New York's AC-Old Blue match key to RSL playoffs

Tomorrow's New York AC-Old Blue clash looks pivotal to the Super League playoff picture, as it may settle second place and homefield advantage.

The winner of the match between 3-2 teams will control its destiny heading into the season's final weekend. Charlotte, also 3-2, would be forced to log bonus-point wins against 5-0 Life this Saturday and Old Blue next week in hopes of claiming the East's runnerup spot.

For NYAC, the defending champions, home playoff games could be particularly important because head coach Mike Tolkin is a busy man. His Xavier team, unbeaten on a spring-break tour of Northern California, looms as a national high school contender, while Tolkin himself recently signed on as national team defense coach. The high school finals overlap the RSL quarterfinals, while the RSL finals overlap the Ireland friendly.

Making the most of Tolkin's limited attention would be easier if the team were in New York. Super League teams did not play inter-conference matches this season, which means their cross-country travel systems may not be tuned.

In the west, leading-leading Belmont Shore (4-0-1) visits the up-and-down Denver Barbarians (3-2). Golden Gate and the Chicago Lions, the other likely Western playoff teams, meet next week in San Francisco.

Comments

[hypothetical results]

What if the NA4 dollars were used for the SL instead, so there would be incentive to join the SL.

What if the D1 and D2 playoff structure made sense, saved money and built up clubs.

After those what ifs, what if there were relegation matches.

I beleive that the final 4 of D1 would give the bottom two clubs of the SL all they could handle and then some. For arguments sake, what would the hypothetical outcomes be (neutral site):

Pearl City v OMBAC
Glendale v Dallas
Aspen v Griffs
Olympic Club v Santa Monica
Las Vegas v BIW
Baltimore v PAC
D2 champ St. Louis v OPSB

I would guess that any of the top 4 D1 clubs would more than two games in the East/Blue conference? I could be wrong.

[Old Boy]

I think Tolkin will pull it off no problemo. He's totally Mr.New York guy - 25 hour days are routine in NYC as guys on both sides of the OB/NYAC match can testify. For amateur high-level ruggers & coaches, making the possible out of impossible schedules is routine.

Think of this situation: you got a job, maybe/hopefully a wife/g-friend, a crazy commute to/from work, a crazy commute to/from the practice field after a 10-hour work day, a baby/ kids/future ruggers - yikes! to feed & put to bed at a normal time, and then a super important RSL fixture on the weekend in a city way far away from home. And you're still an amateur.

Aside from Canada & their RSL, I can't think of another place in rugbyland which puts high-level ruggers to such a grinding pace, over such long distances, with no pay. The pros working in Europe and the Super 14 are coddled and taken care of the way NFL pros & DI college football players are. This isn't yet another complaint of the amateur status - rather I mean to salute the dedication and drive of American ruggers.

[Eagles Fan]

U20 Eagles choke in Kenya. FIRE SALTY NOW!!!

[question]

what is the U20 score?

[Beagles]

33-32. Eagles blew a 32-14 lead in the last 10 minutes or so. They play Namibia next who beat Kenya 22-17. Good chance the U20 Eagles are going to stay in the bush leagues another year.

[new low]

We haven't been able to gain any traction with the U19's, now U20's in the last five years. Qualify for the higher level comp, only to fall back to the lower level comp. Now maybe, we stay a couple cycles in the lower level, with the tier three's.

This program needs a redo.

Not only should we beat teams we are losing to, we need to graduate far more players to the senior level. We are funding this junior national team better than ever before thanks to the IRB, but like the senior Eagles under Melville and Roberts we are going backward.

We should prefer a change at the top, but either way its time for Salty to hand off the program to the next coach.

Also, no more father and sons. Or disproportionate selections from the coaching staff hometowns. Time for a complete remake!

[Frustrated]

Salty is over his skis coaching this squad. The side has been in country for a week to 10 days, and they are playing at altitude. He only uses 3 of his 7 subs, and those come on with less than 10 minutes to play. They had the game in control at 32-14 with 18 minutes left. Let's get some fresh legs out there and close it out. Instead the Kenya side used to playing at altitude scored 3 trys and converted 2 within 18 minutes. Sack Salty now!

[Bad loss]

That Irish fullback blows. And someone needs to tell Enosa that he's not Jonny Wilkinson and stop attempting drop goals at every conceivable opportunity.

[tired of being bullied]

It is all about the athlete. Half of these kids wouldn't be missed by their High School Football coaches. Could you have a squad of real athletes, yup, but they are not as "well skilled".

This is the type of kid you want, a kid who will go up to the biggest toughest kid in the school and punch him in the face for no reason. Get 15 of those kids and you beat Kenya by 30.

[SD Hitman]

hypothetical -

Pearl City would throttle the current OMBAC squad. Especially if their "never been", player-coach selects himself to start at the expense of up and coming players who show true potential.

Really frustrating to see this...

[Flynn Hagerty]

"It is all about the athlete. Half of these kids wouldn't be missed by their High School Football coaches. Could you have a squad of real athletes, yup, but they are not as "well skilled"."

That is part of the bigger problem, but the USA U20s have been underachieving for years now, despite what I think most of us would feel is a substantial increase in the quality of play for high school and college rugby. For God's sake, we got smoked by a HORRIBLE Japan team last year.

We can't expect much more than consistent qualification for the IRB Junior World Cup considering the gaps between us and the elite, but the U-20s have embarrassed the USA in international competition the last two years. It's pretty obvious there are fundamental problems in selection and possibly coaching the team, judging by how poorly prepared the USA seems to be much of the time. God knows this isn't much of a job considering the lack of reward, but if we're receiving all this IRB largesse it'd be nice to turn it into something more than a loss vs a country which has never even come close to qualifying for a World Cup. I fully expect us to get smoked by Namibia. Hope Salty enjoyed the trip.

[It's the leadership stupid]

Salty is a known quality in all this. We should thank him for his service and select a new coaching staff with due haste.

However, what this is an indication of is Salty's boss Nigel Melville, not Salty. Melville has supported, appointed and reappointed our worse coaches to date. He has been poor at managing these coaches and their plans for our Eagle teams. Melville has been a very poor elite rugby manager. This couple with his lack of true CEO skills begs the question, why are we paying him $275k per year?

Sack Melville now! We have wasted millions of IRB HP dollars racing backwards. If the Borad can't see this they are blind. Why is there no report card for the CEO? Why do we bag players for their performance, fitness and how they sing the national anthem and allow our higher paid employee to under-perform year after year?

[When the sun goes down]

Hitman,
I am surprised to hear of that stuff going on with OMBAC. I've been out of the loop, but wondered why OMBAC fell off the map. That stuff is pretty much standard at the lower levels. Player/coaches are ridiculous at that level, or any level higher save social rugby.
OMBAC will surely miss out on a few top players this recruiting season. Other than the great weather, hot chix, great quality of life, OMBAC has nothing over Pearl City.

[SD Hitman]

Sun goes down -

Without going into detail, OMBAC is in a deep rut of bad cycle. It will take another group of leaders to come in and transform things to the way they were in '05 and '06 when the club could boast winning an RSL and Sevens title in the same year. The expectation is set very high at OMBAC because of the tradition winning championships. Not making playoffs is one thing. But posting one of the worst RSL records in the club's history is not pleasing a lot of the support there.

Their coaching staff is in over their heads and are too arrogant to notice and implement and sort of recovery strategy.

The best thing the club has going for it is that there was a huge influx of youth this season. Hopefully they stay through this thin time......

[Hoodwinkle]

The coach at Pearl City is a goober. What Pearl City do is fly players in, so they have a chance at buying a win. I think it shows that Friend doesn’t actually know how to coach, he only knows what he thinks he wants, but doesn’t have the coaching skills to do the job properly. He is just a showman. SJ and AF are about as good as each other as far as being real coaches, it’s no wonder AF is out of favor with USAR. He’s no better that a cone carrying chimp.

[SD Fan]

Behind every successful American rugby club or college team is the individual(s) with vision and drive which make it happen.

OMBAC had this in spades at one point. Along the way somewhere they lost the people to make it happen. Coaches, managers and key supporters have changed and not for the better.

Its recently happened at Aspen as well. In OMBAC's case SD is still a great area to live, with loads of athletic people and a good sense of community, so I think it comes back at some point.

[heavy d]

ombac is drowning with their new coach.