Six playoff teams meet again in RSL openers

Belmont Shore-Chicago Lions, San Francisco Golden Gate-Denver Barbarians, and NYAC-Boston tilts highlight the Super League's opening weekend, as six of last year's quarterfinal teams immediately clash.

The first-round matches could go some way toward determining the outcome of the seven-game regular season, particularly in the more competitive red conference. With the competition reduced to two eight-team divisions and the Lions assigned to western group, three of last season's semifinalists as well as 2006 champion OMBAC, which last year missed the postseason for the first time since the league adopted its present format, will meet in regular-season action.

In Long Beach, where Matt Webber has resumed as head coach but there are questions about the starting flyhalf, Shore hosts Marty Wiggins' troops in a rematch of 2008's second semifinal, won 34-15 by the hosts. Belmont also captured a pair of meetings in 2007, including a 36-27 road win and a 27-21 championship victory claimed in the 79th minute.

Some 300 miles north, the Barbos-SFGG game is an interesting contest between a pair of forward-minded teams tipped to challenge for top honors this season. Two seasons ago, the Barbos snatched a two-point win in overtime.

As next weekend Shore visits SFGG, the Barbos host OMBAC, and the Lions face the crosstown rival Griffins, opening-round losses could be perilous.

In the east, the defending champions too look to be improved in the pack. But the more interesting question is how Boston, which surprised the league in claiming a 2008 divisional championship before falling heavily in a home quarterfinal against the Lions, will perform in the season's opening half. The next two weeks feature PAC and Old Blue, two traditional playoff contenders which also missed out a year ago, and 2008 quarterfinalist Charlotte.

Philadelphia-Whitemarch, the St. Louis Bombers, and Washington have exited the 2009 competition, while Life University has rejoined the 12-year-old league.

Related: Plans unveiled for Super League downsizing, promotion-relegation

Comments

[Hank Hill]

Any word on if there will be more playoff berths to the talent heavy west? Besides NYAC there are no good teams in the East. What's with that?

[Touchline Tony]

Will Eddie O'Sullivan be attending any of these matches ?

[Pelosi Rugby]

Tony,
Why is that important?

SJ and Nigel already told you that is wasn't worth watching. Just take their word for it.

One rumour is that Kevin Roberts will "hand pick" the forward pack based on personal interviews in a steam room.

The plan to debut a re-design of the uniforms for the Ireland Test may not come off as planned. The assless, tasseled shorts and latex halter tops were denied by the IRB.

[Dan Ransom]

I'm excited to be going to the SFGG-Denver game this weekend. I think Dave Hodges has done a really good job with the Barbarians and I wonder if he's one of the American coaches tapped to be "mentored" by Eddie. He has professional playing experience abroad, and during his tenure with Llanelli, he was concurrently a player and a team fitness coach.

Recent games between the two clubs have been consistently close (less than a try over the last two seasons) and a good advertisement for American rugby. I expect Denver will be arriving with a strong, fit and mobile forward pack. I'm hoping that we (Golden Gate) overcome that this Saturday (home field should help).

[Touchline Tony]

Still, I wonder, will O'Sullivan be on the touch line?

There isn't much time to lose in getting up to speed on what he has mentioned in the podcast as the premier domestic competition.

We no assistants named, someone should be at these matches.

There has been so much false talk about pathways, pipelines, blah blah blah that I would like to know if anyone is really going to show up.

[who me worry?]

It took a month to hire EOS, then he said on the ARN pod-cast it would be a few weeks before he's even in America.

Maybe these guys all no better, but done of them seem to be in a rush.

[ready,aim,fire Melville]

EO will call the Super League Coaches. By doing this he will have a better handle on it than anyone. No need to see it live, film doesn't lie.

[observer]

the east has good teams...old blue will be a quality side as they usually are and i saw life down in florida and they looked solid against ombac in the final...so they potentially can be good as well, for sure better than st. louis was

[ready,aim,fire Melville]

Same old story. It's all about the players. Attracting top players is more than half the game.

Top players will play where opportunity meets organization.
It is obvious who these clubs are.

Old Blue may have lost a bit of luster.

[ready,aim,fire]

I am very pro SL. I believe that this needs to be upgraded in order for the NT to fall into place. It gives something to aspire to.

USA Soccer fell off the map approximately when Rugby did as well. What was the correlation?

Currently top College programs can compete on an even playing field against mid/low tier MLS squads - same as rugby.

Both are struggling in world rankings.

[Film Study]

TT,

The RSL teams are all supposed to film their games and upload them for review. I am sure the MNT head coach and staff will have access to these films.

[Touchline Tony]

I understand that the RSL teams struggled mightily to film matches and then submit them. Last year only one or two teams bothered and Thorburn and then Johnson didn't give two Sh*ts. How can we expect them to get this done based on their history of not caring ?

If O'Sullivan's plan is to count on RSL teams to film their matches and have that video of good enough quality that it is worth something, I think he has another thing coming.

Not a dig at anyone, just reality of the situation.

[fair question]

What does EOS do after he finds both players from the SL capable of playing for the Eagles?

[Settle down. settle in]

Hey Tony take a chill pill ! Once Eddie moves house from Ireland to Boulder, you can bet he will be all over the Super League and the helping the coaches like white on rice.

He said in the podcast that he wouldn't be over for a few weeks and I am sure that is because he has to pack up and move across an ocean.

You can't do that in a week. Give him a chance to get settled in Boulder. You will see his good skills soon enough.

[Dan Ransom]

Hey, "Fair Question" - of 2008's US Eagles pool, 12 played Super League games that same season. Another 7-8 had played in Super League at some point in their career. So save your snark.

RSL certainly still needs to improve, but let's not pretend its fortunes don't effect our Eagle squad.

[Flynn Hagerty]

One could make a good argument that the stagnation in Super League is a key reason why the Eagles have stagnated.

["Sebastian" from The Never Ending Story]

flynn, i know you know this, but...usa rugby does not fund the sl, so i doubt many teams can afford top equipment (scrum sleds) or send players to the hp camps on their own, on top of having a field and the cost of travel, etc. i would agree that if i were a sl coach, i would want the most out of my players, but i would be comparing them to other American players (my comp)and doing what is in my budget to achieve that goal. the Eagles should aspire much higher and want to be on the same level as pro's. my point is, you are asking these clubs (that's what they are) to take the burden of improvnig usa rugby, when usa rugby won't help them. i would reverse your statement and say that usa rugby has been stagnant regarding the sl and therefoer the sl is stagnant. i hope this isn't the pinnacle, but maybe it is given the current format.

i'm not saying it would be perfect, but i'm sure you could think of ways the usa rugby funds would benefit the development of sfgg, right? and that's not to say they haven't done a lot on their own, just that more could be done.

[Flynn Hagerty]

I'm not really sure what SFGG should expect from USA Rugby. We talk about the largesse of Boulder and to a point that's true, but their budget is still only around $7 million a year. What should SFGG realistically expect from a union who has about two bullets in their gun at the best of times?

I'm not sure why SL has stagnated and what can be done, just that it has.

[Dan Ransom]

I think RSL has a better chance this season that last to be a viable entity (erm, I mean viable in terms of competition, not finances -- RSL member clubs continue to spend their own money to stay in).

The removal of Washington, Philly-Whitemarsh, and St. Louis takes out three losing sides, replacing them with just one, Life, that has a much better chance to compete. With NYAC, Life and the Lions all competing in the East, that conference isn't substantially stronger than either the "White" or "Blue" conferences of last year or the East Conference of earlier formats. It'll be interesting to see if Boston and Charlotte can repeat their success of last season with a tougher schedule, and if OBNY will bounce back from a pretty poor season.

Meanwhile, the West remains pretty stacked. Belmont, Denver, SFGG or OMBAC could all win the conference, and Santa Monica and the Chicago Griffins are likely good enough to cause upsets (and occasional upsets are the measure of a competitive league).

All in all, there will be some good rugby played, most of it in decent venues.

[Dan Ransom]

Er, forgive my grammatical errors in the previous post. It should be "than last" in the first sentence, and that the East Conference *is* substantially stronger than the White or Blue last year.

[keepin it real]

Dan,

That's about right 12 players from the whole Super League in the Eagle POOL, now that's impressive.

I love how its marketed that others also "played in the SL at some point". I remember reading that Mike MacDonald was a Golden Gate SL player. Well I guess that true from a pure marketing sense.

The top domestic comp only putting 12 players in a near win less Eagle pool is a problem. Its not like the best SL players needed to crack the All Blacks roster. Individuals bragging about the SL putting 12 player in the Eagles pool is yet a bigger problem, because it speaks to standards and expectations.

Dan, I don't think I'll be able to read your comments without remembering your idea of good.

[Dan Ransom]

Hey, at least you'll be able to remember my comments since I've got the guts to put my name by them. I don't even know who I'm responding to, or if you were the source of the idiotic comment by "Fair Question".

Regardless, you're misreading my post. Nowhere did I state that twelve was "good"; in fact, in that same post I stated that Super League needs to improve. All I was doing was adding facts to the debate since "Fair Question" seemed to disregard them.

Yes, McDonald did only play one season of Super League rugby (with Gate), but amongst those 7-8 "others" I was also thinking of a player like Mike Hercus, who rose to prominence as Belmont Shore's pivot. Alec Parker's career was also substantially linked to the Super League -- he won multiple RSL championships with Aspen. And Thretton Palamo was capped on the back of his Super League performances -- his shot with the national team came before he signed on with Biarritz.

All in all, about 50% of the Eagle pool have been involved in Super League.

The point of my posts isn't to prove that Super League is "good" or in any way a polished product -- just that its fortunes do effect the fortunes of our national team, and that as our national team coach, Eddie O'Sullivan is going to need to pay some attention to it. That's not a controversial position to take.

[pathway,like a funnel]

Dan, how does removing two malnourished dogs from a pet store window make the mangy dogs look better?

The only improvements that the SL needs is money, publicity and better players. The only entity that could help is USA Rugby.

It is so obvious - like the nose on your face.

If you tie HP into the top League it saves half the money. USA Rugby then can take a share of the burgeoning pro League - something to make ammends for losing USA 7';s.

If you are going to spend on HP at least let it produce something positive for the American landscape.

Currently the AA's and unders programs are also a SJ like cesspool.

[Dan Ransom]

You're right, I do have an awfully big nose.

The problem with US Rugby giving money to the Super League is the howls of protest that would come from everyone else. In part the Super League has been able to shield itself from criticism because it doesn't take funding from US Rugby. If that changed, a whole lot of DI clubs, not to mention college and youth players, would be pissed off to see their CIPP money spent on RSL. And I'm not sure I'd blame them.

I don't see anything resembling an American pro league in the near future.

I'd offer solutions to these issues if I had them. But I don't. Right now I'm just an observer and fan.

[J]

D,
The money would be HP money.

Lets say producing NA4 is approximately the same cost as the SL.

Would the Hawks have beaten Belmont last year?

Would you rather watch the Hawks play a match against a Canadian kid you will never hear of?

We know the selection and evaluation with USA Rugby is dodgy and will be until a real evaluation process used by discerning eyes are used.

The proving ground should be the SL, it should have been this year. 100% of our Eagles should come through the SL. Like I have said before it should be mandatory (2 games).

USA Rugby could have a partnership with the SL. All they have to do is provide HP money. Every player within the SL should be considered an HP prospect - their travel should be subsidized. The film should be taken care of - then outsourced back.

Within 2 years (WC) you will have twice as many elites playing in the SL.

The SL teams will have a standard which they maintain (club/HP/community/youth).

I am sure they have hammered out a model that mimics something such as this in the past. With EO, this is an opportune time - although using him during a winter "campaign" would have brought the SL to the forefront.

Maybe this is a year out, maybe it never happens, but would sort out many long standing problems. The SL, although not so super as TB said, was the main reason he had a measure of success. It wasn't because he was such a great coach (at that time). I imagine that TB would have taken a few scalps if he had double the elite pool and proper HP allocation that portended to future growth.