The Pacific Rugby Premiership got off to a great start this week in which one match came down to a missed conversion, two title contenders clashed in a tight match, and a player scored six tries. All in all a great weekend of rugby. Beginning this week and continuing throughout the season we'll be offering a weekly rundown of the competition with news and notes.
Belmont Shore 29-28 Santa Monica (click here for a recap)*
Santa Monica and Belmont Shore have always had a rivalry and have played to entertaining matches but few compared with this one. The match went back and forth with Santa Monica having a chance to win it at the end had Harry Bennett made his conversion. He didn't and Belmont went on to claim a win. It's really too bad for Bennett that he wasn't able to convert. By and large the Australian import was excellent for Santa Monica and helped push their offense ahead. They are still showing that same offensive flair as last year but defensively they have to be worried.
The same goes for Belmont. They emerged with the win and Andrew Jackson showed he has the boot to serve the club well this year but allowing 28 points and nearly losing the game at the last minute can't be a strong omen. That said, Belmont did show great poise in coming back from a 17-3 deficit. Last year that might not have happened so it's a great sign that Belmont were able to push forward. Their balanced scoring was also a plus.
Take the jump to read more.
Takeaways
Santa Monica: They can score and Bennett looks like a great compliment to Mathieu Lesgourgues but can they keep opponents from scoring. They did it for stretches against Belmont but they need to do it for the full 80 minutes.
Belmont Shore: They showed an attacking flair we are accustomed to seeing but putting themselves in a big hole will bite them down the road. Also, how will the react when they are tested by another side is a big question.
OMBAC 24-13 Glendale Raptors (click here for a recap)
Zach Pangelinan simply proved once again that he is one of the best players in America as he scored 19 points in OMBAC's 24-13. A lot was made of OMBAC's additions (including by us) and they certainly helped (i.e. Adam Clarkin) but in the end it was Pangelinan that scored in every category. His four penalties were crucial as they continually put Glendale behind. Glendale seemed to suffer in this match from a lack of warm-up matches and the travel to San Diego. It's hard to blame the Raptors for not being able to have a warm-up match due to snow and other wintery conditions in Colorado but you have to wonder if that, and the distraction of the warm coast in comparison to the Colorado winter, was the key difference in the match. The loss might not hurt Glendale at the end of the season but it certainly will leave a bitter taste in their match.
Takeaways
OMBAC: Is Pangelinan going to hold up for an entire season? So far he's winning games once again for OMBAC but if he's ever called into Eagles 7s duty or goes down with an injury OMBAC could be in trouble. Eventually getting Todd Clever in the side is going to help but after one match OMBAC still need to find balance. The good news is that they defeated a rival for one of the two final spots.
Glendale: Are the Raptors set for a slump this year? We highly doubt it but they did add quite a few new players to their team and it will take awhile for them to integrate. Now with a match under their belts the Raptors should play better. Too bad for them they have next week off.
SFGG 59-10 Olympic Club (click here for a recap)
Pila Huihui scored six tries for SFGG as they beat rivals Olympic Club. It was an decently even match in the first half before Olympic Club either tired or SFGG simply ran away with it.
Takeaways
SFGG: Is Pila Huihui the next Dave Martini? SFGG certainly hopes he can keep up his try scoring but he also has a lot more support than Martini had at Santa Monica. SFGG at this point looks to be the deepest team in the competition. They didn't even start Seamus Kelly since he just arrived at the club. Bubba Jones and Don Pati also came off the bench. One concerning element for the team is that scrumhalf Mahe Fungupo went off with an injury meaning that Pati will have to fill in sooner than expected.
Olympic Club: Colin Hawley can score and the team can get an occasional penalty from Keegan Engelbrecht but the team is going to need much more this year if they don't want to finish last. At this point there are far too many questions.
*We've partnered with the PRP this season for match recaps so we'll defer to them.
