(San Francisco) Efficient Belmont Shore scored 20 unanswered second-half points en route to a 25-12 road win over San Francisco Golden Gate, restoring the perennial western power to a share of first place after a season-opening draw.
Trailing 12-5 at intermission, the visitors stymied SFGG's sporadic but promising third-quarter forays against Rocca Field's northerlies, and drew level through Ollie Saparamadu's converted try at 62 minutes, moments after Jason Bowden's yellow card. Then, as position and possession inexorably swung the match Shore's way, flyhalf Ata Malifa slotted close-range penalties at 68 and 74 minutes.
Hard-running Belmont hooker Jimmy Patu scored in injury time to deny the hosts a bonus-point loss.
SFGG struggled from the outset, despite beginning with the wind, as Volney Rouse missed two must-have penalties. Though the flyhalf scored a marvelous solo try in the 13th minute, transforming poor service into a deft chip and recovery while racing past two defenders, he soon departed with a broken nose.
Golden Gate's backs thereafter posed little threat from set play, particularly lineouts, where the hosts regularly lost their throws. Penalties were also a problem, with the afternoon's tally including a red card after the match was decided.
Conversely, Malifa ran and passed purposefully, and his kicking from hand improved as the Sunday afternoon match wore on, dictating field position in the game's latter stages.
Prop Jacob Grubb opened the scoring in the 7th minute, important given Belmont's limited early opportunities, while just before half eighthman Jason Lamborn accounted for SFGG's second try, immediately after a longer-range penalty fell short.
Third-place SFGG (1-1) next travels to meet the 0-2 Chicago Griffins, while Belmont (1-0-1) faces archrival OMBAC (1-1).
San Francisco Golden Gate
Tries: Volney Rouse, Jason Lamborn
Conversion: Volney Rouse
Belmont Shore
Tries: Jacob Grubb, Ollie Saparamadu, Jimmy Patu
Conversions: Ata Malifa (2)
Penalties: Ata Malifa (2)
Referee: Chris Draper (West and United States)
Attendance: 100 (estimated)
"The MARFU put out a letter which some have seen, concerning $150,000 that has gone missing. Two executives were named and have been removed. Criminal/legal action underway."
I just looked at their tax return online. They only have revenue of $75k per year so this would amount to the disappearance of 2 full years of income. There's nothing on the MARFU website. Anyone got any more news on this?
Posted by: Where's the Dough? | 23 March 2009 at 08:07
It had been going on for several years, maybe as long as 5 years.
Two former congress members and long time MARFU officers, president and treasure, man and women.
Its a criminal case so nobody is saying anything at present.
Nice leadership we have in USAR.
Posted by: follow the money | 23 March 2009 at 16:55
President and Treasurer? Man & woman? One possibly recently left office? EP & JJ? Funny that there has been no mention of this in emails, just the usual stuff like "sideline conduct" and "report your score" emails
Posted by: Pete Murray | 23 March 2009 at 17:29
Strike my previous post, it appears I am the douche bag this time. I got my TU mixed up with my LAU.
Posted by: Pete Murray | 23 March 2009 at 17:31
Who were the most recent marfu president and treasure?
Posted by: question | 23 March 2009 at 18:11
"question": Just take a look at recent officers (Pres and Treas)who are no longer on the board.
Posted by: Been there | 24 March 2009 at 04:58
It is there if you are willing to google it. Looks like using MARFU funds for personal expenses.
http://www.epru.org/pdf/MARFU_financial_stat.pdf
Past president and treasurer were both women I believe.
Posted by: Former HS Coach | 24 March 2009 at 06:46
This happens with such frequency in volunteer organizations its a yawner. Gender has nothing to do with it. HS sports funds, volunteer firemen, charity bingo you name it, cash disappears.
Shocked and outraged? Demand an outside audit of your club, LAU, TU, and yup, Governing Body. It should be required annually so no has to be embarrassed and there are no suspicions or indignant treasurers feeling accused.
Most have treasurers who are volunteers & human beings and humans have been unable to resist temptation since Adam and Eve.
Posted by: It takes Leather Bracelets.... | 24 March 2009 at 08:06
What do the thread of comments have to do with the Golden Gate v Belmont game. It would be interesting to hear the views of readers regarding the red card issued in the game.
Posted by: Concerned Rugby Fan | 24 March 2009 at 09:06
I heard the IRB is in town. Boulder must soil themselves when these visits occur.
How must USAR report the state of play?
We have tied USAR to a Glendale strip club owner who is once again under investigation.
We have renewed the rights of a guy trying to tie rugby the gaming. He has suggested the rules of the sport be changed and he has the rights to invite international teams to his "events".
We have our biggest TU enjoying a $150k theft of union membership funds.
No one in US rugby knows how the board got elected. The Congress has crooks on it. The rest don't know what they are supposed to do.
We can't keep a coach, because he says the board lied to him.
Our national team ranking is in free fall. Even with spending more IRB dollars then ever before.
Our high schools want to break away from the union and form their own national governing body.
We have almost zero sponsorship. Less than ever before.
We have already raised dues on the kids.
We have the largest HQ staff in our history and the membership is getting less service than ever before.
We are paying our CEO and Eagles coach just under $600,000 combined.
Other than this news Mrs Lincoln, how did you like the play?
Posted by: annual report | 24 March 2009 at 10:47
could / would someone please post the names of the people in question who have stolen dues money and have been removed from office. you may use "alleged" in the post to conform with standard reporting ethics.
Posted by: CheeseHeadRugger | 24 March 2009 at 11:17
Alleged to be someone named Pat a male, and Elaine a female. Also part of the USAR congress until just recently.
Innocent until proven guilty.
The length of time the misconduct is alleged, the positions held in national office, the amounts involved, make this a serious case. USAR because these where national office holders, should have made an announcement of some type.
What else is this Board not telling us?
Posted by: need to know basis | 24 March 2009 at 11:37
USAR should make some kind of announcement before a innocent gets thrown under the bus.
The TU letter that got posted, makes the amounts, charge, identities and positions held known. Why not acknowledge the situation.
Maybe we should all go to Nigel personal blog for an update ;(
Posted by: FireMelvilleRoberts.com | 24 March 2009 at 11:48
The guy who got the red card certainly earned it. He apparently late-hit someone (the ref saw it and he was already heading for the bin or the shower), and then a few seconds later in the same movement he apparently punched someone else. The ref saw that one too and so off he went. No question in my mind.
Posted by: Zé Cacetudo | The Daily Hype | 24 March 2009 at 12:20
Thanks for the feed back on the red card.
Posted by: Concerned Rugby Fan | 24 March 2009 at 15:41
http://www.marfu.org/discipline/pubdiscreport.php
Look at the disciplinary actions listed by the date of the MARFU meeting -- 12 March 2009 -- and by those that are not "card" offenses.
Thoroughly disappointed to read this, and I hope that it is not true.
Posted by: Who Quones, Wins | 24 March 2009 at 19:07
This just goes to show the interest in the RSL..... this thread gets Hijacked to talk about everything but the RSL game it was written about....
Posted by: Sad State | 24 March 2009 at 20:24
I'll talk about the SL.
Was 100 fans a typo?
One of the best refs
Two of the best teams
The hotbed of rugby in the best rugby Union
Is College rugby that far superior to the SL?
The SL should mandate playing their games at 7pm. Saturday night.
Not only will they get more fans, they will have a better chance getting picked up by the media.
Posted by: Colonel Angus | 25 March 2009 at 08:16
Sorry to hijack the thread, but it needs to be discussed somewhere.
It's $150K, paid for by club dues to the respective TU (or LAU and then paid to TU).
The bulk of MARFU costs have been select sides. And when a MARFU Sr. Women's select side is given not a food per diem, but a hoagie as a "training table" meal, something is amiss.
Posted by: Who Quones, Wins | 25 March 2009 at 09:23
I was at the game and actually counted (since it always seems to come up). There were 250 fans at the game.
7pm games on Saturday night wouldn't work -- no lighting.
Posted by: Dan Ransom | 25 March 2009 at 09:29
Colonel Angus and Dan Ransom highlight two elements of one of the fundamental problems with SL - it is very amateur. Very few clubs have any ownership stake in their playing grounds, or even play on fields with stands or lighting. Even at SL matches are often played in some park with homemade goalposts that can get knocked over by a stiff wind. I think it is very unrealistic to expect us to have a competitive national rugby team with ithis kind of setup for our highest domestic competition.
I'll admit I don't have all the answers but I do wonder if it would help if USA Rugby had some sort of fund where it could help subsidize SL clubs acquiring land, lights, stands and presenting a more professional image.
Posted by: Just a D2 rugger | 25 March 2009 at 11:29
Yes D2 rugger, upgrading our top domestic competition is most important. One can sit down over a quick lunch and sort out a more viable future for United States Rugby than these pretenders. The SL is the elephant in the room with these guys. They put a rug over it, but its 50 hands high and clanking the chandelier.
It isn't a reach to put HP into the SL competition as the same players/more players would benefit. They cannot profit off of it so they have discounted it.
Why not a partnership? Both parties need success right now.
HP is HP, why not reach 5x the players, build something, and still have money left over for 2x the IRANZ campers?
You can spend millions per year on the mindset that our top league needs to produces our best domestic product in order to compete against tier 1, or you can spend millions to research alternatives - which produces absolutely nothing for United States Rugby's future.
The membership has taken it upon themselves to improve what they have. USArFU has taken it upon themselves to disprove what we have and improve their stake of claim by marketing alternatives or changing names of things.
Who knows what kind of obligations USArFU (idiots) have signed on with these outside entities.
They had it all wrong from day one. They fail every single day. What kind of credit line extentions are these clowns signing off to this week?
Posted by: Elephant in the room | 25 March 2009 at 13:27
D2,
Nothing is going to improve any time soon. Instead of moving forward, our leadership deliberately went limp. They looked around and saw something that was very attractive to them.
Though it is not widely believed to propagate rugby - they hold true to course. How could they pass up such a target?
USArFU's amorphous serpentine, now begins to take shape, albeit in a semi-circular fashion, upwards.
In the next season they will continue to rise and in the last year of their contracted obligation they will make a huge thrust forward.
The good thing is that we have only lost another WC cycle and it can be treated by penicillin.
They will have come full circle. We are the ones that will suffer in the end.
Posted by: coming full circle | 25 March 2009 at 17:13