In addition to the big match between the Austin Blacks and NYAC for the DI title four strong teams will duke it out for the DII and DIII titles this weekend in Glendale.
DII
The Life West Gladiators finished as runners-up in DIII last year and in order to challenge themselves more this year they made the move up. So far it's worked out with a very strong season in NorCal followed by a great run in the playoffs. However, they are about to come up against the best team they have faced so far in former champion Wisconsin. Sunday's match promises to be full of hard hits and attacking run and could be the most stylistically pleasing match of the weekend.
As mentions, Wisconsin are former champions having won the tournament as recently as 2013. WRC did little wrong in the regular season and haven't lost a game all year in league or playoff play. Their only losses on the year came against DI sides Metropolis and Palmer. They rolled through Group 2 in the West division of the Midwest going 10-0 with a point differential of 228. In the playoffs they barely got by an underrated Detroit Tradesmen side thanks to some confusion on the score line and then beat New York and Atlanta Old White but nine points a piece.
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Both Wisconsin and the Life West Gladiators like to play a physical style of rugby. Wisconsin has some serious defensive chops and the experience. That said, Life West has a bunch of players that can be a difference maker, including former Super Rugby player Orene Aii and a stable of young prospects.
Life West are the up and coming team in the U.S. and have become a destination for some of the top Polynesian players in the Bay Area. It helps when you have the likes of Tonga captain Nili Latu helping out the side. Like Wisconsin, Life West also went 10-0 in league play but put up a massive point total of 676 with a point differential of 538. In the playoffs they rolled through Snake River, St. Louis Bombers, and Tempe, all good sides, on their way to the final.
In the end it will come down to Wisconsin's defensive ability against the offensive prowess of Life West. If that's the case then we think Life West has the best shot.
DIII
It's the battle of the Barbarians in DIII as the Wichita Barbarians and the Tri City Barbarians go head to head. Like most DIII sides they are mixture of young and old players. Wichita have had players around the club for several years while they, according to a local news article, also brought in three players straight from high school that are having an impact on the team. Wichita have been around for 40 years and this is the first time they've reached the national championship. Expect them to come out excited and with Wichita only being a seven hour drive from Denver you can expect them to have strong support.
Throughout the regular season Wichita lost only once, a 19-17 loss to the Kansas City Blues DIII side, and finished a top of the Heart of America division in the Mid-America Conference. They got revenge on the Blues with a win in the playoffs before beating both Colusa County and Dallas Athletic at regionals.
Tri-City can one up Wichita in that they haven't lost this year at all. They went 8-0 in the North Division in the Midwest and then destroyed the Michiana Moose and Bremer Country Bucks to make the regionals where they also put up a big score over the Danbury Mad Hatters and winning comfortably over Old Gaelic. During the regular season Tri City scored 383 points while only giving up 67. That' is going to be tough for Wichita to stop. They were also featured in a local news article.