni back into the ranks. [This seems to be true – Sierra is listed in the East division of men’s club D3 on the 2013 schedule.]<br />
<br />
They are taking up in the club ranks where they left off in the colleges: running in lots of tries.<br />
<br />
After Lee Salgado did the last match, we discovered there were tri-tips grilling. But: still grillin’. Not yet done. Tempting, but not quite enough so to delay the start of a long drive home.<br />
<br />
Our 5 PM departure was fortuitously timed. Giles saw that the Pelicanmobile has XM and said, "My favorite station is First Wave." That's the channel it's normally on, button #1, and 5 PM is when the Saturday night Safety Dance starts.<br />
<br />
I got home to my wife at 10:30, having listened the entire way to a continuous dance mix of the songs that welcomed me to California half a lifetime ago.<br />
<br />
There’s a line in a Squeeze song, “Singles remind me of kisses, albums remind me of plans.”<br />
<br />
Let's hope the next half of my life has as much rugby and music, friendship and love, as that one did. It’s certainly in my plans.<br />
<br />
OBTAINING REFEREES FOR MATCHES: NO POACHING ALLOWED<br />
<br />
The referee assignments process isn’t a matter of finders-keepers.<br />
<br />
Games need to be assigned through the normal processes established by USA Rugby or there's no liability coverage, certificates of insurance don't apply, etc.<br />
<br />
If you are a team that has an upcoming game, ask the NCRRS or the NCYRA to assign a referee.<br />
<br />
If you are a referee who is asked to referee a game, pass the information on to either the NCRRS or the NCYRA, or ask the team do to so.<br />
<br />
This includes alumni games, friendlies, touring sides, old boys matches – any actual rugby game. A scrimmage at a practice among players of the same team, with the same coach, that would be okay to do if asked.<br />
<br />
There are a number of considerations in the assignments process.<br />
<br />
The games that referee societies assign are their primary vehicle for referee development.<br />
<br />
We may have a ref coming up on an exchange or an important evaluation in a week or two who needs games, or a particular type of game.<br />
<br />
We may have a referee coach available to watch that game that we want to pair with a ref who would benefit from the observation or even earn promotion.<br />
<br />
We may have an incoming exchange ref who needs a game, or visiting ref from a society to which we owe a favor (or wish to incur favor). <br />
<br />
If none of these things apply, then the assignor would normally assign the person who was asked to do the game, assuming the ref is otherwise qualifier to do the match.<br />
<br />
So: when you get these kinds of requests, direct them to the assignor. For the NCRRS, for the remainder of 2012, that is Bruce Carter. Beginning in 2013, it will be Pete Smith.<br />
<br />
GAMES<br />
<br />
More Mittry Memorial Action:<br />
<br />
Matt Hetterman and Lee Salgado also joined the Pelicanmobile crew, netting five refs for this fifteen-game event.<br />
<br />
SIERRA 17 – Sac State Alumni 12 Referee: Stephen Valerio<br />
After a scoreless first half with plenty of back and forth the tries started coming in the 2nd half. In the waning minutes it was 12-12 when Sac St got a Yellow Card after they stopped Sierra from taking a quick tap on a penalty. Even with the man advantage for the last 5 minutes Sierra couldn't breach the line until a penalty in stoppage time. Despite being right in front of the posts they elected to run in a quick tap and scored the try, avoiding an unsightly tie.<br />
<br />
SANTA ROSA JC 31 – Sacramento Capitals 5 Ref: Valerio<br />
The game started off with Sacramento's captain and fly-half getting knocked out with an injury. Santa Rosa showed excellent sportsmanship in making sure he was taken care. The game was closer than the final scoreline would suggest with Santa Rosa leading 12-5 at the break. But several high tackles finally led to a yellow card for Sacramento and they couldn't hold off the disciplined Santa Rosa attack.<br />
<br />
CHICO 42 – Sac State 10 Ref: Valerio<br />
At the end of a long day there was a lot of one-way action here. Sacramento St. struck for a couple of tries, but Chico's dominance at the breakdown courtesy of greater numbers arriving first prevented any sustained Sac St attacks and allowed Chico to move the ball around the pitch.<br />
<br />
OTHER MATCHES<br />
<br />
SONOMA STATE 24 – San Francisco State 5 Referee: Ray Schwartz<br />
AR: Mark Godfrey<br />
Observer: Mike Gadoua<br />
My first visit to Sonoma St, this was their first match of the preseason, and with their new coach Anasa. They had about 40 kids suited up to play and some big boys, some tough and decent ruggers. Dean White is coaching SF St and they looked good too, but with maybe 24 kids and not as much size. The pitch was inside the track and so not as wide as you'd like, but there was a big Collegiate Ultimate Frisbee tournament going on, pushing rugby onto the track field. A crowd of perhaps 200 arrived in time for the 1:30 kick off.<br />
<br />
The lads played 20-minute periods, hoping to squeeze an extra 20 or more out of everyone to help rookies get a chance to play. Sonoma came out slow, but quickly created a turnover and was soon scoring the first points. Later in the 1st period they pushed through again to lead 10-0. The 2nd period saw SF St. assert themselves, score a converted try, and just before halftime looked to score again, but a turnover turned into a 100 meter team try for Sonoma. Tough way to go into halftime, 17-5.<br />
<br />
As more rookies came on for Sonoma, my skills as a ref were tested. No cards, but teaching moments and a few admonishments. Lots of rookie mistakes: slapping the ball forward at a line out, leaving a scrum early, failure to wrap at tackles. It got a little chippy, but I kept a cork in it, and the lads enjoyed playing on. A lack of fitness and a few injuries added up to limiting play to a full 80 minutes. Only Sonoma St scored in the 2nd half, but overall this was a close, well-contested game, 24-5 final.<br />
<br />
November 3, Stanford<br />
Referees: Eric Rauscher, Pete Smith<br />
This was a pre-season warm up between Stanford and Nevada, Reno women<br />
<br />
It turned out to be four 20 min periods with a final period between two Stanford sides. Reno showed up with around thirty players (they drove down that morning) and Stanford had at least 40. By the end of the fourth game, Reno was dead on their legs. I did the first and the fourth games and the final scrimmage. Pete did the second and third. Stanford looks to be on track for their national championship form with the usual complement of faster than lightning backs. Reno pretty much held their own and can feel good about their performance. They were able to get points on the board and not get hammered too bad. The day was perfect weather, maybe even too hot. One interesting thing for me was that I have been doing High School games for long enough now that I am seeing players I know playing for the college teams now. It is nice to see that continuity.<br />
<br />
THIS WEEK’S PHOTO<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DcboYqwpYF4/UJqr-yCCrTI/AAAAAAAAAZs/3Q7OwQCQsR8/s1600/Mittry%2BMemorial.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="212" width="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DcboYqwpYF4/UJqr-yCCrTI/AAAAAAAAAZs/3Q7OwQCQsR8/s320/Mittry%2BMemorial.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
Perfect day in Redding:<br />
Standing: Lee Salgado, Matt Hetterman, Giles Wilson, Stephen Valerio<br />
Sitting: Bruce Carter<br />
<br />
HAIL, PELICUS!<br />
<br />
For the Senate<br />
Pelicus ScriptorisUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22683413.post-51885262512369690632012-10-31T13:36:00.000-07:002012-11-06T13:37:21.542-08:00GIANTS WENTHAIL, PELICUS! <br />
<br />
FROM TOM ZANARINI<br />
<br />
For those of you that qualify (refereed 5 assigned matches in 2012 - these matches do not include NCYRA matches) who haven't collected your 2012 green jerseys, please intend to do so at the AGM meeting on November 17. I also have a boat load of shorts and socks for sale. Extra green jerseys (and whatever blues and golds) will be on sale as well.<br />
<br />
Also, please send me an email t_zanarini@yahoo.com if you are interested in polos, workout tops or tracksuits. We can order pretty much anything through our sponsorship with Canterbury, but need a minimum order. These are not gratis, money will be due as the kit is distributed. Cost will be determined by the number of orders placed.<br />
<br />
NEED FOR REFS: SUNDAYS<br />
<br />
The Maritime Academy has a scrimmage this Sunday, November 4, at 4 PM that needs a referee.<br />
<br />
The Stanford women will host a qualifying tournament for the USA national sevens championships next Sunday, November 11. We have two refs at present and need three. We have one AR and need one or two more. The winner goes to the national finals, so this should be a good one!<br />
<br />
GAMES<br />
<br />
Berkeley All-Blues 14 – GLENDALE RAPTORS 17 Referee: Aruna Ranaweera<br />
Assistant Referees: Robert Phelan (Ireland) and Mike King<br />
Warm, sunny day at Morton Field in Vallejo. Final weekend of the WPL regular season. Winner earns red conference #1 seed into the WPL semifinals; loser gets #2 seed. Lots of adventurous, back-and-forth, physical play, but also lots of unforced handling errors, so continuity was limited and both teams squandered scoring opportunities. Berkeley led 7-5 at the half. Thanks to Robert and Mike for their assistance.<br />
<br />
Seconds: All Blues 17 – GLENDALE 19 Referee: Robert Phelan<br />
2nd XV game finished 19-17 to Glendale - a thoroughly enjoyable experience, many thanks for affording me such a great opportunity. <br />
<br />
SLUGFEST<br />
<br />
Unlike the previous Saturday, it was nothing but sun and sky from atop the rolling hills that overlook Monterey Bay.<br />
<br />
Six teams competed at the Slugfest on two fine pitches. Referees included Austin Brown on debut, who plays for the men's Slugs, Neil MacDonald, also relatively new, Lee Salgado and Bruce Carter.<br />
<br />
USF 27 - Chico State 7 Referee: Bruce Carter<br />
I had just ARed for Austin in a game where Chico State looked pretty good, and was surprised to see the Bats of USF come out strong.<br />
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Their scrumhalf took two penalties quickly, eluded several defenders, and scored both times. She then added a third try from open play, all in the first ten minutes. Quite a player!<br />
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USF 47 - UC Davis 10 Ref: Carter<br />
USF's #9 and their #13 are both fast and difficult to tackle, even when in the grasp. Intriguingly, they are also two of the smaller players. Somehow, they didn't end up in the final.<br />
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Final: UC SANTA CRUZ 33 -Sac State 14 Ref: Carter<br />
I keep thinking I've done my last tournament final. (I've been thinking this for at least ten years.)<br />
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But on this day, Austin had to leave early. Lee was assigned the final. Neil had the 5th-place match which kicked off thirty minutes ahead of the final on the other pitch.<br />
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It was then that AAA arrived to help Lee with car trouble that she'd called them about when she arrived at the pitch before 10 AM. So the old man did the championship match.<br />
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All of these teams were a mix of experienced players and abject novices. I'll bet I could tell you how many practices each team has had, vis-a-vis the others.<br />
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Sac State would have been shut out but for their #14, who poached a try and finished another.<br />
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It will be fun to see these teams again come the regular season.<br />
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WOMEN'S SLUGFEST, UCSC, October 27th<br />
Report by Neil MacDonald<br />
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Six teams in pools of three for round robin play in this pre-season tournament, blessed with sunshine, beautiful views of the Monterey Bay, and great hospitality from the Slugs. Lots of new players in their first matches, requiring selective penalizing and coaching by the refs. Every team had a win and a loss in pool play, so Pelican Math was exercised to separate teams on points scored for and against. I had one of the round robin matches, and the 5th-6th playoff.<br />
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UC Davis 12 – FRESNO STATE 14 Ref: MacDonald<br />
AR: Salgado<br />
Fresno kicked off in their first, and Davis's second, match of the day. Davis had lost a player or two to knocks in the first game. Two converted tries to Fresno separated by an unconverted Davis score made it 14-5 Fresno at the half. In a tightly contested second half, Davis came back to score in 5 minutes from time, but even with the successful conversion, it wasn't enough, and Fresno edged it. Thanks to Lee for her help on the touch line.<br />
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5th-6th place playoff: Fresno State 5 – CHICO STATE 22 Ref: MacDonald<br />
Solid reds versus red with black and white hoops, neither team with alternate shirts. Lots of new and newish players, so sorting the scrum out was a bit of a saga. Fresno got the only score of the first half, leading 5-0 at half time. I had been, until this point, enjoying my day in the sun overlooking Monterey Bay, particularly since - unlike last weekend - you could actually see the Pacific. Alas, it was at this point in the proceedings that I encountered Chico's full back. I would like to thank her for the interval training she offered me for our upcoming beep test, with the 60m sprint interval session she led me on while scoring her brace of tries. While evidence may suggest that this training may be too little too late, it was very considerate of Chico's #15 to provide it. In all, Chico ran in four in the second half, turning the tables on Fresno, and secured 5th place.<br />
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REPORT OCTOBER 20<br />
<br />
Sat, Oct 20, 2012<br />
3rd Annual Bryan Archibald Cup<br />
Wildwood Park, Chico<br />
Cal Poly 3 sides, vs Chico St A, B and Mighty Oaks<br />
Refs: Ray Schwartz, Mark Godfrey, Favor Taueva, Tom Franzoia<br />
<br />
All day long Youth rugby clinics and fundraising to honor fallen rugger Bryan Archibald preceded games that began at 4pm. Bryan grew in Chico and returned there after an All-American run at Cal Poly, only to pass suddenly from a heart defect. His passion for helping grow youth rugby touched both communities. The crew met for a lunch in North Sac before sharing the drive up, good chats about law and proper reffing along the way.<br />
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Tom reffed the 3rd side and did well. Favor reffed the Mighty Oaks v Poly's 2nd side and is doing fine. The lights were coming on during his match. I had a cracker of a game, which kicked off at 7:15.<br />
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Poly's #10, a freshman from Granite Bay High slipped through for the only try of the first half. Chico State answered back with a penalty, and we went into the half 7-3. Before halftime, I had been unsighted on a play that left many players on the field unhappy. Chico seemed to slip through to score a try, but Poly complained of a knock on, and body language from Chico players seemed to confirm it. I blew the whistle but rather than award a try turned to my AR. Having the luxury, I asked Mark Godfrey to come on and report. Mark dramatically paused before confirming the knock on...<br />
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Chico State were flopping a bit at the tackle, and though I tried to change this behavior, Poly did a much better job in the 2nd half of protecting the ball. Their method of sealing off the tackle had its own set of consequences, but they took the upper hand. They scored 4 minutes into the 2nd half and then again. Chico answered back but Poly was pulling away. Uncharacteristically, Poly's backs showed poor discipline on a kick and chase, when a wing changed his line and clearly shouldered his opponent to the deck. Yellow card. But Poly still scored 3 short a man.<br />
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As the match wound down, the Poly Captain complained of the Chico scrumhalf getting "chippy." I offered, "What do you expect, he's a scrumhalf, and after all, his name is Potato!" I suggested his scrumhalf get chippier! My vote for man of the match would be Paul Cappellano's kid (the dreadlocked white guy!), who played in the centers for Poly and scored two tries. The matched ended 33-10 for Poly. Overall, the forwards seemed well matched, Poly just a bit more disciplined. Despite some heroic efforts from Chico, the Poly backs took the day.<br />
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Good crowd, great park, wonderful cause, fabulous match (frankly I was lucky to get it), glad to help!<br />
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Thanks immensely to Tom, Favor and Mark.<br />
<br />
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21<br />
Sac State<br />
Women's DII Pre-season scrimmages at conclusion of joint training camp<br />
Refs: Mark Godfrey and Ray Schwartz<br />
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(7) 20-minute periods played between about 100 student athletes from Sac St, USF, Humboldt, UC Santa Cruz, Fresno St, Nevada, Santa Clara... am I missing anyone? Good fun, fine spirits. Mostly new or newer players, but a few familiar faces from years past were seen as well. Gabby, a former Mother Lode rugger did well for Nevada, Monica, now playing scrummie for Santa Cruz shined, but Sal, the feisty scrummie for Fresno was the find of the day, great pass, good leadership, hard as nails.<br />
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THIS WEEK’S PHOTO<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A1KwKoIvcXc/UJmC28MMk6I/AAAAAAAAAZY/5KHN4uLS_0A/s1600/Santa%2BCruzing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="181" width="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A1KwKoIvcXc/UJmC28MMk6I/AAAAAAAAAZY/5KHN4uLS_0A/s320/Santa%2BCruzing.jpg" /></a><br />
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Neil MacDonald, Lee Salgado, Ben Bravo and Austin Brown are dressed like referees for Halloween.<br />
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HAIL, PELICUS!<br />
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For the Senate<br />
Pelicus ScriptorisUnknownnoreply@blogger.com