Take the jump to read our preview.
SFGG vs. Santa Monica
(4:00 p.m. et/1:00 p.m. pt, Treasure Island)
Both teams have ambitions of lifting the trophy at the end of the season and will want to get their seasons started off on a positive note. SFGG have lost a few players in the offseason , including Chris Biller and Danny LaPrevotte, and it will take a toll on what they can do but with the likes of Brendan Daly coming in from Cal it shouldn't be that difficult of a transition. The team still has stalwarts like Volney Rouse, Mose Timoteo, and Mile Pulu to rely on. Depth has been their strength in the past and this year that may suffer a bit. Still, they are expected to be the top team in the competition.
Santa Monica have flown under the radar the last couple of seasons. However, under a new coaching staff the team is looking for a breakout season. They have added several players with significant overseas experience in Australia, France, and England. Normally it would take time for those players to gel with the existing group but the Dolphins began their PRP preparations early making the transition smoother. Still, a positive transformation may not happen overnight. Santa Monica did fall to Belmont in a warm-up match a few weeks back. That said, if we were to pick an upset this weekend it would be Santa Monica potentially earning a win over SFGG.
SFGG has some outstanding backs but the reason they have been successful in recent years has been the play of their forwards. If this were last year we'd say that they would have an easy time over Santa Monica in that regard but the Dolphins re-tooling makes them more dangerous. If Santa Monica can hold their own in the forwards than it should be a very close match.
Olympic Club vs. Glendale Raptors
(6:00 p.m. et/3:00 p.m. pt, Treasure Island)
This match will be the second of a double header at Treasure Island. Unlike the contest between potential challengers SFGG and Santa Monica the match against Olympic Club and Glendale is between two teams expected to finish near the bottom of the standings. Olympic Club did not have a good season last year and to address those problems they have brought in several players with Eagles experience. Will Johnson returns at prop and he'll be joined by All-American Andrew Cook. The backs are where O-Club has their most weapons. Colin Hawley and Tim Maupin form what is arguably the best combination in the league. As expected, much of the backline is made of up former Cal players.
Glendale have also undergone a bit of a transition in the offseason but instead of adding players they have lost several key contributors, such as the Malifa brothers. Now the club will rely players like Zac Pauga, Zach Fenoglio, and Preston Bryant to pull them through. One of the biggest hindrances for the team this year as been the lack of preparation time with Denver being snowed in. Saturday's match will be the first time they have had a chance to hit another team since the fall.
With Olympic Club bringing in a few forwards expect them to say even with Glendale. This match will then come down to the backs where O-Club has a distinct advantage.
Belmont Shore vs. Denver Barbarians
(6:00 p.m. et/3:00 p.m. pt, Cal State Long Beach)
Like SFGG and Santa Monica both Belmont Shore and the Denver Barbarians have hopes of lifting the trophy at the end of the season. For Denver it's been something they have been thinking about all year after coming up short in the Elite Cup and DI. The Barbarians are quietly one of the more stacked teams in the competition. Max de Achaval may be the best play-maker and Taylor Howden is extremely underrated. Last year they got off to a hot start and if they can replicate that it will put them in a good position.
The Barbarians will be taking on a Belmont Shore team that has had a mixed winter. They beat Santa Monica earlier in the season but then lost to North Texas at the LVI. True, they didn't have some of their top choice players in that match but as the coaching staff will tell you they still played poorly. The talent is their for Belmont Shore and hosting the match at home will help but watch out for the Barbarians.
Denver wins games by taking advantage of other teams mistakes. In the first match of the season you have to wonder if that will play into their hands. Belmont do have more pre-season matches under their belt than other teams, however, while the Barbarians are just getting back into it.