(San Francisco, California) Three ties, four lead changes, and 80 minutes into a match of unbeatens, Pete O'Brien's 43-yard penalty goal lifted the New York Athletic Club to a 28-25 Super League championship win over San Francisco Golden Gate Sunday before 2,200 at Rocca Field.
Center Troy Hall's slashing scoring run started NYAC's 10-point, match-winning rally. With the defending champs ahead by a converted try just 2 minutes from full time, halfback Mike Petri darted weakside from a setpiece in his own end, dragging the defense wide before flipping the ball inside to Hall, who sliced past Hector Quiles and outstripped the cover defense for a centered touchdown.
Though staggered by a long-range try that could have come from its own playbook, SFGG might well have expected to survive until overtime, when it would have enjoyed another dose of Treasure Island's lusty winds. But O'Brien, whose 5 of 6 goalkicking included an opportunistic droppie and a sideline conversion, took advantage of a hands-in penalty to end the matter in regulation.
The upset win earned NYAC a third Super League crown over the past six years, while extending the title game's reputation for late drama. Tied at 18 with less than 10 minutes to go, the back-and-forth contest produced 2 tries and 17 points down the stretch.
Sunday's match wasn't particularly stylish. The two sides mainly played close to the forwards, mostly to good effect, as NYAC sought to limit turnovers and counterattacking opportunities, and SFGG struggled with losing 3 of 6 backline starters to injury, the consequence of last week's bruising semifinal with Life. Yet the game's twists and turns easily surmounted any lack of ambition.
Flyhalves Martin Cole and O'Brien traded early penalty goals, before busy Golden Gate hooker Chris Biller tallied the game's first try at 19 minutes. But despite the wind at their backs, Golden Gate would not score again in the first half.
Meanwhile, a Petri tap move gobbled some 40 yards and earned a follow-on penalty, leading to a NYAC lineout maul and flanker James Denise's driving over the line. O'Brien's thus conversion gave the hosts a surprising 10-8 halftime advantage.
After intermission, O'Brien restarted by kicking deep, the ball rolling into SFGG's end zone. But referee Chris Henshall ruled that SFGG did not ground the ball without delay and so waived off the receivers' choice of centerfield scrum or rekick, instead ordering a 22 dropout. By result, NYAC immediately regained possession and O'Brien snapped a field goal that extended the count to 13-8.
In a finely poised, back-and-forth half, such a lead would not last long. Though NYAC returned to scoring territory, halfback Mose Timoteo seized a rare turnover to counterattack through replacement Jeff Colata to Cole for a converted try at 48 minutes and a 15-13 lead. Cole then added a 38-yard penalty shot, and the hosts held their line over a 6-minute stand around the start of the fourth quarter.
This respite too was momentary. With steady lineouts, reliable rucking, and lock Brian Doyle and eightman Ryan McTiernan prominent as ball carriers, NYAC once more took play deep inside the 22, forcing a rash of penalties. As was the case for most of the afternoon, they ignored 3-pointers for tap moves, and at 68 minutes flanker Frank Sharpe barged over. O'Brien's difficult two-pointer then tied the match.
Now it seemed NYAC, confidently recycling ball after ball, would have a dozen minutes to maneuver for the winning score. But Quiles swung momentum back to Golden Gate. Fielding a speculative kick, the wing-turned-fullback boldly took on the cover defense, driving ahead long enough for his teammates to arrive and secure possession, attack and recycle, and then strike down the left sideline through Biller and Albert Tuipulotu to replacement Tevita Okusi.
Most days, the 71st-minute try would have been enough to send Golden Gate's bumper crowd home happy. Yet the RSL final is not only a last-minute but also a relatively high-scoring affair: 25 points would have fallen short of victory 3 of the past 4 years, as it did in 2010.
New York Athletic Club 28 San Francisco Golden Gate 25 (halftime: NYAC 10-8)
San Francisco Golden Gate
Tries: Chris Biller, Martin Cole, Tevita Okusi
Conversions: Martin Cole (2)
Penalties: Martin Cole (2)
Jone Naqica (Jeff Colata); Hector Quiles, Mile Pulu (Tevita Okusi), Albert Tuipulotu, Seta Palamo; Martin Cole, Mose Timoteo (captain); Jason Bowden, Chris Bowden, Paul Fukufuka (Josh Vavao), John Thomas, Aaron Latzke, Neil Kern (Eoin Sheeran), Dan LaPrevotte, Samu Manoa
New York Athletic Club
Tries: James Denise, Frank Sharpe, Troy Hall
Conversions: Pete O'Brien (2)
Penalties: Pete O'Brien (2)
Drop goal: Pete O'Brien
Jamie Wood; Shawn Rafferty (Matt Williams), Tim Ryland, Troy Hall, Jackson Wagener; Pete O'Brien, Mike Petri (captain), Andrew King, Conor Coyne, Troy Bartley, Adrien Myers, Brian Doyle, Frank Sharpe, James Denise, Ryan McTiernan
Referee: Chris Henshall (Mid-Atlantic)
Attendance: 2,200 (estimated)
excellent synopsis by Kurt
to previous posters, NYAC never took Cal likely, we were just not that good and Cal was, we were out in the Qfinals both years we played those games.
We have also been fortunate to have Cal players andrew lindsey and paul jesseman on our team and there for us this year although both had been injured.
the college premier league will make rugby grow and funnel some terrific HS talent to these fine schools. the great thing about the CPL is that it has the academic gamut of schools from highly competitive to marginally competitive and that means that good players will have a place to go and that is great.
college and HS rugby are critical
on the NYAC
1,2,3,9,13 were all college AA's
4,10, 15 went to uni in another country 4 in canada, 10 in ireland, 15 in scotland
5 played for a poor NRU side and was overlooked but came to us and has 3 USA caps now, but on any other region, he'd have made it
6 and 8 are ineligible because they were college students playing club rugby (both played USA U-19 and U-20)
7,12 did not go to uni and were ineligible
11 was a college player at stanford
14 was a college football player but was a USA u-19 rugger.
we lived and died on HS and college rugby. it is critical for development.
RSL will not have the finances, facilities and infrastructure of schools, but it does pretty well and the top games are good games.
As for pre season thoughts, this year we lost to boston in pre season who won a huge Qfinal and then lost to us, and in 08 we lost to charlotte in pre season and they made playoffs and got beaten soundly by a denver team in charlotte that we handled in the semi.
pre season is what it is.
that doesn't make those games less serious or less marquis, it is just that while both teams want to win, neither is playing the side they played the year before due to graduations and other issues.
they are great games and a lot of fun, we hope more xavier guys go to cal and that more cal guys come to nyac. it works for us and we hope that seamus kelly and pat coleman work for cal. who knows, maybe we will get to play utah, PSU, KU, Army, or delaware, or SMC (who has expressed interest in playing at the remembrance cup)
Ideally we have players from all of the top programs. it is amazing how the kids from quality college programs can step in and fit. the more of those we have, the better. it will be great for all of us.
Posted by: bruce mclane | 01 June 2010 at 21:16
NYAC's ability to forge relationships is part of their strength of being a winning club. They have Tolks who builds relationships with players at a young age through Xavier. These players all want to come back and play for him again at NYAC. Every RSL team should try and be linked with a high school program, furthermore ideally a university (where geographically possible) as well. It would do wonders for the US game and create sustainable player pathways.
NYAC have forged links with young non rugby playing communities around the area, especially with Play Rugby USA urban city programs. I once heard a young kid of 9 years old, say his favorite sports player of all time was a NYAC player! For a kid who does not really know rugby and is embraced in every other sport under the sun, that was quite powerful to hear.
Even playing against NYAC they were always the most welcoming club and just understand how the game should be played and managed. Of course it would be wrong to say NYAC are the only club doing this, they are not, however all clubs should be trying to work similar models to the ones that do and learn from them.
Congrats on the win
Posted by: Rossco | 02 June 2010 at 01:57
Great job NYAC! A belated congratulations from an interested observer.
Posted by: Alaskan Lodge | 27 July 2010 at 07:41