Give Rugby a Try: The NARC (Interactive) [Archive]

bbgunn

10-12-2011, 09:13 PM

I haven’t had a good track record lately with my dynasties. I’m hoping this one will change that.

With the Rugby World Cup going on in New Zealand right now, and my interest in rugby having increased since moving to Japan eight years ago, I’ve decided to do a rugby union dynasty, with a league based in North America. I’ve developed a simple rugby union spreadsheet simulator. You give it two teams, plus their relative strengths, and it spits out not only the final score, but a sort of play-by-play, so you know how a game unfolded. I’ll use that for this dynasty.

I want this dynasty to be easy, with not too much work, in order to give it a chance to last. However, I do want to have some fun with it. My idea is to make a rugby union competition, sim each game, and give a brief report on it, while embellishing it with a few details to make it interesting.

The simulator does tell you what players (by position, not by name) scored tries (equivalent to touchdowns in American football), conversions, and penalties. However, it does not automatically compile individual statistics. I’m not that great at spreadsheet formulas. I did a “dry run” of the dynasty to see how well I could keep track of individual stats manually, but it was just too tedious. I want this to be fun, not work. Therefore, you will see a few lines in the game reports about certain players scoring multiple tries or kicking the winning penalty goal, but I won’t keep track of season and career stats.

In lieu of that, I’ll try out a Player of the Week system I saw in a previous rugby league dynasty in this forum. Judges will pick out three notable players from the week’s games, with the best player getting three points, the second-best getting two points, etc. At the end of the season, the player with the most points will be the MVP.

Oh, and there will be coaches in this dynasty as well. Keeping track of coaching results (wins, losses, etc.) is relatively easy, so I’ll attempt to do that.

Anyway, hope you enjoy. The following links will give you an idea of what rugby union is, and a little bit of history behind the game in the U.S.

Rugby union - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_union
Rugby union in the U.S. - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_union_in_the_United_States

bbgunn

10-12-2011, 09:27 PM

Autumn 1995. Rugby union had just gone professional around the world. New competitions, such as the Super 12 in the southern hemisphere, and the Heineken Cup in the northern hemisphere, had started up. It was no different in North America, where a group of Ivy League-educated businessmen decided to get in on the fun. Why couldn’t rugby work in football-mad America, their reasoning went. It's like football with no pads, plastic helmets, or face masks! Of course, there's no forward pass, either, but surely there are still those that appreciate hard-nosed running football without all the finesse. And with the sport turning professional, they reasoned, an American league could attract top players from around the world, not to mention American athletes who might otherwise choose a baseball, football or basketball career.

The North American Rugby Conference, or the NARC for short, was founded in November 1995, with Delmar Scrivens, a prominent Yale graduate who as a university student played rugby during a stay abroad in England, named the first commissioner. The NARC quickly began looking for franchises to play in their league, beginning in March 1996. Their goal was to have ten teams in the first season, and the target markets were eight rugby union “hotbeds” in the United States (New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Diego, and the Bay Area), plus two more teams in another North American rugby hotbed, Canada. The season would run alongside that of baseball’s, so baseball stadiums were out of the question. The NARC’s strategy was to rent football stadiums, which were not used in the spring or early summer. The league hoped that they would make enough money for teams to build their own stadiums in the future.

The West Coast targets quickly joined the league, as owners and stadiums with real grass were found for L.A., San Diego and San Francisco. Chicago also joined up fairly quickly. Other targets, however, were not so easy. For example, the NARC desperately wanted a team in the U.S.’s largest city and TV market, New York. The plan was to play at Giants Stadium. However, it turned out that there was a rival sports league also starting up at the same time – Major League Soccer. The New York/New Jersey Metrostars had already secured rights to play at the stadium, and the NARC was not about to fight for home dates with an MLS team. The NARC encountered similar problems in Washington, D.C., and Boston as well. In addition, no suitable stadium with real grass was found in Philadelphia.

Despite all of the problems, the NARC managed to meet their goal of ten teams in its inaugural season. The following posts will take a brief look at each of the teams, in order of their admittance to the league.

bbgunn

10-12-2011, 09:39 PM

LOS ANGELES SHARKS
Stadium: Memorial Coliseum
Head Coach: William Ready, USA (54)

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With several prestigious amateur rugby union clubs in the L.A. Area, such as Belmont Shore and Santa Monica, it was no surprise that Los Angeles was awarded the first NARC franchise in December 1995. They subsequently hired the United States national team coach, William Ready, to lead the Sharks. The team colors of sky blue and dark red are a nod to L.A.’s two major universities, UCLA and USC.

bbgunn

10-12-2011, 09:42 PM

SAN DIEGO MISSION
Stadium: Qualcomm Stadium
Head Coach: Fletcher Barton, AUS (47)

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San Diego is another area with a tradition of amateur rugby. The NARC team’s nickname comes from Old Mission Beach RFC, who are nicknamed The Missionaries. One of the Mission’s owners used to work in the baseball Padres’ front office, and suggested the old Padres colors of brown and yellow for the rugby club.

bbgunn

10-12-2011, 09:43 PM

GOLDEN GATE STORMERS
Stadium: Stanford Stadium (Palo Alto, CA)
Head Coach: Kyler Eccleston, NZL (49)

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The Stormers completed the California hat trick in December 1995 with the third NARC franchise. Golden Gate (not to be confused with Golden State, as in the NBA Warriors) is coached by a former New Zealand international player.

bbgunn

10-12-2011, 09:44 PM

CHICAGO LEGENDS
Stadium: Soldier Field
Head Coach: Dave Waterman, AUS (50)

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Chicago was the next team, after the California clubs, to join the NARC, doing so on Christmas Eve 1995. The black uniforms are a nod to New Zealand’s All-Blacks (albeit with a little red thrown in). Despite that, the team hired an Australian head coach.

bbgunn

10-12-2011, 09:46 PM

BOSTON BEACONS
Stadium: Harvard Stadium
Head Coach: Paddy Moriarty, IRL (58)

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The Boston Beacons ownership group organized as fast as their counterparts in California, however they had trouble locating a suitable stadium. Their first choice, Foxboro Stadium, slipped away thanks to the new MLS team, the New England Revolution. So they reached a deal with Harvard University to play in their stadium. Originally the owners, who are huge Celtics fans, wanted green and white for the team colors. However, to show thanks to Harvard, white was swapped with crimson.

bbgunn

10-12-2011, 09:47 PM

CAPITAL CITY DRAGONS
Stadium: Byrd Stadium, College Park, MD
Head Coach: Gus Gardener, USA (48)

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As was the case in Boston, the Dragons had hopes to play in RFK Stadium, but thanks to D.C. United of the MLS, Capital City will have to play their games outside of the district. It’s only fitting that the team representing America’s capital hired an American coach.

bbgunn

10-12-2011, 09:50 PM

EDMONTON MASHERS
Stadium: Commonwealth Stadium
Head Coach: Roger Bagley, NZL (51)

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The NARC originally wanted two franchises in Canada, preferably in Toronto and Vancouver. But locating sizable grass arenas proved to be impossible. The best option was Edmonton, which joined in January 1996. It remains to be seen if the Mashers can attract the support of rugby union fans around western Canada.

bbgunn

10-12-2011, 09:51 PM

TEXAS HARLEQUINS
Stadium: Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, TX
Head Coach: Pete Holme, ENG (45)

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Having secured seven franchises, and with a New York-based franchise still in the works, the NARC decided to place their final two teams in areas unserved or underserved by major league sports. The first of the two was the Texas Harlequins, located in Austin. They will play in massive Memorial Stadium, home of the Texas Longhorns. As was the case in Boston, to show thanks, the Harlequins made orange one of the team’s colors.

bbgunn

10-12-2011, 09:52 PM

VIRGINIA STARS
Stadium: William “Dick” Price Stadium, Norfolk, VA
Head Coach: Wiremu Wilson, NZL (39)

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There was speculation that this franchise would go to Las Vegas or the Carolinas, but the NARC pulled a surprise when they put a team in the Hampton Roads area. Virginia will be coached by the youngest head coach in the NARC.

bbgunn

10-12-2011, 09:55 PM

NEW JERSEY KNIGHTS
Stadium: Rutgers Stadium (Piscataway, NJ)
Head Coach: Graham Van Leeuwenhoek, RSA (48)

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The deadline for teams to join the NARC’s inaugural season was January 31st, 1996. With nine teams lined up by January 20th, the NARC put all of its efforts towards putting a franchise in the U.S.’s top television market. However, there was not a suitable, non-baseball, grass stadium to be found in the city. At the last minute, the NARC and the New York ownership group reached a deal with Rutgers University for the use of their stadium – a bit far from New York City, but within reach. Political influences required that the team include “New Jersey” in their name, and the owners went above that, leaving “New York” out of the official name completely.

bbgunn

10-12-2011, 10:06 PM

With the team intros out of the way, I’m going to make this dynasty interactive. You can be a player or a head coach. If you want to be a player, give me your player’s name, nationality, position, and the team you want to join. Your player’s age will automatically be 22 years old (fresh out of college) to allow for a long career. If you want to be a coach, give me your coach’s name, nationality, age, and the team you want to coach, and I’ll remove the respective coach above and put you in his place.

Of course, if I’m going to ask you to choose your own position, I should give you a quick breakdown of the positions in rugby union. You can find detailed information at Wikipedia (Rugby union positions) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_union_positions), but for now, here is a quick and dirty guide to positions in rugby union, based on my own observations.

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FORWARDS

#1 - Loosehead Prop
#2 - Hooker
#3 - Tighthead Prop
#4 and #5 – Locks
#6 – Blind Flanker
#7 – Open Flanker
#8 – Number 8

As you can tell from the distinct position titles, the forwards have specific duties (I’m too lazy to list them all – check the Wikipedia link above), but generally speaking, they have two jobs: (1) to fight for possession of the ball in what is called the scrum (this happens when the ball is put back in play after an infringement, etc.), and (2) play defense. These are the biggest, beefiest guys on the team. Loosely using an American football analogy, they are like your O-line and D-line put together. The forwards usually do not score tries, but they can and do, and you will see them sometimes take a ball after a teammate is tackled and quickly run with it to try to catch the opposition off guard. (And yes, Player #8's official position title is Number 8. How original.)

BACKS

#9 Scrum Half
The scrum half’s job is to get the ball from the forwards to his teammates in the backfield (usually the #10) after a scrum or a tackle. In other words, he’s “part-quarterback”; he takes the “hike”. The scrum half is also the first line of defense after the forwards, so he should be good at tackling.

#10 Fly Half
This is your “quarterback” in rugby union. This guy needs to be able to read the defense and make quick decisions on the field after receiving the ball. Should he pass the ball to the closest guy, or throw it out to a wing? Or should he just punt it? The fly half is also the best kicker. He will kick the conversions and penalty kicks, and when the ball is in play he just might attempt a drop goal for a quick three points (especially late in the game).

#11 Left Wing
#14 Right Wing
These are kind of like your wide receivers. These are the fastest guys on the field. Usually hovering near each touch line, once they get the ball the wings can turn the speed on and try to run around and past the defense. The wings, the main attacking players, can easily score a majority of a team’s tries, but they also create opportunities for the more inside players by opening the field a little. They are also like cornerbacks when playing defense.

#12 Inside Centre
#13 Outside Centre
These are kind of like your running backs. They usually attack straight down the middle of the field, and they have to be fast and strong. In most cases the fly half passes the ball to the centres, and the centre decides whether to run with it or pass it to the other centre or a wing. The centres are also like backup kickers. (Actually, since this is set mainly in the United States, I’m going to call them “centers” from now on.)

#15 Fullback
The player farthest back on the field, the fullback is the last line of defense if an opposition player breaks away with the ball. In that sense, he is like the safety. The fullback also fields kicks if the opposition decides to kick the ball down the field (usually when they have run out of opportunities). The fullback can score tries, but not as many as the wings, centers, and halves.

MacroGuru

10-12-2011, 10:26 PM

Nick Thomas
US
Fullback
New Jersey

bbgunn

10-12-2011, 10:31 PM

Thomas is in for the first season. Thanks!

Young Drachma

10-12-2011, 10:49 PM

Missed this the first time around. Following!

Also...

Charles Munn
USA
Fly Half
New Jersey

CrimsonFox

10-12-2011, 11:14 PM

Sandy Kemp
England
Golden Gate Stormers
Fly Half

bbgunn

10-12-2011, 11:46 PM

Munn and Kemp are in.

I'll keep sign-ups open until Sunday, even though I will sim one, two, or maybe even three, weeks of action before that.

larrymcg421

10-12-2011, 11:50 PM

Larry McGillicuddy
Left Wing
Ireland
New Jersey

bbgunn

10-12-2011, 11:51 PM

I'll go ahead and put myself in the game. :)

Kuji Chagulia
Nation: USA
Position: Right Wing (#14)
Team: Virginia Stars

bbgunn

10-12-2011, 11:53 PM

McGillicuddy is in as well.

Looks like the Knights are the team to beat here!

Travis

10-13-2011, 12:33 AM

Jace Hunter
Canadian
Fly Half
Edmonton

bbgunn

10-13-2011, 12:43 AM

Hunter is in.

bbgunn

10-13-2011, 12:47 AM

The ten teams will be divided into two divisions (five teams each). They are:

Eastern Division
Boston Beacons
Capital City Dragons
Chicago Legends
New Jersey Knights
Virginia Stars

Western Division
Edmonton Mashers
Golden Gate Stormers
Los Angeles Sharks
San Diego Mission
Texas Harlequins

Teams will play a twelve-game schedule. They will play the other four teams in their division twice, home and away. They will also play one game each against four of the teams from the other division. Each team will have six home games and six away games.

Games will be played mainly on Saturdays, but there will be a Friday night rugby game every week. NBC, still fuming from losing NFL games to Fox, agreed to broadcast the Friday night game and one Saturday afternoon game nationally, while the rest will (hopefully) be broadcast by local and regional stations. The NBC Saturday game will be decided on a week-to-week basis.

The top three teams in each division will make the playoffs. The division winners will get first-round byes, while the other two teams in each division will play each other, with the winners playing the division winners in the division finals. The two teams left will battle in the Rugby Bowl, the first of which will take place at Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles.

The standings will use a points system, similar to those used in rugby competitions around the world. A win will earn a team 4 points, and a tie 2 points. In addition, teams can earn bonus points. If a team scores four or more tries in a game, they will get an extra point in the standings. If a losing team loses by seven points or fewer, they will get a bonus point. So, for example, a losing team can get 0, 1, or 2 points in the standings for a game, while a winning team can get 4 or 5 points.

bbgunn

10-13-2011, 12:52 AM

Week 1 – March 15-16
Friday
Boston at San Diego (NBC)

Saturday
Los Angeles at Virginia
Golden Gate at Chicago
New Jersey at Texas (NBC)
Capital City at Edmonton

Week 2 – March 22-23
Friday
Capital City at Los Angeles (NBC)

Saturday
Texas at Boston
Edmonton at New Jersey
Chicago at San Diego
Virginia at Golden Gate

Week 3 – March 29-30
Friday
Chicago at Virginia (NBC)

Saturday
Boston at Edmonton
Capital City at New Jersey
Golden Gate at San Diego
Los Angeles at Texas

Week 4 – April 5-6
Friday
Capital City at Boston (NBC)

Saturday
San Diego at Virginia
Edmonton at Texas
Golden Gate at Los Angeles
New Jersey at Chicago

Week 5 – April 12-13
Friday
San Diego at Texas (NBC)

Saturday
New Jersey at Golden Gate
Boston at Virginia
Edmonton at Los Angeles
Capital City at Chicago

Week 6 – April 19-20
Friday
New Jersey at Capital City (NBC)

Saturday
Los Angeles at Boston
San Diego at Edmonton
Golden Gate at Texas
Virginia at Chicago

Week 7 – April 26-27
Friday
San Diego at Los Angeles (NBC)

Saturday
Texas at Capital City
Golden Gate at Edmonton
Boston at Chicago
New Jersey at Virginia

Week 8 – May 3-4
Friday
Virginia at Boston (NBC)

Saturday
San Diego at New Jersey
Chicago at Capital City
Texas at Edmonton
Los Angeles at Golden Gate

Week 9 – May 10-11
Friday
Texas at Golden Gate (NBC)

Saturday
Chicago at Los Angeles
Boston at New Jersey
Virginia at Capital City
Edmonton at San Diego

Week 10 – May 17-18
Friday
Los Angeles at Edmonton (NBC)

Saturday
Golden Gate at Capital City
Chicago at Boston
Virginia at New Jersey
Texas at San Diego

Week 11 – May 24-25
Friday
Virginia at Texas (NBC)

Saturday
Boston at Capital City
Chicago at New Jersey
Edmonton at Golden Gate
Los Angeles at San Diego

Week 12 – May 31-June 1
Friday
San Diego at Golden Gate (NBC)

Saturday
Edmonton at Chicago
Texas at Los Angeles
New Jersey at Boston
Capital City at Virginia

Playoffs First Round – June 8
Game 1 - Eastern #3 at Eastern #2 (NBC)
Game 2 – Western #3 at Western #2 (NBC)

Playoffs Division Finals – June 15
Game 1 winner at Eastern #1 (NBC)
Game 2 winner at Western #1 (NBC)

Rugby Bowl I – June 22
at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (NBC)

MacroGuru

10-13-2011, 08:34 AM

I'm definitely interested in this by the way...I love Rugby, been looking for a good sim...there isn't one...I was going to do a dynasty with the table top rules for crash tackle...

Coffee Warlord

10-13-2011, 01:27 PM

Rob Nielsen
Left Wing
USA
Chicago

Alf

10-13-2011, 04:46 PM

Alf Linster
Scrum Half
France
Stormers

bbgunn

10-13-2011, 06:44 PM

I'm definitely interested in this by the way...I love Rugby, been looking for a good sim...there isn't one...I was going to do a dynasty with the table top rules for crash tackle...

Whoa, I didn't know about Crash Tackle until now! That's probably easier and more interesting than making a rugby spreadsheet sim. Oh well. :)

I bought Pro Rugby Manager a few years ago during a trip abroad. But just as I was starting to get into it, I found that the game installs some intrusive spyware when you install the game, and it's very hard to remove it from your system. So it's been in my closet ever since, and there seems to be no other comparable rugby game out there.

Thanks for following!

bbgunn

10-13-2011, 06:55 PM

Nielsen and Linster are in.

I'll get Week 1 simmed and up today, and if I have time, Week 2 as well. That'll probably be it until Monday, as I usually have very little computer time on the weekends.

Of course, you can still get in the first season if you sign up by Sunday.

bbgunn

10-13-2011, 07:39 PM

San Diego 28, Boston 18

SAN DIEGO – A crowd of around 10,000 showed up at Qualcomm Stadium on Friday night, curious about what American professional rugby would look like. Many more across the nation watched live on NBC. They watched a good match, and in San Diego it certainly helped that the home team won the game.

The Friday night matchup between the home team, the San Diego Mission (1-0), and the visiting team, the Boston Beacons (0-1), was dominated by one player: San Diego fly half Richard Benner. The 31-year-old veteran of English rugby scored an amazing three of the Mission’s four tries on the night! Not only that, he made all four of his conversion kicks. All together, Benner directly accounted for 23 of San Diego’s 28 points.

“Richard was the man for us tonight,” said Mission head coach Fletcher Barton (age 47). “But a lot of credit goes to the fans. They really supported us tonight, and Richard wanted to put on a show for them.”

Benner’s Australian teammate, outside center Brendan Muir, will go down in history as the first player to score points in a NARC game with his try in the 5th minute.

San Diego gets the maximum five points in the standings – four for the win, and one more for scoring four or more tries.

TOTAL TRIES: Boston 2, San Diego 4
CONVERSIONS: Boston 1/2, San Diego 4/4
PENALTIES: Boston 2/2, San Diego 0/0
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
5' - San Diego - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #13). 7-0 San Diego
7' - Boston - no try*. 7-0 San Diego
12' - San Diego - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #10). 14-0 San Diego
17' - Boston - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #15). 14-5 San Diego
24' - Boston - PENALTY GOAL . 14-8 San Diego
36' - San Diego - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #10). 21-8 San Diego
48' - Boston - no try . 21-8 San Diego
54' - San Diego - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #10). 28-8 San Diego
58' - Boston - PENALTY GOAL . 28-11 San Diego
69' - Boston - no try . 28-11 San Diego
80' - Boston - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #5). 28-18 San Diego

* - In order to add a bit of randomness and allow weaker teams to upset stronger teams once in a while, sometimes the spreadsheet simulation will spit out a line in the play-by-play that says “no try.” Think of it this way: the team put together a good attack and came very close to the tryline, but somehow lost possession of the ball.

bbgunn

10-13-2011, 07:43 PM

Los Angeles 26, Virginia 12

NORFOLK, VA – Four different players scored tries for Los Angeles as the visiting Sharks ruined the debut of the home team, the Virginia Stars. L.A. (1-0) won by 14 points. As was probably expected, a very small crowd came out to support the Stars (0-1). Virginia right wing Kuji Chagulia failed to get on the scoresheet.

TOTAL TRIES: Los Angeles 4, Virginia 2
CONVERSIONS: Los Angeles 3/4, Virginia 1/2
PENALTIES: Los Angeles 0/1, Virginia 0/0
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
1' - Virginia - no try . 0-0 tie score
10' - Los Angeles - no try . 0-0 tie score
12' - Los Angeles - Penalty Goal Missed . 0-0 tie score
22' - Los Angeles - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #9). 7-0 Los Angeles
34' - Los Angeles - no try . 7-0 Los Angeles
40' - Los Angeles - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #10). 12-0 Los Angeles
50' - Virginia - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #3). 12-7 Los Angeles
58' - Los Angeles - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #4). 19-7 Los Angeles
61' - Virginia - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #9). 19-12 Los Angeles
65' - Los Angeles - no try . 19-12 Los Angeles
77' - Los Angeles - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #13). 26-12 Los Angeles

Chicago 26, Golden Gate 14

CHICAGO – Chicago left wing Rob Nielsen scored two tries as the Legends (1-0) won their debut 26-14 over the visiting Golden Gate Stormers (0-1) in front of nearly 6,000 fans at Soldier Field. Stormers fly half Sandy Kemp of England made both of his conversions, but missed a penalty kick early on in the game. Stormers scrum half Alf Linster played well, but did not get any points.

TOTAL TRIES: Golden Gate 2, Chicago 4
CONVERSIONS: Golden Gate 2/2, Chicago 3/4
PENALTIES: Golden Gate 0/1, Chicago 0/1
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
1' - Chicago - Penalty Goal Missed . 0-0 tie score
6' - Golden Gate - Penalty Goal Missed . 0-0 tie score
15' - Golden Gate - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 7-0 Golden Gate
23' - Chicago - no try . 7-0 Golden Gate
30' - Chicago - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 7-7 tie score
33' - Chicago - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #15). 14-7 Chicago
44' - Golden Gate - no try . 14-7 Chicago
49' - Golden Gate - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #5). 14-14 tie score
58' - Chicago - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #10). 19-14 Chicago
65' - Chicago - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 26-14 Chicago
72' - Golden Gate - no try . 26-14 Chicago

New Jersey 50, Texas 3

AUSTIN, TX – 8,000 curious Texans came to Texas Memorial Stadium in the state’s capital to get a taste of professional rugby union. They went home extremely disappointed, as the home Harlequins (0-1) were thoroughly dismantled in their debut 50-3 against the visiting New Jersey Knights (1-0). The Knights scored an amazing seven tries on the afternoon – three of them by the same player, Irish left wing Larry McGillicuddy.

Fans got an indication of how the game was going to go in the tenth minute, when McGillicuddy scored his first try. After a tackle deep in their own territory, Knights fly half Charles Munn received the ball from his scrum half, then faked a quick pass to the right. The defense, completely fooled, shifted in that direction, leaving McGillicuddy wide open on the left flank. Munn through the ball to him, and McGillicuddy did the rest with his speed, running nearly 75 yards to the in-goal area. Texas head coach Pete Holme was irate, and could be seen throwing his headset down in anger. And remember, that was just the tenth minute.

Munn had a good day as well, making six of seven conversion attempts as well as his only penalty kick, and he added a try for good measure.

TOTAL TRIES: New Jersey 7, Texas 0
CONVERSIONS: New Jersey 6/7, Texas 0/0
PENALTIES: New Jersey 1/1, Texas 1/2
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
10' - New Jersey - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 7-0 New Jersey
21' - New Jersey - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #13). 14-0 New Jersey
26' - New Jersey - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #1 ). 21-0 New Jersey
34' - Texas - PENALTY GOAL . 21-3 New Jersey
41' - Texas - Penalty Goal Missed . 21-3 New Jersey
48' - New Jersey - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 28-3 New Jersey
50' - Texas - no try . 28-3 New Jersey
61' - New Jersey - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #10). 35-3 New Jersey
64' - New Jersey - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 42-3 New Jersey
65' - New Jersey - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #4). 47-3 New Jersey
74' - New Jersey - PENALTY GOAL. 50-3 New Jersey

Edmonton 37, Capital City 3

EDMONTON – Edmonton fly half Jace Hunter scored two tries and accounted for 12 more points through conversions and penalties, as the Mashers (1-0) beat down the Capital City Dragons (0-1) 37-3 on a cold Saturday afternoon. Despite the weather, the game attracted the largest crowd of the NARC weekend (11,000).

Capital City's only points came in the second minute of the game with a penalty goal. It was literally all Edmonton from that point on.

TOTAL TRIES: Capital City 0, Edmonton 5
CONVERSIONS: Capital City 0/0, Edmonton 3/5
PENALTIES: Capital City 1/1, Edmonton 2/4
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
2' - Capital City - PENALTY GOAL . 3-0 Capital City
10' - Edmonton - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #10). 5-3 Edmonton
11' - Edmonton - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #1 ). 10-3 Edmonton
15' - Edmonton - no try . 10-3 Edmonton
22' - Capital City - no try . 10-3 Edmonton
26' - Edmonton - Penalty Goal Missed . 10-3 Edmonton
27' - Edmonton - PENALTY GOAL . 13-3 Edmonton
36' - Edmonton - no try . 13-3 Edmonton
47' - Edmonton - PENALTY GOAL. 16-3 Edmonton
53' - Edmonton - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 23-3 Edmonton
64' - Edmonton - Penalty Goal Missed . 23-3 Edmonton
67' - Edmonton - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #10). 30-3 Edmonton
69' - Edmonton - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #14). 37-3 Edmonton

bbgunn

10-13-2011, 07:51 PM

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

There were many good performances in Week 1, but none as amazing as that of San Diego’s Richard Benner, who won Player of the Week honors. We were told that Chicago’s Rob Nielsen barely edged out Edmonton’s Jace Hunter for third place in voting.

1st place (3 pts in the MVP standings) – San Diego #10 Richard Benner
2nd place (2 pts) – New Jersey #11 Larry McGillicuddy
3rd place (1 pt) – Chicago #11 Rob Nielsen

NARC STANDINGS AFTER WEEK 1

EASTERN GP W L T Pts BP PF PA Pdiff
New Jersey 1 1 0 0 5 1 50 3 47
Chicago 1 1 0 0 5 1 26 14 12
Boston 1 0 1 0 0 0 18 28 -10
Virginia 1 0 1 0 0 0 12 26 -14
Capital City 1 0 1 0 0 0 3 37 -34

WESTERN GP W L T Pts BP PF PA Pdiff
Edmonton 1 1 0 0 5 1 37 3 34
Los Angeles 1 1 0 0 5 1 26 12 14
San Diego 1 1 0 0 5 1 28 18 10
Golden Gate 1 0 1 0 0 0 14 26 -12
Texas 1 0 1 0 0 0 3 50 -47

All of the winning teams in Week 1 earned the maximum five points! No losing team earned any bonus points. Talk about beatdowns!

WEEK 2 GAMES

Friday (March 22)
Capital City at Los Angeles (NBC)

Saturday (March 23)
Texas at Boston
Edmonton at New Jersey (NBC)
Chicago at San Diego
Virginia at Golden Gate

NOTE: Bold indicates an FOFCer team.

CrimsonFox

10-13-2011, 08:08 PM

Go Sandy!

SirFozzie

10-13-2011, 08:23 PM

I would have gone with "The Power of Trys Compel You!"

bbgunn

10-13-2011, 09:25 PM

I would have gone with "The Power of Trys Compel You!"

:lol: I like that one. Should of thought of that myself!

Coffee Warlord

10-13-2011, 09:36 PM

Excuse me NBC, we need to talk about your coverage plans.

Mister Nielsen is the hottest talent in this league, and should be televised as much as possible. In fact, you should just schedule 24 hours of the Chicago Legends to ensure Mister Nielsen's visibility. Ratings guaranteed.

Young Drachma

10-13-2011, 09:37 PM

Every day is Munnday (tm)

bbgunn

10-13-2011, 11:46 PM

Sharks withstand late Dragon surge to win

LOS ANGELES – Sharks left wing Sammy Reilly scored two tries as Los Angeles (2-0) fought off a late comeback by the visiting Capital City Dragons (0-2) to win 21-14 in front of nearly 12,000 people at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Friday night. The mood in the Shark locker room after the game, however, was not exactly celebratory, as the Sharks realized that they were lucky. Capital City had four great opportunities to score tries, getting deep into L.A. territory each time – only to lose the ball through penalties and other turnovers.

“The game could have been a lot different tonight,” said L.A. head coach William Ready. “We need to shore up our defense if we want to continue to win.”

After being down 14-0 at the half, the Dragons scored two tries in the second half to tie it up, only to allow Los Angeles to score a try of their own with five minutes remaining. The Dragons do leave L.A. with a bonus point after losing by only seven points.

FINAL SCORE: Capital City 14, Los Angeles 21
TOTAL TRIES: Capital City 2, Los Angeles 3
CONVERSIONS: Capital City 2/2, Los Angeles 3/3
PENALTIES: Capital City 0/0, Los Angeles 0/1
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
7' - Los Angeles - Penalty Goal Missed . 0-0 tie score
13' - Los Angeles - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 7-0 Los Angeles
22' - Capital City - no try . 7-0 Los Angeles
28' - Capital City - no try . 7-0 Los Angeles
29' - Los Angeles - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 14-0 Los Angeles
40' - Capital City - no try . 14-0 Los Angeles
47' - Capital City - no try . 14-0 Los Angeles
54' - Capital City - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #4). 14-7 Los Angeles
63' - Capital City - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 14-14 tie score
75' - Los Angeles - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #12). 21-14 Los Angeles

bbgunn

10-13-2011, 11:51 PM

Beacons dominate Harlequins in home debut

BOSTON – In a battle of winless teams, the host Boston Beacons looked much better than the visiting Texas Harlequins. Making their home debut at Harvard Stadium, the Beacons (1-1) had no problems with Texas (0-2), winning 43-7. Boston could have broken 50 points, or more, if not for some costly turnovers on three long attacking drives. Instead, the Beacons settle for six tries. Boston’s ancient Italian fullback Simone Endrizzi was surprisingly the man of the match. The 41-year-old scored two tries for his team. Another Italian, fly half Durante Zetticci, made five of his six conversions for Boston.

FINAL SCORE: Texas 7, Boston 43
TOTAL TRIES: Texas 1, Boston 6
CONVERSIONS: Texas 1/1, Boston 5/6
PENALTIES: Texas 0/1, Boston 1/3
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
7' - Boston - PENALTY GOAL . 3-0 Boston
13' - Boston - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #12). 10-0 Boston
15' - Texas - Penalty Goal Missed . 10-0 Boston
23' - Boston - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #15). 17-0 Boston
35' - Texas - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #14). 17-7 Boston
37' - Boston - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #11). 22-7 Boston
45' - Boston - no try . 22-7 Boston
57' - Boston - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #13). 29-7 Boston
62' - Boston - no try . 29-7 Boston
63' - Boston - Penalty Goal Missed . 29-7 Boston
64' - Boston - no try . 29-7 Boston
73' - Boston - Penalty Goal Missed . 29-7 Boston
74' - Boston - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #1 ). 36-7 Boston
80' - Boston - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #15). 43-7 Boston

Knights win big again

PISCATAWAY, NJ – At 8,000 fans, the attendance was not quite what the New Jersey Knights were hoping for when they made their debut at Rutgers Stadium in Week 2. But if the Knights continue to play the way they’ve been playing, more fans will come. New Jersey (2-0) scored early and continued to score often as they beat the visiting Edmonton Mashers (1-1) 39-10.

New Jersey inside center Henry Grant led all try scorers with two tries, including an exciting run in the 22nd minute. Edmonton had just kicked off the ball after a New Jersey try. Knights fullback Nick Thomas took it and ran forward. Right before he was creamed by a Masher tackle, Thomas offloaded the ball to Grant, who found a seam and ran straight down the field for a try, electrifying the home crowd.

Knights left wing Larry McGillicuddy also had a try. Meanwhile, Knights fly half Charles Munn made four of five conversion attempts, as well as both of his penalty attempts. His Edmonton counterpart, Jace Hunter, was a perfect one-for-one in both conversions and penalties.

FINAL SCORE: Edmonton 10, New Jersey 39
TOTAL TRIES: Edmonton 1, New Jersey 5
CONVERSIONS: Edmonton 1/1, New Jersey 4/5
PENALTIES: Edmonton 1/1, New Jersey 2/2
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
10' - New Jersey - PENALTY GOAL . 3-0 New Jersey
21' - New Jersey - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #4). 8-0 New Jersey
22' - New Jersey - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #12). 15-0 New Jersey
34' - New Jersey - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #12). 22-0 New Jersey
38' - Edmonton - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 22-7 New Jersey
49' - New Jersey - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #14). 29-7 New Jersey
56' - New Jersey - PENALTY GOAL . 32-7 New Jersey
57' - Edmonton - PENALTY GOAL . 32-10 New Jersey
67' - New Jersey - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 39-10 New Jersey
76' - Edmonton - no try . 39-10 New Jersey

Mission shut out Legends

SAN DIEGO – Five different players scored tries for the Missions as San Diego (2-0) surprisingly put together the NARC’s first shutout, defeating the Chicago Legends (1-1) 32-0 at Qualcomm Stadium. Chicago’s only real scoring opportunity did not come until the 70th minute, with the game already out of hand.

FINAL SCORE: Chicago 0, San Diego 32
TOTAL TRIES: Chicago 0, San Diego 5
CONVERSIONS: Chicago 0/0, San Diego 2/5
PENALTIES: Chicago 0/0, San Diego 1/3
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
4' - San Diego - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #3). 5-0 San Diego
15' - San Diego - no try . 5-0 San Diego
20' - San Diego - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #9). 10-0 San Diego
24' - San Diego - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #13). 17-0 San Diego
32' - San Diego - Penalty Goal Missed . 17-0 San Diego
38' - San Diego - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #10). 22-0 San Diego
47' - San Diego - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 29-0 San Diego
59' - San Diego - Penalty Goal Missed . 29-0 San Diego
70' - Chicago - no try . 29-0 San Diego
71' - San Diego - PENALTY GOAL . 32-0 San Diego

Stars come back late, beat Stormers by two

PALO ALTO, CA – A relatively huge crowd – 13,600 fans – showed up at Stanford Stadium for the home debut of the Golden Gate Stormers. Unfortunately for them, they went home extremely disappointed after seeing their team (0-2) fall late to the visiting Virginia Stars (1-1) 27-25. Stars scrum half Nathan Sims led all try scorers with two.

Perhaps the difference in the game were the two missed penalty goals by Stormers fly half Sandy Kemp. With the score 25-19 in favor of Golden Gate, the young Englishman, who made two penalties early in the game, missed both wide right. The Stars took advantage, scoring a drop goal in the 75th minute, then adding the go-ahead try on the ensuing possession three minutes later.

FINAL SCORE: Virginia 27, Golden Gate 25
TOTAL TRIES: Virginia 4, Golden Gate 3
CONVERSIONS: Virginia 2/4, Golden Gate 2/3
PENALTIES: Virginia 0/0, Golden Gate 2/4
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
3' - Golden Gate - PENALTY GOAL . 3-0 Golden Gate
7' - Golden Gate - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #7). 10-0 Golden Gate
11' - Virginia - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #10). 10-7 Golden Gate
14' - Virginia - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #12). 12-10 Virginia
21' - Virginia - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #9). 19-10 Virginia
31' - Golden Gate - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #5). 19-15 Virginia
43' - Virginia - no try . 19-15 Virginia
45' - Golden Gate - PENALTY GOAL . 19-18 Virginia
54' - Golden Gate - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #14). 25-19 Golden Gate
65' - Golden Gate - Penalty Goal Missed . 25-19 Golden Gate
70' - Golden Gate - Penalty Goal Missed . 25-19 Golden Gate
75' - Virginia - DROP GOAL . 25-22 Golden Gate
78' - Virginia - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #9). 27-25 Virginia

bbgunn

10-13-2011, 11:57 PM

WEEK 2 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

When an 41-year-old gets two tries in a game, that’s certainly worthy of weekly honors, but Boston’s Simone Endrizzi won Player of the Week because of some good tackling as well.

1st place (3 pts in the MVP standings) – Boston #15 Simone Endrizzi
2nd place (2 pts) – New Jersey #12 Henry Grant
3rd place (1 pt) – New Jersey #10 Charles Munn

NARC STANDINGS AFTER WEEK 2

EASTERN GP W L T Pts BP PF PA Pdiff
New Jersey 2 2 0 0 10 2 89 13 76
Boston 2 1 1 0 5 1 61 35 26
Virginia 2 1 1 0 5 1 39 51 -12
Chicago 2 1 1 0 5 1 26 46 -20
Capital City 2 0 2 0 1 1 17 58 -41

WESTERN GP W L T Pts BP PF PA Pdiff
San Diego 2 2 0 0 10 2 60 18 42
Los Angeles 2 2 0 0 9 1 47 26 21
Edmonton 2 1 1 0 5 1 47 42 5
Golden Gate 2 0 2 0 1 1 39 53 -14
Texas 2 0 2 0 0 0 10 93 -83

After two weeks only New Jersey and San Diego have the maximum ten points possible in the standings. Sorry Texas has no points whatsoever, but they do have a nice -83 point differential.

WEEK 3 GAMES

Friday (March 29)
Chicago at Virginia (NBC)

Saturday (March 30)
Boston at Edmonton
Capital City at New Jersey
Golden Gate at San Diego (NBC)
Los Angeles at Texas

Travis

10-14-2011, 12:25 AM

Oye, ideal week one and a harsh slap of reality in week two. Hopefully a home match in week three gets us going in a positive direction again.

CrimsonFox

10-14-2011, 12:34 AM

Well THAT figures!

Young Drachma

10-14-2011, 12:46 AM

JERSEY!

Coffee Warlord

10-14-2011, 08:32 AM

Do you have any player stats or anything (like attributes, etc) that can be dumped out?

CrimsonFox

10-14-2011, 06:08 PM

I may as well cheer for Coffee.

bbgunn

10-14-2011, 09:45 PM

Do you have any player stats or anything (like attributes, etc) that can be dumped out?
Unfortunately, it's a simple spreadsheet sim. There are no player attributes, just a rating for each team. It's completely random as to who scores tries, although they are weighted towards the wings and the centers, and to a lesser extent the other backs. I am always trying to think of how to improve it, but I don't have a lot of free time lately so the going is slow.

I still haven't yet figured out how to make the spreadsheet compile individual season and career stats automatically. That might be best done in some kind of database software like Access, which I know nothing about yet. Anyway, I'll keep at it, but unfortunately there won't be any in the first season... unless one of you wants to volunteer to keep track of stats! :lol:

bbgunn

10-16-2011, 09:29 PM

Legends squeak by Stars for second win

NORFOLK, VA – It wasn’t the best of Friday night games, but for the Chicago Legends, a win is a win. Looking to erase the pain of getting blown out by the San Diego Mission in Week 2, the Legends’ defense played tremendously, while the offense – which scored the only points of the second half by either team – did just enough to beat the Virginia Stars 15-12. Chicago is now 2-1 on the year. Both of Chicago’s tries were scored by outside center Timotheus Langeler of South Africa.

The Stars (1-2) lost the game after giving up a lead late – this after coming from behind late in Week 2 to beat Golden Gate. Virginia is 0-2 at home – not likely to help the team attract fans from around Hampton Roads.

FINAL SCORE: Chicago 15, Virginia 12
TOTAL TRIES: Chicago 2, Virginia 2
CONVERSIONS: Chicago 1/2, Virginia 1/2
PENALTIES: Chicago 1/1, Virginia 0/1
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
8' - Virginia - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #14). 7-0 Virginia
19' - Chicago - PENALTY GOAL . 7-3 Virginia
20' - Chicago - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #13). 10-7 Chicago
32' - Virginia - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #11). 12-10 Virginia
39' - Virginia - Penalty Goal Missed . 12-10 Virginia
50' - Chicago - no try . 12-10 Virginia
59' - Chicago - no try . 12-10 Virginia
61' - Virginia - no try . 12-10 Virginia
73' - Chicago - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #13). 15-12 Chicago

bbgunn

10-16-2011, 09:32 PM

Knights continue to roll, slay Dragons by 28

PISCATAWAY, NJ – The New Jersey Knights are looking like the best team in the NARC’s first season. For the second time in three games, the Knights (3-0) scored seven tries – three of them by right wing Noah Kidston, and two by left wing Larry McGillicuddy – as they proceeded to beat the visiting Capital City Dragons 43-15 in Eastern Division action.

Capital City (0-3) did not score any points until the 51st minute. In fact, opposing teams have scored a combined 10 first-half points in the first three weeks against New Jersey. This is a team that attacks early and often on offense while making big plays on defense. Amazing stuff for a franchise that joined the North American Rugby Conference at the last minute.

FINAL SCORE: Capital City 15, New Jersey 43
TOTAL TRIES: Capital City 2, New Jersey 7
CONVERSIONS: Capital City 1/2, New Jersey 4/7
PENALTIES: Capital City 1/2, New Jersey 0/0
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
3' - New Jersey - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #14). 5-0 New Jersey
5' - New Jersey - no try . 5-0 New Jersey
7' - Capital City - no try . 5-0 New Jersey
18' - New Jersey - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #11). 10-0 New Jersey
20' - New Jersey - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #9). 17-0 New Jersey
22' - New Jersey - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #13). 24-0 New Jersey
28' - New Jersey - no try . 24-0 New Jersey
33' - Capital City - Penalty Goal Missed . 24-0 New Jersey
38' - New Jersey - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 31-0 New Jersey
44' - New Jersey - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #14). 38-0 New Jersey
51' - Capital City - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #11). 38-5 New Jersey
63' - Capital City - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #10). 38-12 New Jersey
64' - Capital City - PENALTY GOAL . 38-15 New Jersey
67' - New Jersey - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #14). 43-15 New Jersey
76' - New Jersey - no try . 43-15 New Jersey

Sharks struggle against Harlequins, lose first game

AUSTIN, TX – Texas scrum half and former French national team player Ansel Cuillerier scored two tries as the Harlequins (1-2) won their first game of the year by beating the previously undefeated Los Angeles Sharks (2-1) 29-20.

FINAL SCORE: Los Angeles 20, Texas 29
TOTAL TRIES: Los Angeles 2, Texas 5
CONVERSIONS: Los Angeles 2/2, Texas 2/5
PENALTIES: Los Angeles 2/3, Texas 0/0
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
9' - Texas - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #13). 5-0 Texas
15' - Los Angeles - PENALTY GOAL . 5-3 Texas
27' - Los Angeles - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #1 ). 10-5 Los Angeles
29' - Texas - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #9). 10-10 tie score
37' - Los Angeles - Penalty Goal Missed . 10-10 tie score
44' - Texas - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #9). 15-10 Texas
48' - Los Angeles - PENALTY GOAL. 15-13 Texas
54' - Texas - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #1 ). 22-13 Texas
58' - Los Angeles - no try . 22-13 Texas
61' - Los Angeles - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #3). 22-20 Texas
68' - Texas - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 29-20 Texas
79' - Texas - no try . 29-20 Texas

Mashers manage to beat Beacons by one point

EDMONTON, AB – The game was not exactly pretty, but it was the definition of a hard-fought battle. Nearly 20,000 fans turned out to see the Edmonton Mashers (2-1) hold on to defeat the Boston Beacons (1-2) 19-18 at Commonwealth Stadium. Boston took a somewhat quick ten-point lead early on in the game, but Edmonton continued to fight hard and slowly inched their way to victory.

The play of the game came not long after the clock on the scoreboard went past 80:00. In rugby, the clock continues to tick until the ball is dead, and Boston were in the midst of their last attacking drive. They came within five yards of the tryline – within five yards of victory – only to have the ball stripped from their ball carrier by an Edmonton defender. The ball rolled out of bounds, and the game was over.

Edmonton fly half Jace Hunter scored a try and made two of his three conversion attempts.

FINAL SCORE: Boston 18, Edmonton 19
TOTAL TRIES: Boston 2, Edmonton 3
CONVERSIONS: Boston 1/2, Edmonton 2/3
PENALTIES: Boston 2/2, Edmonton 0/0
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
11' - Boston - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #12). 7-0 Boston
12' - Boston - PENALTY GOAL . 10-0 Boston
16' - Edmonton - no try . 10-0 Boston
19' - Boston - no try . 10-0 Boston
29' - Edmonton - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #10). 10-7 Boston
35' - Edmonton - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #9). 12-10 Edmonton
40' - Boston - no try . 12-10 Edmonton
47' - Boston - no try . 12-10 Edmonton
52' - Boston - PENALTY GOAL. 13-12 Boston
59' - Edmonton - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #14). 19-13 Edmonton
62' - Boston - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #11). 19-18 Edmonton
71' - Edmonton - no try . 19-18 Edmonton
80' - Boston - no try . 19-18 Edmonton

Sloppy play results in Mission’s first loss

SAN DIEGO – Other than the New Jersey Knights, the San Diego Mission looked like the best team in the NARC. They certainly did not play like it on Saturday, losing their first game of the year 9-5 in an ugly game against the Golden Gate Stormers.

It looked like it would be a good day when, 12 minutes into the game, Mission outside center Brendan Muir scored a try to put San Diego (2-1) up 5-0. Unfortunately for the Mission, not only would that be the first try of the game, it would turn out to be the only points of the game for the home team. Not that San Diego didn’t have any chances. They often penetrated deep into Golden Gate territory, only to turn over the ball to the Stormers (1-2) on numerous occasions.

The Stormers certainly didn’t create many try-scoring opportunities, but they took advantage of the Mission’s mistakes with three goals in the last 10 minutes of the game. The first came in the 70th minute when fly half Sandy Kemp caught the Mission off guard with a drop goal. In the 76th and 79th minutes, Mission defensive penalties allowed Kemp to attempt two penalty goals, both of which he made. Those three goals were more than enough for the Stormers to leave Qualcomm Stadium with four points in the standings.

FINAL SCORE: Golden Gate 9, San Diego 5
TOTAL TRIES: Golden Gate 0, San Diego 1
CONVERSIONS: Golden Gate 0/0, San Diego 0/1
PENALTIES: Golden Gate 2/2, San Diego 0/1
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
3' - San Diego - no try . 0-0 tie score
12' - San Diego - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #13). 5-0 San Diego
24' - San Diego - no try . 5-0 San Diego
33' - Golden Gate - no try . 5-0 San Diego
45' - San Diego - Penalty Goal Missed . 5-0 San Diego
46' - San Diego - no try . 5-0 San Diego
51' - Golden Gate - no try . 5-0 San Diego
60' - San Diego - no try . 5-0 San Diego
70' - Golden Gate - DROP GOAL . 5-3 San Diego
76' - Golden Gate - PENALTY GOAL . 6-5 Golden Gate
79' - Golden Gate - PENALTY GOAL . 9-5 Golden Gate

bbgunn

10-16-2011, 09:34 PM

WEEK 3 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Three tries in a game tend to get you consideration for Player of the Week, and Noah Kidston of the Knights did just that in Week 3. Teammate Larry McGillicuddy’s 2nd place finish gives him enough points to take the lead in the season MVP race. With four points, he is one point ahead of Kidston, San Diego’s Richard Benner, and Boston’s Simone Endrizzi. There was a bit of controversy with the voting, as some argued that Sandy Kemp should have been in 2nd place.

1st place (3 pts in the MVP standings) – New Jersey #14 Noah Kidston
2nd place (2 pts) – New Jersey #11 Larry McGillicuddy
3rd place (1 pt) – Golden Gate #10 Sandy Kemp

NARC STANDINGS AFTER WEEK 3

EASTERN GP W L T Pts BP PF PA Pdiff
New Jersey 3 3 0 0 15 3 132 28 104
Chicago 3 2 1 0 9 1 41 58 -17
Boston 3 1 2 0 6 2 79 54 25
Virginia 3 1 2 0 6 2 51 66 -15
Capital City 3 0 3 0 1 1 32 101 -69

WESTERN GP W L T Pts BP PF PA Pdiff
San Diego 3 2 1 0 11 3 65 27 38
Los Angeles 3 2 1 0 9 1 67 55 12
Edmonton 3 2 1 0 9 1 66 60 6
Golden Gate 3 1 2 0 5 1 48 58 -10
Texas 3 1 2 0 5 1 39 113 -74

WEEK 4 GAMES

By far, the biggest matchup of Week 4 features the undefeated New Jersey Knights traveling to Soldier Field to play the Chicago Legends. Even with a max-point victory, the Legends cannot overtake New Jersey in the standings, but they can certainly take a huge chunk out of their lead.

Friday (April 5)
Capital City at Boston (NBC)

Saturday (April 6)
San Diego at Virginia
Edmonton at Texas
Golden Gate at Los Angeles
New Jersey at Chicago (NBC)

bbgunn

10-18-2011, 06:32 PM

Beacons hold off Dragon comeback to win

BOSTON – The Boston Beacons took a dominant halftime lead, then held on against a furious comeback by the Capital City Dragons, as Boston (2-2) held on to beat the Dragons (0-4) 22-15 on Friday night.

Boston led 22-0 at the half after scoring four tries, two of them by, of all people, lock Germain Marchesseault. The beefy 26-year-old Frenchman was in the right position for two early Boston drives. After the half, Capital City played perhaps their best 40 minutes of the year, scoring two tries and coming close to a third (which probably cost them in the end). Nevertheless, Boston held on to win.

Boston fly half Durante Zetticci was the player of the game, especially in the first half. His decision making help set up some amazing attacks early on, giving his team a 17-0 lead by the 20 minute mark.

FINAL SCORE: Capital City 15, Boston 22
TOTAL TRIES: Capital City 2, Boston 4
CONVERSIONS: Capital City 1/2, Boston 1/4
PENALTIES: Capital City 1/2, Boston 0/0
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
6' - Boston - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #5). 7-0 Boston
12' - Boston - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #5). 12-0 Boston
17' - Capital City - no try . 12-0 Boston
20' - Boston - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #11). 17-0 Boston
25' - Capital City - Penalty Goal Missed . 17-0 Boston
36' - Boston - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #14). 22-0 Boston
46' - Capital City - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #13). 22-5 Boston
57' - Capital City - PENALTY GOAL. 22-8 Boston
66' - Capital City - no try . 22-8 Boston
75' - Capital City - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #14). 22-15 Boston

bbgunn

10-18-2011, 06:35 PM

Comeback of epic proportions lead Stars to home victory

NORFOLK, VA – When you are down by fourteen points in a rugby match with less than ten minutes remaining in the game, you are usually hard-pressed to win. But with that scenario, the Virginia Stars did just that on Saturday night, scoring three tries between the 73rd and 78th minutes to pull off a shocking 29-26 comeback win over the San Diego Mission (2-2).

It was a close first half, with San Diego never leading by more than seven points. San Diego then added another try in the 67th minute to make it 26-12, and it looked like the home team was done. However, Virginia inside center Corey Connor didn't think so. The 37-year-old American inside center got things rolling with a 30-yard try run, stiff-arming at least three defenders on the way to the end zone. The Stars scored two more tries in the 76th and 78th minutes, the last by Kuji Chagulia giving Virginia (2-2) its first lead of the game.

Connor was on fire. Not only did he score two tries in the game, but he was vital in the last minutes with his amazing passing and field vision.

"I've never seen anything like that in my life," Stars head coach Wiremu Wilson of New Zealand said.

FINAL SCORE: San Diego 26, Virginia 29
TOTAL TRIES: San Diego 4, Virginia 5
CONVERSIONS: San Diego 3/4, Virginia 2/5
PENALTIES: San Diego 0/1, Virginia 0/1
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
9' - San Diego - no try . 0-0 tie score
17' - San Diego - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #14). 7-0 San Diego
25' - San Diego - Penalty Goal Missed . 7-0 San Diego
26' - Virginia - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #12). 7-7 tie score
33' - San Diego - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #2). 14-7 San Diego
34' - San Diego - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #13). 19-7 San Diego
38' - Virginia - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #8). 19-12 San Diego
48' - Virginia - Penalty Goal Missed . 19-12 San Diego
59' - San Diego - no try . 19-12 San Diego
67' - San Diego - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #4). 26-12 San Diego
73' - Virginia - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #12). 26-17 San Diego
76' - Virginia - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #10). 26-24 San Diego
78' - Virginia - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #14). 29-26 Virginia

Knights offense sputters, but Legends give them a win

CHICAGO – The game of the week for Week 4 turned out to be a dud, especially if you like offense. Three total tries were scored as the New Jersey Knights (4-0) remained undefeated, perhaps thanks to the Chicago Legends (2-2). New Jersey won 15-7.

Chicago's defense played out of this world, holding New Jersey to no points in the first half. However, their offense, which had many, many drives deep into Knight territory, disappointed greatly, scoring only one try. Chicago had six - six! - opportunities within 10 yards of the tryline in which they failed to score. The most notable one was at the 74-minute mark. Exciting Chicago left wing Rob Nielsen ran at least 50 yards before being stopped by defenders in the middle of the field just six yards short of the line. The Legends scrum half then took the ball from the ruck and attempted a quick pass outside to the right wing. However, Knights fullback Nick Thomas read it well and pulled off the interception.

Thomas was clearly the player of the game with his defensive performances today. Jersey left wing Larry McGillicuddy had another multiple try-scoring day, scoring both of his team's tries.

FINAL SCORE: New Jersey 15, Chicago 7
TOTAL TRIES: New Jersey 2, Chicago 1
CONVERSIONS: New Jersey 1/2, Chicago 1/1
PENALTIES: New Jersey 1/1, Chicago 0/0
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
12' - Chicago - no try . 0-0 tie score
15' - Chicago - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #10). 7-0 Chicago
24' - Chicago - no try . 7-0 Chicago
35' - Chicago - no try . 7-0 Chicago
45' - New Jersey - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 7-7 tie score
50' - New Jersey - no try . 7-7 tie score
56' - New Jersey - PENALTY GOAL. 10-7 New Jersey
58' - Chicago - no try . 10-7 New Jersey
67' - Chicago - no try . 10-7 New Jersey
71' - New Jersey - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #11). 15-7 New Jersey
74' - Chicago - no try . 15-7 New Jersey

Mashers defeat Harlequins on the road

AUSTIN, TX – Four different players scored for Edmonton as the Mashers (3-1) made a claim for first place in the Western Division with a 20-12 victory over the Texas Harlequins (1-3) at Texas Memorial Stadium. Mashers fly half Jace Hunter had a difficult kicking day, missing all four of his conversions.

FINAL SCORE: Edmonton 20, Texas 12
TOTAL TRIES: Edmonton 4, Texas 2
CONVERSIONS: Edmonton 0/4, Texas 1/2
PENALTIES: Edmonton 0/0, Texas 0/1
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
11' - Edmonton - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #12). 5-0 Edmonton
19' - Texas - Penalty Goal Missed . 5-0 Edmonton
26' - Edmonton - no try . 5-0 Edmonton
31' - Texas - no try . 5-0 Edmonton
43' - Edmonton - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #14). 10-0 Edmonton
53' - Edmonton - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #11). 15-0 Edmonton
55' - Texas - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #11). 15-5 Edmonton
65' - Edmonton - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #8). 20-5 Edmonton
77' - Texas - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #13). 20-12 Edmonton

Sharks win close one over Stormers

LOS ANGELES – It was a close, entertaing game, and luckily for the home fans, the Los Angeles Sharks (3-1) won. They defeated the Golden Gate Stormers (1-3) 17-14 at Memorial Coliseum. The lead exchanged hands several times, but it was Los Angeles on top when the horn sounded. In defeat, Stormers scrum half Alf Linster scored a try, while Sandy Kemp was a perfect two-for-two with his conversion attempts.

FINAL SCORE: Golden Gate 14, Los Angeles 17
TOTAL TRIES: Golden Gate 2, Los Angeles 3
CONVERSIONS: Golden Gate 2/2, Los Angeles 1/3
PENALTIES: Golden Gate 0/0, Los Angeles 0/2
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
10' - Los Angeles - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #13). 5-0 Los Angeles
17' - Golden Gate - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #1 ). 7-5 Golden Gate
26' - Los Angeles - no try . 7-5 Golden Gate
38' - Los Angeles - Penalty Goal Missed . 7-5 Golden Gate
42' - Los Angeles - Penalty Goal Missed . 7-5 Golden Gate
54' - Golden Gate - no try . 7-5 Golden Gate
60' - Golden Gate - no try . 7-5 Golden Gate
69' - Los Angeles - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #10). 10-7 Los Angeles
74' - Golden Gate - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #9). 14-10 Golden Gate
76' - Los Angeles - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #9). 17-14 Los Angeles

bbgunn

10-18-2011, 06:36 PM

WEEK 4 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Larry McGillicuddy has made this list three out of the first four weeks. He is the frontrunner for MVP at this early stage.

1st place (3 pts in the MVP standings) – Virginia #12 Corey Connor
2nd place (2 pts) – New Jersey #15 Nick Thomas
3rd place (1 pt) – New Jersey #11 Larry McGillicuddy

NARC STANDINGS AFTER WEEK 4

EASTERN GP W L T Pts BP PF PA Pdiff
New Jersey 4 4 0 0 19 3 147 35 112
Boston 4 2 2 0 11 3 101 69 32
Virginia 4 2 2 0 11 3 80 92 -12
Chicago 4 2 2 0 9 1 48 73 -25
Capital City 4 0 4 0 2 2 47 123 -76

WESTERN GP W L T Pts BP PF PA Pdiff
Edmonton 4 3 1 0 14 2 86 72 14
San Diego 4 2 2 0 13 5 91 56 35
Los Angeles 4 3 1 0 13 1 84 69 15
Golden Gate 4 1 3 0 6 2 62 75 -13
Texas 4 1 3 0 5 1 51 133 -82

Although San Diego is 2-2 and L.A. 3-1, San Diego's five bonus points make them level with the Sharks in points. Based on game point differential, the Mission are officially in second place.

WEEK 5 GAMES

Friday - April 12
San Diego at Texas (NBC)

Saturday - April 13
New Jersey at Golden Gate
Boston at Virginia
Edmonton at Los Angeles (NBC)
Capital City at Chicago

Young Drachma

10-18-2011, 07:36 PM

Go Jersey

MacroGuru

10-19-2011, 01:07 PM

Go Jersey

That's right! And Thomas finally gets some recognition playing FB...it's lonely back there...

bbgunn

10-19-2011, 06:46 PM

Mission blank Harlequins in Austin

AUSTIN, TX - The San Diego Mission are back. They showed that they were not about to go quietly into the night on Friday, when they went into Texas Memorial Stadium and creamed the host Harlequins (1-4) 29-0. Four different Mission players scored tries, including popular English fly half Richard Benner, who also kicked a penalty and three out of four conversions. The shutout is the second so far this season. Who was the winning team in the first shutout game? San Diego (3-2), who beat the Chicago Legends 32-0 in Week 2.

FINAL SCORE: San Diego 29, Texas 0
TOTAL TRIES: San Diego 4, Texas 0
CONVERSIONS: San Diego 3/4, Texas 0/0
PENALTIES: San Diego 1/1, Texas 0/1
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
6' - San Diego - no try . 0-0 tie score
10' - San Diego - no try . 0-0 tie score
15' - San Diego - no try . 0-0 tie score
25' - Texas - Penalty Goal Missed . 0-0 tie score
35' - San Diego - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #1 ). 7-0 San Diego
41' - San Diego - PENALTY GOAL. 10-0 San Diego
45' - San Diego - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 17-0 San Diego
51' - San Diego - no try . 17-0 San Diego
60' - Texas - no try . 17-0 San Diego
65' - San Diego - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #10). 24-0 San Diego
73' - San Diego - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #14). 29-0 San Diego

bbgunn

10-19-2011, 06:52 PM

Stars come from behind to beat Beacons

NORFOLK, VA - Are the Stars for real? They certainly look like they will be contenders for a high playoff spot in the Eastern Division following their 27-17 victory over the visiting Boston Beacons (2-3). Down 17-12 after 51 minutes, Virginia (3-2) came from behind for the second straight week, although in less dramatic fashion than last week's win over San Diego. Leading the way in the Stars' comeback was 30-year-old left wing Diego Zito, who scored tries in the 62nd and 71st minutes to help seal the victory. Scrum half Nathan Sims also had two tries on the day.

Believe it or not, the score could have been higher for Virginia, had it not been for a horrid kicking day. The Stars' kicker missed four of five conversion attempts.

FINAL SCORE: Boston 17, Virginia 27
TOTAL TRIES: Boston 2, Virginia 5
CONVERSIONS: Boston 2/2, Virginia 1/5
PENALTIES: Boston 1/1, Virginia 0/0
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
9' - Boston - no try . 0-0 tie score
11' - Boston - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #3). 7-0 Boston
15' - Virginia - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #12). 7-7 tie score
27' - Virginia - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #9). 12-7 Virginia
33' - Virginia - no try . 12-7 Virginia
42' - Boston - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #10). 14-12 Boston
51' - Boston - PENALTY GOAL. 17-12 Boston
62' - Virginia - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #11). 17-17 tie score
70' - Virginia - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #9). 22-17 Virginia
71' - Virginia - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #11). 27-17 Virginia
77' - Boston - no try . 27-17 Virginia

Legends dominate woeful Dragons

CHICAGO - Four different players, including left wing Rob Nielsen, scored tries for Chicago as the Legends (3-2) had no problems with the visiting Capital City Dragons, winning 26-15. The Chicago defense held the Dragons to just 3 points for a vast majority of the game, until Capital City (0-5) launched a comeback bid late in the second half, scoring two tries to bring it to within 11 points. They almost scored a third try in the 78th minute, but Nielsen ran down and tackled the opposing ball carrier just ten yards shy of the tryline, and in the ensuing ruck a Capital City player commmitted an infringement which resulted in Chicago winning the ball via a scrum.

FINAL SCORE: Capital City 15, Chicago 26
TOTAL TRIES: Capital City 2, Chicago 4
CONVERSIONS: Capital City 1/2, Chicago 3/4
PENALTIES: Capital City 1/2, Chicago 0/2
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
10' - Chicago - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #14). 7-0 Chicago
18' - Capital City - PENALTY GOAL . 7-3 Chicago
26' - Capital City - Penalty Goal Missed . 7-3 Chicago
36' - Chicago - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 14-3 Chicago
39' - Chicago - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #13). 19-3 Chicago
51' - Chicago - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #8). 26-3 Chicago
57' - Chicago - Penalty Goal Missed . 26-3 Chicago
63' - Chicago - Penalty Goal Missed . 26-3 Chicago
64' - Capital City - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #11). 26-8 Chicago
73' - Capital City - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #14). 26-15 Chicago
78' - Capital City - no try . 26-15 Chicago

Knights finally lose as Stormers roll in second half

PALO ALTO, CA - Because of the New Jersey Knights' dominant start to the season, there were some who were talking about the possibility of an undefeated regular season. Save that talk for future seasons. New Jersey (4-1) lost their first game ever on Saturday in Palo Alto, losing to the Golden Gate Stormers 20-12 in what could be considered an upset.

A lackluster first half saw New Jersey take a 5-0 lead into the locker room. When they came back out, left wing Larry McGillicuddy scored a try, and New Jersey was up 12-0. It looked like the Knights were about to roll, but it was the Stormers who put on a performance. Golden Gate (2-3) scored three tries within seven minutes. Three different Stormers scored, but a lot of credit for that flurry has to go to fly half Sandy Kemp. His vision and passing during those three attacking drives more than made up for his terrible kicking on the day (1/3 conversions, 1/3 penalties). By the time the Knight defense started to account for him, it was too late. Meanwhile, other than the aforementioned McGillicuddy try, New Jersey's offense uncharacteristically went bye-bye for the second half. The end result: a big win for Golden Gate, who before the season were envisioned as one of the league's top teams.

"We needed a big win like that," Stormers head coach Kyler Eccleston said. "Hopefully that will propel us to some more wins."

FINAL SCORE: New Jersey 12, Golden Gate 20
TOTAL TRIES: New Jersey 2, Golden Gate 3
CONVERSIONS: New Jersey 1/2, Golden Gate 1/3
PENALTIES: New Jersey 0/0, Golden Gate 1/3
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
1' - Golden Gate - Penalty Goal Missed . 0-0 tie score
10' - Golden Gate - Penalty Goal Missed . 0-0 tie score
13' - New Jersey - no try . 0-0 tie score
24' - New Jersey - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #5). 5-0 New Jersey
32' - New Jersey - no try . 5-0 New Jersey
36' - New Jersey - no try . 5-0 New Jersey
41' - New Jersey - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 12-0 New Jersey
50' - Golden Gate - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #1 ). 12-7 New Jersey
55' - Golden Gate - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #11). 12-12 tie score
57' - Golden Gate - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #14). 17-12 Golden Gate
67' - Golden Gate - PENALTY GOAL . 20-12 Golden Gate
74' - New Jersey - no try . 20-12 Golden Gate
79' - Golden Gate - no try . 20-12 Golden Gate

Mashers beat Sharks for their third straight win

LOS ANGELES - They don't play pretty offensive rugby, but the Edmonton Mashers (4-1) know how to get the job done. Scrum half Griffin Brander scored two tries as Edmonton won their third straight by beating the Los Angeles Sharks (3-2) 22-5 in front of a national TV audience in both the United States and Canada. Masher fly half Jace Hunter added one of two penalties and two of three conversions.

FINAL SCORE: Edmonton 22, Los Angeles 5
TOTAL TRIES: Edmonton 3, Los Angeles 1
CONVERSIONS: Edmonton 2/3, Los Angeles 0/1
PENALTIES: Edmonton 1/2, Los Angeles 0/1
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
6' - Los Angeles - no try . 0-0 tie score
12' - Edmonton - no try . 0-0 tie score
17' - Los Angeles - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #12). 5-0 Los Angeles
19' - Edmonton - Penalty Goal Missed . 5-0 Los Angeles
31' - Edmonton - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #9). 7-5 Edmonton
35' - Edmonton - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #9). 14-5 Edmonton
43' - Los Angeles - no try . 14-5 Edmonton
51' - Los Angeles - no try . 14-5 Edmonton
55' - Los Angeles - Penalty Goal Missed . 14-5 Edmonton
65' - Edmonton - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #12). 19-5 Edmonton
70' - Edmonton - PENALTY GOAL . 22-5 Edmonton
80' - Los Angeles - no try . 22-5 Edmonton

bbgunn

10-19-2011, 06:55 PM

WEEK 5 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Golden Gate's Sandy Kemp didn't have a perfect day, especially with his foot, but his heroics in toppling the mighty New Jersey Knights won him Week 5 Player of the Week honors.

1st place (3 pts in the MVP standings) – Golden Gate #10 Sandy Kemp
2nd place (2 pts) – Chicago #11 Rob Nielsen
3rd place (1 pt) – Virginia #11 Diego Zito

NARC STANDINGS AFTER WEEK 5

EASTERN GP W L T Pts BP PF PA Pdiff
New Jersey 5 4 1 0 19 3 159 55 104
Virginia 5 3 2 0 16 4 107 109 -2
Chicago 5 3 2 0 14 2 74 88 -14
Boston 5 2 3 0 11 3 118 96 22
Capital City 5 0 5 0 2 2 62 149 -87

WESTERN GP W L T Pts BP PF PA Pdiff
San Diego 5 3 2 0 18 6 120 56 64
Edmonton 5 4 1 0 18 2 108 77 31
Los Angeles 5 3 2 0 13 1 89 91 -2
Golden Gate 5 2 3 0 10 2 82 87 -5
Texas 5 1 4 0 5 1 51 162 -111

New Jersey and Edmonton are the only 4-1 teams in the NARC. Unfortunately for Edmonton, they are officially in second place in the Western Division. They are tied with San Diego in standings points with 18, but their game point differential is less than the Mission's. Needless to say, the San Diego-Edmonton matchup in Week 6 will be big. NBC, however, didn't think so; they will show the Virginia-Chicago game nationwide.

WEEK 6 GAMES

Friday - April 19
New Jersey at Capital City (NBC)

Saturday - April 20
Los Angeles at Boston
San Diego at Edmonton
Golden Gate at Texas
Virginia at Chicago (NBC)

bbgunn

10-20-2011, 07:46 PM

bbgunn

10-20-2011, 07:52 PM

<center><table border="0" cellpadding="10"><tr><td>Los Angeles Sharks</td><td>10-39</td><td>Boston Beacons</td></tr></table></center>
Beacons score six tries in win over Sharks

BOSTON - Boston's Italian fly half Durante Zetticci scored three tries as the Beacons (3-3) won big over the Los Angeles Sharks 39-10. Los Angeles (3-3) went up 10-0 in the 12th minute, but they must have thought the game was over at that point, because they virtually disappeared.

FINAL SCORE: Los Angeles 10, Boston 39
TOTAL TRIES: Los Angeles 1, Boston 6
CONVERSIONS: Los Angeles 1/1, Boston 3/6
PENALTIES: Los Angeles 1/1, Boston 1/2
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
7' - Los Angeles - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 7-0 Los Angeles
12' - Los Angeles - PENALTY GOAL . 10-0 Los Angeles
15' - Boston - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #10). 10-5 Los Angeles
16' - Los Angeles - no try . 10-5 Los Angeles
26' - Boston - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #8). 12-10 Boston
37' - Boston - PENALTY GOAL . 15-10 Boston
49' - Boston - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 22-10 Boston
57' - Boston - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #4). 27-10 Boston
66' - Boston - Penalty Goal Missed . 27-10 Boston
70' - Boston - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #10). 34-10 Boston
77' - Boston - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #10). 39-10 Boston

<center><table border="0" cellpadding="10"><tr><td>Virginia Stars</td><td>18-7</td><td>Chicago Legends</td></tr></table></center>
Mistakes lead to loss for Legends

CHICAGO - In a big, nationally-televised matchup at Soldier Field, the host Chicago Legends played well enough to win, but committed too many mistakes. Chicago (3-3) lost to the visiting Virginia Stars 18-7, splitting the season series with their division rival. The Legends had numerous chances to add to their point total, but time and time again players committed fouls that resulted in a loss of possession.

"We can't be making these mistakes," an irate Legends coach Dave Waterman said to reporters. "Good teams don't make mistakes, and we are not a good team right now."

Virginia (4-2) won their third straight game. Stars right wing Kuji Chagulia scored one try.

FINAL SCORE: Virginia 18, Chicago 7
TOTAL TRIES: Virginia 2, Chicago 1
CONVERSIONS: Virginia 1/2, Chicago 1/1
PENALTIES: Virginia 2/2, Chicago 0/0
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
1' - Chicago - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #13). 7-0 Chicago
12' - Chicago - no try . 7-0 Chicago
24' - Chicago - no try . 7-0 Chicago
32' - Virginia - PENALTY GOAL. 7-3 Chicago
37' - Virginia - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #14). 8-7 Virginia
47' - Virginia - PENALTY GOAL . 11-7 Virginia
56' - Chicago - no try . 11-7 Virginia
66' - Chicago - no try . 11-7 Virginia
75' - Virginia - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #3). 18-7 Virginia

<center><table border="0" cellpadding="10"><tr><td>San Diego Mission</td><td>27-24</td><td>Edmonton Mashers</td></tr></table></center>

Mission come from behind to beat Mashers, stay in first place

EDMONTON, AB - A NARC-record crowd of 27,560 people were on hand at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton to see their Mashers play the San Diego Mission. Sole possession of first place in the Western Division awaited the winner. San Diego (4-2) looked like they did not want first place in the first half, but they righted their ship and erased a 17-0 halftime deficit to come back and beat Edmonton (4-2) 27-24. Two players had two tries in the game: San Diego's scrum half Angus Warrington, and Edmonton's inside center Mohammad Grant.

FINAL SCORE: San Diego 27, Edmonton 24
TOTAL TRIES: San Diego 3, Edmonton 4
CONVERSIONS: San Diego 3/3, Edmonton 2/4
PENALTIES: San Diego 2/2, Edmonton 0/0
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
6' - Edmonton - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #11). 5-0 Edmonton
9' - San Diego - no try . 5-0 Edmonton
16' - Edmonton - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #12). 12-0 Edmonton
24' - Edmonton - no try . 12-0 Edmonton
27' - Edmonton - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #11). 17-0 Edmonton
33' - Edmonton - no try . 17-0 Edmonton
41' - San Diego - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #13). 17-7 Edmonton
43' - San Diego - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #9). 17-14 Edmonton
55' - San Diego - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #9). 21-17 San Diego
59' - San Diego - PENALTY GOAL. 24-17 San Diego
60' - Edmonton - no try . 24-17 San Diego
67' - San Diego - PENALTY GOAL . 27-17 San Diego
79' - Edmonton - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #12). 27-24 San Diego

<center><table border="0" cellpadding="10"><tr><td>Golden Gate Stormers</td><td> 21-39 </td><td>Texas Harlequins</td></tr></table></center>
Harlequins have big offensive day against Stormers

AUSTIN, TX - 31-year-old French left wing Mason Letourneau scored two tries as the Texas Harlequins (2-4) went ballistic on the Golden Gate Stormers, surprisingly winning 39-21 at home. Golden Gate (2-4), perhaps suffering a hangover after last week becoming the first team to beat the New Jersey Knights, never led in this game. Stormer fly half Sandy Kemp made both his penalties but missed all three of his conversions. Meanwhile, teammate Alf Linster, the scrum half, scored a try.

FINAL SCORE: Golden Gate 21, Texas 39
TOTAL TRIES: Golden Gate 3, Texas 5
CONVERSIONS: Golden Gate 0/3, Texas 4/5
PENALTIES: Golden Gate 2/2, Texas 2/2
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
10' - Texas - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #7). 7-0 Texas
15' - Golden Gate - no try . 7-0 Texas
16' - Texas - no try . 7-0 Texas
18' - Texas - PENALTY GOAL . 10-0 Texas
30' - Golden Gate - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #2). 10-5 Texas
35' - Texas - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 17-5 Texas
40' - Golden Gate - PENALTY GOAL. 17-8 Texas
51' - Texas - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #12). 24-8 Texas
59' - Golden Gate - no try . 24-8 Texas
61' - Golden Gate - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #14). 24-13 Texas
62' - Texas - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #11). 29-13 Texas
71' - Texas - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #4). 36-13 Texas
73' - Texas - PENALTY GOAL . 39-13 Texas
75' - Golden Gate - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #9). 39-18 Texas
76' - Golden Gate - PENALTY GOAL . 39-21 Texas

bbgunn

10-20-2011, 07:54 PM

WEEK 6 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

1st place (3 pts in the MVP standings) – Boston #10 Durante Zetticci
2nd place (2 pts) – Texas #11 Mason Letourneau
3rd place (1 pt) – San Diego #9 Angus Warrington

NARC STANDINGS AFTER WEEK 6

We're at the halfway point of the season! Only Capital City seems to be out of the playoff picture at this point, but there are six weeks remaining and anything can happen. The big game in Week 7 will be New Jersey-Virginia. Can the Stars upset a Knights team that has not played particularly well the last three weeks?

EASTERN GP W L T Pts BP PF PA Pdiff
New Jersey 6 5 1 0 24 4 190 83 107
Virginia 6 4 2 0 20 4 125 116 9
Boston 6 3 3 0 16 4 157 106 51
Chicago 6 3 3 0 14 2 81 106 -25
Capital City 6 0 6 0 4 4 90 180 -90

WESTERN GP W L T Pts BP PF PA Pdiff
San Diego 6 4 2 0 22 6 147 80 67
Edmonton 6 4 2 0 20 4 132 104 28
Los Angeles 6 3 3 0 13 1 99 130 -31
Golden Gate 6 2 4 0 10 2 103 126 -23
Texas 6 2 4 0 10 2 90 183 -93

WEEK 7 GAMES

(NOTE: I made a big mistake. It wasn't NBC that lost NFL football to Fox in the 90s; it was CBS! I will be using CBS from now on as home of America's Rugby Union.)

Friday - April 26
San Diego at Los Angeles (CBS)

Saturday - April 27
Texas at Capital City
Golden Gate at Edmonton
Boston at Chicago
New Jersey at Virginia (CBS)

bbgunn

10-20-2011, 08:26 PM

NARC to expand to 12 teams in 1997

LOS ANGELES - Just halfway into their first season, the North American Rugby Conference is already looking to expand its presence in the United States and Canada. Commissioner Delmar Scrivens announced that the NARC's owners have given him permission to add two more teams for the 1997 season. That would bring the total number of teams from ten to twelve.

"We think the time is right for expansion," said Scrivens in a phone interview. "We have been pleased with what we've seen so far. Attendance and TV ratings have gone up weekly in most of our markets. People now have more of an awareness of the NARC and of rugby union in general."

Commissioner Scrivens said that the NARC has not yet looked at potential bids for the two new teams, nor have they prioritized any markets. However, the commissioner has been vocal in the past about having more of a presence in Canada, where rugby is more popular per capita than in the United States. NARC wanted two teams in Canada for the current 1996 season, but settled for one in Edmonton after having trouble finding suitable stadiums without AstroTurf.

Potential targets in the United States include Charlotte, North Carolina - where a state-of-the-art NFL stadium goes unused in the spring and summer - and Salt Lake City, Utah. Florida may be a target as well.

Commissioner Scrivens also announced that there will be changes to the schedule and playoff format in 1997. The schedule will remain at 12 games, but will become almost completely balanced. Scrivens said that it makes for easier scheduling. Despite that, the two-division structure will remain in place. Regarding the playoff format, like 1996, six teams will make the playoffs, including the two division winners, who will receive a first-round bye. However, instead of the second- and third-place teams from each division going to the playoffs, the other four teams will be decided by standings points. The four best available teams will make the playoffs, regardless of division.

(TO THE FOFCers: If you guys would like to make a suggestion for one of the two expansion teams, go ahead!)

bbgunn

10-20-2011, 08:27 PM

Source: Capital City's Gardener must win or get out

COLLEGE PARK, MD - After only six games, it looks like patience is wearing thin for officials of the NARC team in the nation's capital. An unnamed source close to the inner workings of the Capital City Dragons' front office said that head coach Gus Gardener must win this Saturday's home game against the Texas Harlequins, or risk being fired.

With six losses and no wins, Gardener's team is the only team in the NARC not to have won a game this season. The Dragons have played terribly, although they have shown signs of improvement recently, punctuated by a close 31-28 loss last Saturday by arguably the league's best team, the New Jersey Knights. Despite that, team officials are said to be fed up with the team's results. Capital City is as well-financed as any team in the NARC, and the owners have spent a lot of money on marketing in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Northern Virginia. However, attendance has dipped since the season began.

The source said that Dragon team officials believe that this week's game against Texas is a winable one, and that to lose would be a big burden on the team going forward.

When asked about the possibility of being fired after Week 7, Gus Gardener did not seem to be bothered. "Listen, management has told me nothing," he said. "I have not been given any kind of ultimatum, and I have not been told that my job is in danger. So I'm going to go out there and prepare our team for Texas on Saturday."

bbgunn

10-20-2011, 08:30 PM

NARC to hold college draft starting next year

LOS ANGELES - The North American Rugby Conference announced on Tuesday that starting in 1997 it will hold a draft for university and college rugby union players to enter the league. The draft was unanimously approved by NARC owners in a vote.

"The owners feel that a college draft is a fair way of obtaining young rugby players," said NARC commissioner Delmar Scrivens.

chesapeake

10-21-2011, 09:18 AM

I'd like to declare my eligibility for the draft for next season.

Ches O'Peake
Fly Half
USA
Cap City preferred (they sure do need the help :))

Breeze

10-21-2011, 10:08 AM

I'd like to be in the draft too...

Benton Breeze
Right Wing (where I played in college)
USA

Rawhide

10-23-2011, 12:05 AM

As the progenitor of the original rugby league dynasty on this forum, I have to say this is a remarkable well-done dynasty. I hope you have the stamina to keep it up and make it even better!

Go Edmonton!

SirFozzie

10-23-2011, 12:09 AM

Hey Rawhide!

Sure, why not.

Alex Donovan
Number 8
Canada

SirFozzie

10-23-2011, 12:11 AM

BTW, for Rugby Fans, not only is the Rugby World Cup final tonight, but the Rugby LEAGUE Four Nations tournament begins soon.. :)

Rawhide

10-23-2011, 12:16 AM

After the year New Zealand has had (mine disaster, Christchurch earthquake, ecological disaster in Bay of Plenty) it would literally be the last straw if they were to lose tonight's World Cup Final.... to France of all countries.

But they won't.

Put me in the draft too.

Sam King
Flanker
Canada

bbgunn

10-24-2011, 12:36 AM

chesapeake, Breeze, SirFozzie, and Rawhide: your players will be entered into the draft for the 1997 season. (Did I miss anybody?) Thanks for signing up!

By the way, in keeping with the simple nature of this dynasty, the draft won't be anything elaborate, just something that will loosely simulate FOFC players getting drafted into the NARC.

Rawhide: I have to say that the Alternative Rugby League dynasty was one of the best I ever read here. That was partially the reason I first looked into rugby, both union and league. So thank you very much for your comments! :)

I'm certainly enjoying this one. I do think that keeping track of player statistics (tries, conversions, etc.) would be better, but not at the cost of enjoyment. So I'm glad that you all are enjoying this humble dynasty, even without the stats.

bbgunn

10-24-2011, 12:39 AM

I'm hoping to get an update in today, but I'm not so sure yet, as I have a lot on my plate in real life. If not today, definitely tomorrow.

bbgunn

10-24-2011, 01:04 AM

bbgunn

10-24-2011, 01:08 AM

<center><table border="0" cellpadding="10"><tr><td>New Jersey Knights</td><td>13-19</td><td>Virginia Stars</td></tr></table></center>
Zito scores two tries, Stars upset Knights

NORFOLK, VA - Stars left wing Diego Zito scored two tries late in the game to help Virginia come from behind and defeat the New Jersey Knights 19-13 in an interesting battle on national television. New Jersey (5-2) led 13-0 at the half, then Virginia (5-2) scored 19 unanswered points to pull off the victory, their fourth straight.

Billed as a battle for first place, New Jersey came into Norfolk four points ahead of the Stars for the lead in the Eastern Division. Virginia won, but only received four points instead of five, as they scored only three tries. Meanwhile, New Jersey lost the game by six, so they received a vital bonus point in the standings, one that kept them ahead of Virginia.

"We don't like to lose," said Knights head coach Graham Van Leeuwenhoek, "but when we do, you want to keep it tight. Those bonus points matter in the long run."

Knights fly half Charles Munn scored all 13 of the Knights' points in this game. Munn scored the only try for New Jersey, made the conversion, and made two of three penalty kicks.

FINAL SCORE: New Jersey 13, Virginia 19
TOTAL TRIES: New Jersey 1, Virginia 3
CONVERSIONS: New Jersey 1/1, Virginia 2/3
PENALTIES: New Jersey 2/3, Virginia 0/0
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
10' - New Jersey - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #10). 7-0 New Jersey
17' - New Jersey - PENALTY GOAL. 10-0 New Jersey
24' - New Jersey - Penalty Goal Missed . 10-0 New Jersey
32' - New Jersey - no try . 10-0 New Jersey
40' - New Jersey - PENALTY GOAL . 13-0 New Jersey
44' - Virginia - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #13). 13-7 New Jersey
56' - New Jersey - no try . 13-7 New Jersey
68' - Virginia - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 14-13 Virginia
70' - New Jersey - no try . 14-13 Virginia
75' - Virginia - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #11). 19-13 Virginia

<center><table border="0" cellpadding="10"><tr><td>Texas Harlequins</td><td>17-29</td><td>Capital City Dragons</td></tr></table></center>
Dragons finally win, save coach's job

COLLEGE PARK, MD - There were all kinds of rumors flying about before the Capital City Dragons' matchup with the Texas Harlequins that Dragons head coach Gus Gardener would be fired should his team fail to win against Texas. Gardener can relax for the time being, as his team put together a rare dominant performance, beating the Harlequins (2-5) 29-17 in a game in which Capital City (1-6) never trailed.

The player of the game was Dragons fly half James Drake. He scored two of Capital City's four tries, made three of four conversions, and kicked one of two penalties. "I was out there playing for Coach," said Drake after the game. "All the players are happy that we were finally able to beat somebody."

Texas left wing Mason Letourneau also scored two tries.

FINAL SCORE: Texas 17, Capital City 29
TOTAL TRIES: Texas 3, Capital City 4
CONVERSIONS: Texas 1/3, Capital City 3/4
PENALTIES: Texas 0/0, Capital City 1/2
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
7' - Capital City - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #10). 7-0 Capital City
8' - Capital City - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #10). 12-0 Capital City
13' - Capital City - no try . 12-0 Capital City
16' - Texas - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #3). 12-5 Capital City
26' - Capital City - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 19-5 Capital City
37' - Capital City - Penalty Goal Missed . 19-5 Capital City
43' - Capital City - PENALTY GOAL. 22-5 Capital City
55' - Capital City - no try . 22-5 Capital City
57' - Capital City - no try . 22-5 Capital City
62' - Texas - no try . 22-5 Capital City
69' - Texas - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 22-12 Capital City
74' - Capital City - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #14). 29-12 Capital City
80' - Texas - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #11). 29-17 Capital City

<center><table border="0" cellpadding="10"><tr><td>Boston Beacons</td><td>28-24</td><td>Chicago Legends</td></tr></table></center>
Beacons pull out close win over Legends

CHICAGO - Four players on each team scored tries as the Boston Beacons went into Chicago and beat the Legends 28-24 in a close matchup. The lead changed hands several times, but it was Boston who came out on top at the end when they scored a try and a conversion in the 79th minute. Boston (4-3) has now won three of their last four games, while Chicago (3-4) has lost three of four.

FINAL SCORE: Boston 28, Chicago 24
TOTAL TRIES: Boston 4, Chicago 4
CONVERSIONS: Boston 4/4, Chicago 2/4
PENALTIES: Boston 0/0, Chicago 0/1
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
9' - Chicago - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #13). 5-0 Chicago
16' - Boston - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #13). 7-5 Boston
27' - Chicago - no try . 7-5 Boston
33' - Chicago - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #15). 12-7 Chicago
39' - Chicago - no try . 12-7 Chicago
45' - Chicago - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #4). 19-7 Chicago
49' - Chicago - Penalty Goal Missed . 19-7 Chicago
54' - Boston - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #10). 19-14 Chicago
64' - Boston - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #9). 21-19 Boston
74' - Chicago - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #10). 24-21 Chicago
79' - Boston - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #14). 28-24 Boston

<center><table border="0" cellpadding="10"><tr><td>Golden Gate Stormers</td><td>23-34</td><td>Edmonton Mashers</td></tr></table></center>
Mashers lock scores two tries in win

EDMONTON, AB - It's rare for locks in rugby union to score tries, so when a lock scores two of them in a game, that's something special. Edmonton lock Girolamo Giordano did just that in Saturday's 34-23 Mashers win over the visiting Golden Gate Stormers. The two tries added to Giordano's performance in the game; he was solid on defense as well, making several key tackles.

"I wanted to do my best today," the 28-year-old Italian said. "I am glad that I could help Edmonton score some points as well (as help) on defense."

Giordano was not the only player in the game to score two tries. Golden Gate left wing Nate Fereday of New Zealand also had two tries. But overall, it was a bad day for the Stormers (2-5), who have now lost three of their last four games. Meanwhile, Edmonton (5-2) have won four of their last five.

FINAL SCORE: Golden Gate 23, Edmonton 34
TOTAL TRIES: Golden Gate 3, Edmonton 5
CONVERSIONS: Golden Gate 1/3, Edmonton 3/5
PENALTIES: Golden Gate 2/2, Edmonton 1/1
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
6' - Golden Gate - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #8). 5-0 Golden Gate
9' - Edmonton - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #5). 7-5 Edmonton
17' - Edmonton - no try . 7-5 Edmonton
28' - Golden Gate - no try . 7-5 Edmonton
32' - Golden Gate - PENALTY GOAL . 8-7 Golden Gate
41' - Edmonton - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #10). 14-8 Edmonton
49' - Golden Gate - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #11). 14-13 Edmonton
54' - Edmonton - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #5). 21-13 Edmonton
57' - Golden Gate - no try . 21-13 Edmonton
67' - Golden Gate - PENALTY GOAL. 21-16 Edmonton
73' - Edmonton - PENALTY GOAL. 24-16 Edmonton
74' - Edmonton - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #8). 29-16 Edmonton
76' - Golden Gate - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 29-23 Edmonton
78' - Edmonton - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #3). 34-23 Edmonton

bbgunn

10-24-2011, 01:11 AM

WEEK 6 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

1st place (3 pts in the MVP standings) – Virginia #11 Diego Zito
2nd place (2 pts) – Capital City #10 James Drake
3rd place (1 pt) – Edmonton #5 Girolamo Giordano

NARC STANDINGS AFTER WEEK 7

EASTERN GP W L T Pts BP PF PA Pdiff
New Jersey 7 5 2 0 25 5 203 102 101
Virginia 7 5 2 0 24 4 144 129 15
Boston 7 4 3 0 21 5 185 130 55
Chicago 7 3 4 0 16 4 105 134 -29
Capital City 7 1 6 0 9 5 119 197 -78

WESTERN GP W L T Pts BP PF PA Pdiff
San Diego 7 5 2 0 26 6 164 88 76
Edmonton 7 5 2 0 25 5 166 127 39
Los Angeles 7 3 4 0 13 1 107 147 -40
Golden Gate 7 2 5 0 10 2 126 160 -34
Texas 7 2 5 0 10 2 107 212 -105

Four teams are at 5-2, but San Diego has the most standings points in the league. They also have the league's best defense. San Diego and Edmonton are very likely to be in the playoffs come the end of the season. It's not so cut-and-dry at the top of the Eastern Division, as Chicago still has plenty of games to make a move and claim one of the three playoff spots.

WEEK 8 GAMES

The best matchup of the week takes place on CBS on Saturday, as San Diego's top defense goes to Rutgers Stadium to face the league's best offense in the New Jersey Knights. Virginia and Boston will be a top matchup as well. Although not as marquee as the two aforementioned games, Chicago-Capital City and Los Angeles-Golden Gate will both play huge roles in setting up the playoffs.

Friday - May 3
Virginia at Boston (CBS)

Saturday - May 4
San Diego at New Jersey (CBS)
Chicago at Capital City
Texas at Edmonton
Los Angeles at Golden Gate

bbgunn

10-24-2011, 01:20 AM

Chicago coach Waterman calls Boston's Endrizzi "dirty"

CHICAGO - Dave Waterman, the head coach of the Chicago Legends, was livid on Saturday after his team's 28-24 loss to the Boston Beacons at Soldier Field. Although disappointed with his own team, in the post-game press conference the 50-year-old Australian was mostly angry with the play of an opposing player, Boston fullback Simone Endrizzi.

"He is a dirty player," Waterman said of the 41-year-old Italian. "Rugby is a gentleman's game, and he doesn't play like a gentleman. You see him tackling too high, throwing elbows, and you should see what he does in the ruck at times.

"Endrizzi was a great player," Waterman continued. "I've played and coached against him in Europe in the past, and I had a lot of respect for him. But, you know, he no longer has the physical skills to compete, so, uh, he resorts to these tactics.

"I'm not saying that the officials have done a bad job, but they need to keep an eye on this guy. My players could have been injured because of him."

Endrizzi was not available for comment, but teammate, fly half Durante Zetticci, said that Waterman "was just upset that his team lost. They played badly. Don't blame it on Endrizzi."

bbgunn

10-24-2011, 01:29 AM

If you are interested in putting a player in the draft for next season, go to this thread:

Give Rugby A Try: The NARC (Sign-up Thread) (http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=82611)

bbgunn

10-24-2011, 11:14 PM

bbgunn

10-24-2011, 11:16 PM

<center><table border="0" cellpadding="10"><tr><td>San Diego Mission</td><td>21-55</td><td>New Jersey Knights</td></tr></table></center>
Knights score record 55 in win over Mission

PISCATAWAY, NJ - Prior to the game, CBS was billing the New Jersey Knights' game against the San Diego Mission as a battle of the NARC's best offense (New Jersey) versus its best defense (San Diego). Somebody forgot to tell the Mission to bring their defense across the country, as it was non-existant on Saturday. New Jersey set a new record for points scored by a team in a game as they defeated San Diego (5-3) 55-21.

New Jersey (6-2) not only set a record for most points with 55, but they also became the first team to score eight tries in a game. Four Knights players had two tries apiece, including left wing Larry McGillicuddy, right wing Noah Kidston, inside center Henry Grant, and outside center Mohammad Pratt. Charles Munn also set a record by kicking six conversions (out of eight attempts), a record that would be matched in another NARC game later in the afternoon (more on that later).

The crowd of 19,435 - a new season high for the Knights - certainly enjoyed the game. CBS announcers were confused late in the second half when the crowd started chanting what sounded like "Boo!" Instead, they were chanting "Leeu!", in homage to Knights head coach Graham Van Leeuwenhoek of South Africa.

"I'm glad the fans enjoyed themselves," Leeuwenhoek said. "The players certainly did their part in making them happy. If the offense continues to play like that, we will go far this year."

It is interesting to note that the halftime score was a mere 12-7 in favor of New Jersey.

FINAL SCORE: San Diego 21, New Jersey 55
TOTAL TRIES: San Diego 3, New Jersey 8
CONVERSIONS: San Diego 3/3, New Jersey 6/8
PENALTIES: San Diego 0/0, New Jersey 1/1
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
1' - New Jersey - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 7-0 New Jersey
2' - New Jersey - no try . 7-0 New Jersey
6' - New Jersey - no try . 7-0 New Jersey
18' - San Diego - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #1 ). 7-7 tie score
27' - San Diego - no try . 7-7 tie score
29' - New Jersey - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #13). 12-7 New Jersey
34' - New Jersey - no try . 12-7 New Jersey
45' - San Diego - no try . 12-7 New Jersey
46' - New Jersey - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #14). 19-7 New Jersey
53' - San Diego - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #14). 19-14 New Jersey
55' - New Jersey - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #12). 26-14 New Jersey
57' - New Jersey - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #14). 33-14 New Jersey
58' - New Jersey - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #11). 38-14 New Jersey
60' - San Diego - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #15). 38-21 New Jersey
63' - New Jersey - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #12). 45-21 New Jersey
68' - San Diego - no try . 45-21 New Jersey
72' - New Jersey - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #13). 52-21 New Jersey
80' - New Jersey - PENALTY GOAL . 55-21 New Jersey

<center><table border="0" cellpadding="10"><tr><td>Chicago Legends</td><td>14-26</td><td>Capital City Dragons</td></tr></table></center>
Legends no more? Chicago continues to sink with loss

COLLEGE PARK, MD - What happened to the Chicago Legends? They continued to sink without a trace in College Park as the host Capital City Dragons won their second straight game with a 26-14 win. Dragons fly half James Drake scored two tries in the win.

Capital City (2-6) has now won two straight games since reports surfaced before Week 7 that head coach Gus Gardener would be fired if the team did not win. Meanwhile, Chicago (3-5) has lost four of their last five games.

FINAL SCORE: Chicago 14, Capital City 26
TOTAL TRIES: Chicago 2, Capital City 4
CONVERSIONS: Chicago 2/2, Capital City 3/4
PENALTIES: Chicago 0/2, Capital City 0/1
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
8' - Capital City - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #12). 7-0 Capital City
17' - Capital City - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #10). 14-0 Capital City
28' - Capital City - no try . 14-0 Capital City
35' - Chicago - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #13). 14-7 Capital City
39' - Capital City - Penalty Goal Missed . 14-7 Capital City
41' - Chicago - no try . 14-7 Capital City
47' - Chicago - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #10). 14-14 tie score
55' - Capital City - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 21-14 Capital City
59' - Chicago - no try . 21-14 Capital City
65' - Chicago - Penalty Goal Missed . 21-14 Capital City
69' - Chicago - Penalty Goal Missed . 21-14 Capital City
74' - Capital City - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #10). 26-14 Capital City

<center><table border="0" cellpadding="10"><tr><td>Texas Harlequins</td><td>5-42</td><td>Edmonton Mashers</td></tr></table></center>
Mashers mash the Harlequins

EDMONTON, AB - Edmonton's two centers - #13 Mark James and #14 Koby Brodzky - both had two tries apiece as the Mashers beat the visiting Texas Harlequins (2-6) 42-5 in a dominating game at Commonwealth Stadium. But the player of the game may have been Edmonton fly half Jace Hunter, who had a big kicking day. He kicked six conversions, joining New Jersey's Charles Munn - who did the same thing earlier in the day - as the only men in the NARC's short history to do so. Hunter was a perfect 6-for-6 in conversions, and he nearly missed his only penalty attempt, with the ball sailing mere inches to the left of the uprights in the 17th minute.

It was certainly a dominating win for Edmonton (6-2), as Texas' offense was completely shut down. Their only points of the game did not come until the 78th minute.

Edmonton has now won four of their last five games.

FINAL SCORE: Texas 5, Edmonton 42
TOTAL TRIES: Texas 1, Edmonton 6
CONVERSIONS: Texas 0/1, Edmonton 6/6
PENALTIES: Texas 0/1, Edmonton 0/1
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
7' - Texas - Penalty Goal Missed . 0-0 tie score
17' - Edmonton - Penalty Goal Missed . 0-0 tie score
20' - Edmonton - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #13). 7-0 Edmonton
31' - Edmonton - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #13). 14-0 Edmonton
36' - Edmonton - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #14). 21-0 Edmonton
38' - Texas - no try . 21-0 Edmonton
49' - Edmonton - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #9). 28-0 Edmonton
55' - Edmonton - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #14). 35-0 Edmonton
67' - Edmonton - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #12). 42-0 Edmonton
78' - Texas - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #5). 42-5 Edmonton

<center><table border="0" cellpadding="10"><tr><td>Los Angeles Sharks
</td><td>35-15</td><td>Golden Gate Stormers</td></tr></table></center>
Sharks win as Stormers lose third straight

PALO ALTO, CA - It seems nothing good has happened for the Golden Gate Stormers since they became the first team to beat the New Jersey Knights. Los Angeles right wing Pete Sullivan scored two tries as the Sharks (4-4) went into Northern California and beat the Stormers 35-15. Golden Gate (2-6) never led in the game, and the team has now lost three straight games, all of them after beating New Jersey.

FINAL SCORE: Los Angeles 35, Golden Gate 15
TOTAL TRIES: Los Angeles 4, Golden Gate 2
CONVERSIONS: Los Angeles 3/4, Golden Gate 1/2
PENALTIES: Los Angeles 3/4, Golden Gate 1/2
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
2' - Golden Gate - no try . 0-0 tie score
14' - Los Angeles - no try . 0-0 tie score
15' - Golden Gate - no try . 0-0 tie score
26' - Los Angeles - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #4). 5-0 Los Angeles
30' - Golden Gate - PENALTY GOAL . 5-3 Los Angeles
38' - Los Angeles - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 12-3 Los Angeles
42' - Golden Gate - Penalty Goal Missed . 12-3 Los Angeles
49' - Los Angeles - Penalty Goal Missed . 12-3 Los Angeles
51' - Los Angeles - no try . 12-3 Los Angeles
53' - Golden Gate - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #11). 12-8 Los Angeles
54' - Los Angeles - no try . 12-8 Los Angeles
61' - Los Angeles - PENALTY GOAL . 15-8 Los Angeles
68' - Golden Gate - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #13). 15-15 tie score
71' - Los Angeles - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #14). 22-15 Los Angeles
73' - Los Angeles - PENALTY GOAL. 25-15 Los Angeles
76' - Los Angeles - PENALTY GOAL. 28-15 Los Angeles
79' - Los Angeles - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #14). 35-15 Los Angeles

bbgunn

10-24-2011, 11:17 PM

WEEK 8 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

We have a tie for Player of the Week in Week 8. The co-winners are two young and talented fly halfs - Edmonton's Jace Hunter and New Jersey's Charles Munn. Both set a record in Week 8 with six conversions made in one game, and both showed great leadership on the field and had great defensive performances as well. It's no coincidence that they are the number 10s for the two best teams in the NARC.

1st place (3 pts in the MVP standings) – Edmonton #10 Jace Hunter and New Jersey #10 Charles Munn
3rd place (1 pt) – Edmonton #5 Girolamo Giordamo

NARC STANDINGS AFTER WEEK 8

EASTERN GP W L T Pts BP PF PA Pdiff
New Jersey 8 6 2 0 30 6 258 123 135
Boston 8 5 3 0 25 5 207 145 62
Virginia 8 5 3 0 25 5 159 151 8
Chicago 8 3 5 0 16 4 119 160 -41
Capital City 8 2 6 0 14 6 145 211 -66

WESTERN GP W L T Pts BP PF PA Pdiff
Edmonton 8 6 2 0 30 6 208 132 76
San Diego 8 5 3 0 26 6 185 143 42
Los Angeles 8 4 4 0 18 2 142 162 -20
Golden Gate 8 2 6 0 10 2 141 195 -54
Texas 8 2 6 0 10 2 112 254 -142

WEEK 9 GAMES

Friday - May 10th
Texas at Golden Gate (CBS)

Saturday - May 11th
Chicago at Los Angeles
Boston at New Jersey
Virginia at Capital City
Edmonton at San Diego (CBS)

bbgunn

10-25-2011, 08:56 PM

<center><table border="0" cellpadding="10"><tr><td>Texas Harlequins</td><td>21-19</td><td>Golden Gate Stormers</td></tr></table></center>
Harlequins win over hapless Stormers

PALO ALTO, CA - Texas inside center Gary Wallace scored two tries as the Harlequins (3-6) went into the Bay Area and defeated the Golden Gate Stormers (2-7) 21-19 in a hard-fought game on Friday night.

For the first time, the number of fans at a Stormers home game was less than that of the previous home game. Only 9,134 fans showed up, compared to last week's attendance of 13,230. This does not seem like a good sign for an area considered to be one of the NARC's key markets.

FINAL SCORE: Texas 21, Golden Gate 19
TOTAL TRIES: Texas 3, Golden Gate 3
CONVERSIONS: Texas 3/3, Golden Gate 2/3
PENALTIES: Texas 0/0, Golden Gate 0/0
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
9' - Texas - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #12). 7-0 Texas
18' - Golden Gate - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #2). 7-7 tie score
27' - Golden Gate - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #8). 12-7 Golden Gate
39' - Golden Gate - no try . 12-7 Golden Gate
44' - Texas - no try . 12-7 Golden Gate
50' - Golden Gate - no try . 12-7 Golden Gate
59' - Texas - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 14-12 Texas
63' - Texas - no try . 14-12 Texas
71' - Texas - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #12). 21-12 Texas
76' - Golden Gate - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #14). 21-19 Texas
79' - Golden Gate - no try . 21-19 Texas
80' - Texas - no try . 21-19 Texas

bbgunn

10-25-2011, 09:01 PM

<center><table border="0" cellpadding="10"><tr><td>Chicago Legends</td><td>19-24</td><td>Los Angeles Sharks</td></tr></table></center>
Legends played hard but lose fourth straight

LOS ANGELES - Sharks blind flanker Andrew Babb scored two key tries in the second half, helping Los Angeles get by the Chicago Legends 24-19. Los Angeles (5-4) wins their second straight as they try to get into one of the playoff spots, while the Chicago Legends (3-6) have now lost four straight games. Chicago left wing Rob Nielsen scored one try.

There were reports after the game that several Legends players could be heard fighting among themselves in the visitors locker room at Memorial Coliseum. However, Chicago head coach Dave Waterman denied those reports. "There were no fists flying in the locker room... You know, when the going gets tough, people become frustrated. But nobody was hitting anybody."

FINAL SCORE: Chicago 19, Los Angeles 24
TOTAL TRIES: Chicago 3, Los Angeles 4
CONVERSIONS: Chicago 2/3, Los Angeles 2/4
PENALTIES: Chicago 0/0, Los Angeles 0/2
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
2' - Los Angeles - Penalty Goal Missed . 0-0 tie score
8' - Los Angeles - no try . 0-0 tie score
14' - Los Angeles - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #9). 7-0 Los Angeles
22' - Chicago - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 7-7 tie score
31' - Los Angeles - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #10). 12-7 Los Angeles
33' - Chicago - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #12). 14-12 Chicago
41' - Los Angeles - no try . 14-12 Chicago
52' - Chicago - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #9). 19-12 Chicago
53' - Los Angeles - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #6). 19-19 tie score
59' - Los Angeles - Penalty Goal Missed . 19-19 tie score
70' - Los Angeles - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #6). 24-19 Los Angeles
76' - Los Angeles - no try . 24-19 Los Angeles

<center><table border="0" cellpadding="10"><tr><td>Boston Beacons</td><td>18-29</td><td>New Jersey Knights</td></tr></table></center>
Knights roll in second half, beat Beacons

PISCATAWAY, NJ - It was not as flashy as last week's 55-21 rout of San Diego, but New Jersey's 29-18 win over the Boston Beacons kept the momentum rolling, and with play like this, the Knights (7-2) look likely to get a first-round bye in the playoffs. New Jersey right wing Noah Kidston had a great day, scoring three tries. The loss ends a three-game winning streak for Boston (5-4).

FINAL SCORE: Boston 18, New Jersey 29
TOTAL TRIES: Boston 2, New Jersey 4
CONVERSIONS: Boston 1/2, New Jersey 3/4
PENALTIES: Boston 2/2, New Jersey 1/1
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
2' - Boston - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #13). 7-0 Boston
4' - Boston - PENALTY GOAL . 10-0 Boston
7' - New Jersey - no try . 10-0 Boston
17' - New Jersey - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #9). 10-5 Boston
24' - New Jersey - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #14). 12-10 New Jersey
34' - Boston - PENALTY GOAL. 13-12 Boston
43' - New Jersey - PENALTY GOAL. 15-13 New Jersey
54' - Boston - no try . 15-13 New Jersey
57' - New Jersey - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #14). 22-13 New Jersey
66' - New Jersey - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #14). 29-13 New Jersey
73' - Boston - no try . 29-13 New Jersey
74' - Boston - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #11). 29-18 New Jersey

<center><table border="0" cellpadding="10"><tr><td>Virginia Stars</td><td>14-19</td><td>Capital City Dragons</td></tr></table></center>
Dragons hang on to win third straight

COLLEGE PARK, MD - If all it took for the Capital City Dragons to start winning was to threaten coach Gus Gardener's job, management should have done it sooner. Better late than never. The Dragons won their third-straight game on Saturday, beating a reeling Virginia Stars team 19-14 in a nailbiter.

Capital City (3-6) got off to a great start, completely dominating the first half by going up 16-0 at the half. Virginia (5-4) never got within a sniff of the tryline during the first period. In the second period, Virginia woke up and scored two tries, making it 16-14. That was when Capital City regained focus, adding a penalty goal while clamping down on the Stars' offense to preserve a victory.

Virginia has now lost two straight since beating New Jersey. Is there a New Jersey curse in effect? The only two teams that New Jersey has lost to - Virginia and Golden Gate - have not won a game since they slayed the Knights.

FINAL SCORE: Virginia 14, Capital City 19
TOTAL TRIES: Virginia 2, Capital City 2
CONVERSIONS: Virginia 2/2, Capital City 0/2
PENALTIES: Virginia 0/0, Capital City 3/4
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
11' - Capital City - PENALTY GOAL . 3-0 Capital City
18' - Capital City - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #11). 8-0 Capital City
19' - Capital City - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #15). 13-0 Capital City
24' - Capital City - PENALTY GOAL. 16-0 Capital City
36' - Capital City - no try . 16-0 Capital City
41' - Capital City - no try . 16-0 Capital City
53' - Capital City - Penalty Goal Missed . 16-0 Capital City
55' - Virginia - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #10). 16-7 Capital City
64' - Virginia - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #8). 16-14 Capital City
70' - Capital City - PENALTY GOAL . 19-14 Capital City
72' - Capital City - no try . 19-14 Capital City

<center><table border="0" cellpadding="10"><tr><td>Edmonton Mashers</td><td>41-35</td><td>San Diego Mission
</td></tr></table></center>
Exciting game sees Mashers edge Mission

SAN DIEGO - CBS took a lot of criticism, mainly from the East Coast, for deciding to air the Edmonton-San Diego game on national television instead of Boston-New Jersey. They look like geniuses now after the Mashers and Mission played perhaps the best game in the NARC's short history so far. Edmonton fly half Jace Hunter scored two tries, made 4-of-6 conversions, and made 1-of-2 penalties, as the Mashers (7-2) used a late comeback to beat the San Diego Mission (5-4) 41-35. San Diego inside center Thomas Alston also had two tries, while fly half Richard Benner was a perfect 5-for-5 on conversions.

FINAL SCORE: Edmonton 41, San Diego 35
TOTAL TRIES: Edmonton 6, San Diego 5
CONVERSIONS: Edmonton 4/6, San Diego 5/5
PENALTIES: Edmonton 1/2, San Diego 0/0
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
12' - Edmonton - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #14). 7-0 Edmonton
19' - Edmonton - no try . 7-0 Edmonton
20' - Edmonton - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #10). 12-0 Edmonton
26' - San Diego - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #12). 12-7 Edmonton
34' - Edmonton - PENALTY GOAL. 15-7 Edmonton
46' - San Diego - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 15-14 Edmonton
47' - Edmonton - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #10). 22-14 Edmonton
48' - San Diego - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #12). 22-21 Edmonton
53' - San Diego - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #6). 28-22 San Diego
61' - San Diego - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #4). 35-22 San Diego
69' - Edmonton - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #5). 35-29 San Diego
71' - Edmonton - Penalty Goal Missed . 35-29 San Diego
76' - Edmonton - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #9). 36-35 Edmonton
80' - Edmonton - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #13). 41-35 Edmonton

bbgunn

10-25-2011, 09:04 PM

WEEK 9 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

New Jersey right wing Noah Kidston's big day helped him become the first player this season to win two Player of the Week awards. He has overtaken teammate Larry McGillicuddy in the overall MVP standings with six points. McGillicuddy and Edmonton's Jace Hunter are tied for second place with five points each. Golden Gate's Sandy Kemp, New Jersey's Charles Munn, and Virginia's Diego Zito are tied for fourth place with four points apiece.

1st place (3 pts in the MVP standings) – New Jersey #14 Noah Kidston
2nd place (2 pts) – Edmonton #10 Jace Hunter
3rd place (1 pt) – Capital City #6 Lincoln Osburne

NARC STANDINGS AFTER WEEK 9

EASTERN GP W L T Pts BP PF PA Pdiff
x-New Jersey 9 7 2 0 35 7 287 141 146
Virginia 9 5 4 0 26 6 173 170 3
Boston 9 5 4 0 25 5 225 174 51
Capital City 9 3 6 0 18 6 164 225 -61
Chicago 9 3 6 0 17 5 138 184 -46

WESTERN GP W L T Pts BP PF PA Pdiff
x-Edmonton 9 7 2 0 35 7 249 167 82
San Diego 9 5 4 0 28 8 220 184 36
Los Angeles 9 5 4 0 23 3 166 181 -15
Texas 9 3 6 0 14 2 133 273 -140
Golden Gate 9 2 7 0 11 3 160 216 -56

x - qualified for playoffs

New Jersey and Edmonton have both qualified for the playoffs. San Diego will also clinch a playoff spot next week if they beat or tie Texas, or if they lose and get two standings points.

WEEK 10 GAMES

A few Week 10 games have playoff implications. We already mentioned the Texas-San Diego game. Keep an eye on the Virginia-New Jersey game. A win for the Knights would win them the Eastern Division and a first-round bye in the playoffs. In the Western Division, Edmonton could also win their division, depending on their results and San Diego's. If Los Angeles beats Edmonton and San Diego beats Texas, L.A. would clinch a playoff spot, and both Texas and Golden Gate would be out of the playoffs. No matter what happens in the Texas-San Diego game, if L.A. wins over the Mashers, Golden Gate is out.

Friday - May 17th
Los Angeles at Edmonton (CBS)

Saturday - May 18th
Golden Gate at Capital City
Chicago at Boston
Virginia at New Jersey (CBS)
Texas at San Diego

Travis

10-25-2011, 09:41 PM

Nice, playoff spot locked up. Now time to get firing on all cylinders. Really enjoying the write ups!

bbgunn

10-26-2011, 02:23 AM

Nice, playoff spot locked up. Now time to get firing on all cylinders. Really enjoying the write ups!

Thank you very much. Yeah, this dynasty is a lot of fun to write up. I'm looking forward to seeing how the playoffs go.

Rawhide

10-26-2011, 03:10 AM

Come on Mashers

Coffee Warlord

10-26-2011, 11:00 AM

Man, I need a trade to a contender!

bbgunn

10-27-2011, 12:38 AM

Man, I need a trade to a contender!

Hehe... trades are possible in this dynasty. But none happened before the trade deadline (before Week 9).

bbgunn

10-27-2011, 12:39 AM

I'll try to get an update in today, but I can't guarantee it.

CrimsonFox

10-27-2011, 12:43 AM

Great writeups. I think Kemp is hurting the team. Then again I don't know if the others there are costing things too.

bbgunn

10-27-2011, 01:04 AM

Great writeups. I think Kemp is hurting the team. Then again I don't know if the others there are costing things too.

Kemp's kicking hasn't been that bad lately, but... well, Golden Gate as a team isn't working out. :)

bbgunn

10-27-2011, 01:05 AM

bbgunn

10-27-2011, 01:07 AM

<center><table border="0" cellpadding="10"><tr><td>Chicago Legends</td><td>33-19</td><td>Boston Beacons</td></tr></table></center>
Legends wake up, upset Beacons on the road

BOSTON - Having lost four straight games, and with their playoff lives on the line, the odds were stacked against the Chicago Legends as they came into Harvard Stadium to face the Boston Beacons. It looked bleak early on when Boston scored the opening points of the game with a try in the 11th minute. However, just two minutes later, Chicago left wing Rob Nielsen - known more for his offense - put a bone-jarring tackle on Boston's outside center that not only prevented another try for the home team, but jarred the ball loose, and Chicago was able to recover. The score was tied at seven just four minutes later. Nielsen's tackle set the tone for the rest of the game, and Chicago upset the Beacons 33-19 on an unusually hot Saturday afternoon.

"(Nielsen's tackle) was one of the hardest I've ever seen in a game by a wing," Legends inside center Logan Hawkins, who scored a try, said. "Rob was fired up for this one, even before the game."

The game was a huge victory for Chicago, as it likely kept their playoff hopes alive. However, the next two games will be difficult for both teams. Chicago plays at New Jersey and against Edmonton, while Boston plays a hot Capital City team on the road, plus New Jersey at home in the last week of the season.

FINAL SCORE: Chicago 33, Boston 19
TOTAL TRIES: Chicago 5, Boston 3
CONVERSIONS: Chicago 4/5, Boston 2/3
PENALTIES: Chicago 0/3, Boston 0/0
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
11' - Boston - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #2). 7-0 Boston
17' - Chicago - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #5). 7-7 tie score
26' - Chicago - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #12). 14-7 Chicago
27' - Boston - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #14). 14-14 tie score
38' - Chicago - Penalty Goal Missed . 14-14 tie score
49' - Chicago - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #13). 19-14 Chicago
57' - Chicago - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #15). 26-14 Chicago
61' - Chicago - Penalty Goal Missed . 26-14 Chicago
64' - Chicago - Penalty Goal Missed . 26-14 Chicago
75' - Chicago - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #14). 33-14 Chicago
77' - Boston - no try . 33-14 Chicago
80' - Boston - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #8). 33-19 Chicago

<center><table border="0" cellpadding="10"><tr><td>Virginia Stars</td><td>13-40</td><td>New Jersey Knights</td></tr></table></center>
Knights avenge earlier Stars loss, clinch division

PISCATAWAY, NJ - New Jersey left wing Larry McGillicuddy scored two tries, and the Knights' defense held the Virginia Stars to one try, as New Jersey beat the Stars 40-13 on national television, avenging an earlier 19-13 loss to the Stars in Week 7.

The win was made all the sweeter in the final minutes of the game, when the results of the just-completed Chicago-Boston game was made known to the 20,000-plus fans on hand at Rutgers Stadium. With Boston's loss, New Jersey would clinch the Eastern Division title with a victory. Of course, by that point they were well on their way to victory, and after the game fans gleefully cheered "Leeu!" in reference to the Knights' head coach Graham Van Leeuwenhoek.

"I couldn't have asked for much more from this team," Leeuwenhoek said after post-game celebrations in which he received the Eastern Division championship trophy. "Everybody played hard, and the people of New Jersey, New York, and everywhere around here should be proud."

Knights fly half Charles Munn had a good kicking day, making all three of his penalty attempts while going 60 percent on his conversions. Stars right wing Kuji Chagulia scored the only try for Virginia.

New Jersey has won three straight games, while Virginia has lost three straight.

FINAL SCORE: Virginia 13, New Jersey 40
TOTAL TRIES: Virginia 1, New Jersey 5
CONVERSIONS: Virginia 1/1, New Jersey 3/5
PENALTIES: Virginia 2/3, New Jersey 3/3
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
9' - New Jersey - PENALTY GOAL. 3-0 New Jersey
12' - New Jersey - no try . 3-0 New Jersey
23' - New Jersey - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 10-0 New Jersey
31' - Virginia - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #14). 10-7 New Jersey
38' - New Jersey - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #8). 17-7 New Jersey
41' - New Jersey - PENALTY GOAL. 20-7 New Jersey
44' - Virginia - no try . 20-7 New Jersey
45' - Virginia - PENALTY GOAL . 20-10 New Jersey
48' - New Jersey - PENALTY GOAL . 23-10 New Jersey
60' - Virginia - PENALTY GOAL . 23-13 New Jersey
64' - Virginia - Penalty Goal Missed . 23-13 New Jersey
69' - New Jersey - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #13). 30-13 New Jersey
76' - New Jersey - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #1 ). 35-13 New Jersey
80' - New Jersey - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #11). 40-13 New Jersey

<center><table border="0" cellpadding="10"><tr><td>Golden Gate Stormers</td><td>5-22</td><td>Capital City Dragons</td></tr></table></center>
Dragons win fourth straight

COLLEGE PARK, MD - Flash back to Week 5 of the season. The Golden Gate Stormers beat the previously-undefeated New Jersey Knights that week. After a slow start, at 2-3 and with a great win under their belt, things seemed bright for the Bay Area team. Meanwhile, the Capital City Dragons lost their fifth of what would be six straight losses to begin the season.

Now, come back to Week 10, where things have turned around for both teams - in a good way for Capital City, and in a bad way for the Stormers. Capital City won their fourth straight game by beating Golden Gate 22-5 on Saturday at Byrd Stadium. Golden Gate - who came into the game already eliminated from playoff contention - has now lost five straight games. The only other team to lose five straight this season? Capital City.

"We have a lot of work to do," Stormers coach Kyler Eccleston said, "but I am determined not to let this team wither away in our last two games."

Fans in the Bay Area are making a lot of noise about a so-called "New Jersey curse". The premise is that if you beat the New Jersey Knights, you never win again. Golden Gate has lost every game they have played since beating New Jersey, and the same applies for the Virginia Stars. No other team has beaten the Knights.

Meanwhile, Capital City is back in the Eastern Division cellar after one week out, but they are very much within the thick of the playoff race - a situation that seemed unthinkable just three or four weeks ago.

FINAL SCORE: Golden Gate 5, Capital City 22
TOTAL TRIES: Golden Gate 1, Capital City 3
CONVERSIONS: Golden Gate 0/1, Capital City 2/3
PENALTIES: Golden Gate 0/1, Capital City 1/2
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
6' - Capital City - no try . 0-0 tie score
10' - Golden Gate - no try . 0-0 tie score
18' - Capital City - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #14). 5-0 Capital City
20' - Golden Gate - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #12). 5-5 tie score
30' - Capital City - no try . 5-5 tie score
39' - Capital City - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #4). 12-5 Capital City
51' - Golden Gate - Penalty Goal Missed . 12-5 Capital City
54' - Golden Gate - no try . 12-5 Capital City
61' - Capital City - no try . 12-5 Capital City
64' - Capital City - Penalty Goal Missed . 12-5 Capital City
74' - Capital City - PENALTY GOAL. 15-5 Capital City
76' - Capital City - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #15). 22-5 Capital City

<center><table border="0" cellpadding="10"><tr><td>Texas Harlequins</td><td>22-12</td><td>San Diego Mission</td></tr></table></center>
Harlequins win as Mission lose third straight

SAN DIEGO - It was clear cut for the San Diego Mission: win against the Texas Harlequins, and San Diego would clinch a playoff spot (and so would the Los Angeles Sharks). Pretty simple, right? Texas, who would be eliminated from the playoffs with a loss, had other plans, as they came into Qualcomm Stadium and somewhat dominated the Mission in a 22-12 win. It was a defensive struggle, and the Harlequins - who have not played that well over the course of the season - had the best defense in the game. Even when San Diego threatened to come back in the second half, Texas kept them at bay, while their offense added an insurance try in the 74th minute.

The Harlequins have now won two straight games for the first time. Meanwhile, San Diego have now lost three straight games for the first time. The Mission are highly likely to make the playoffs anyway, but San Diego players know that they need to right their ship in the next couple of weeks.

"We can't play poorly and expect to be in the playoffs," Mission fly half Richard Benner said. "All of us are going to have to play well if we expect to be successful."

FINAL SCORE: Texas 22, San Diego 12
TOTAL TRIES: Texas 3, San Diego 2
CONVERSIONS: Texas 2/3, San Diego 1/2
PENALTIES: Texas 1/1, San Diego 0/0
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
9' - Texas - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #12). 7-0 Texas
17' - San Diego - no try . 7-0 Texas
20' - San Diego - no try . 7-0 Texas
31' - Texas - no try . 7-0 Texas
41' - Texas - PENALTY GOAL. 10-0 Texas
47' - Texas - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #14). 17-0 Texas
58' - San Diego - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 17-7 Texas
66' - San Diego - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #14). 17-12 Texas
74' - Texas - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #6). 22-12 Texas

bbgunn

10-27-2011, 01:10 AM

WEEK 10 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Rob Nielsen did not score a try in Chicago's victory over Boston, but his impact was felt nevertheless. He had several key runs, helping set up his teammates for scores, while also playing some amazing defense. That was enough for him to get Week 10 Player of the Week honors. Nielsen is now tied atop the MVP standings with two New Jersey players: Larry McGillicuddy and Noah Kidston. All have six points overall with two weeks remaining in the season.

Capital City's blind flanker Lincoln Osburne has been making noise with his defensive play as of late. McGillicuddy was the only player to score more than one try this week.

1st place (3 pts in the MVP standings) – Chicago #11 Rob Nielsen
2nd place (2 pts) – Capital City #6 Lincoln Osburne
3rd place (1 pt) – New Jersey #11 Larry McGillicuddy

NARC STANDINGS AFTER WEEK 10

EASTERN GP W L T Pts BP PF PA Pdiff
y-New Jersey 10 8 2 0 40 8 327 154 173
Virginia 10 5 5 0 26 6 186 210 -24
Boston 10 5 5 0 25 5 244 207 37
Chicago 10 4 6 0 22 6 171 203 -32
Capital City 10 4 6 0 22 6 186 230 -44

WESTERN GP W L T Pts BP PF PA Pdiff
x-Edmonton 10 7 3 0 36 8 259 184 75
San Diego 10 5 5 0 28 8 232 206 26
Los Angeles 10 6 4 0 27 3 183 191 -8
Texas 10 4 6 0 18 2 155 285 -130
Golden Gate 10 2 8 0 11 3 165 238 -73

x - qualified for playoffs
y - won division; will receive a first-round bye in the playoffs

All of a sudden, the playoff race in the Eastern Division has become very interesting. Virginia, Boston, Chicago and Capital City could be in any order from #2-#5 at the end of the year. Despite that, Virginia will book a playoff spot in Week 11 if they beat Texas, and both Chicago and Capital City lose. Meanwhile, San Diego and Los Angeles are virtually in the playoffs, if not officially, as Texas has a lot of work to do if they want in. Basically, if Texas does not have two max-point victories in their last two games, they will be out.

WEEK 11 GAMES

Friday - May 24th
Virginia at Texas (CBS)

Saturday - May 25th
Boston at Capital City (CBS)
Chicago at New Jersey
Edmonton at Golden Gate
Los Angeles at San Diego

Coffee Warlord

10-27-2011, 07:46 AM

I'm willing my team to victory! ONWARD!

OR TRADE ME!

CrimsonFox

10-27-2011, 08:11 AM

Kemp's kicking hasn't been that bad lately, but... well, Golden Gate as a team isn't working out. :)

<center><table border="0" cellpadding="10"><tbody><tr><td>
</td><td>
</td><td>
</td></tr></tbody></table></center> <center><table border="0" cellpadding="10"><tbody><tr><td>Golden Gate Stormers</td><td>5-22</td><td>Capital City Dragons</td></tr></tbody></table></center>

:) You don't say...

bbgunn

10-27-2011, 09:48 PM

I'm almost certain that I won't be able to get an update in today. I'm just too busy. Look for an update on Monday.

bbgunn

10-30-2011, 08:02 PM

Long Island awarded expansion franchise; another to go to Canada

LOS ANGELES - The North American Rugby Conference announced on Monday that they have awarded one of two new franchises for the 1997 season to an ownership group in Hempstead, New York, led by New York-based South African businessman Korstiaan de Villiers. During the same press conference, the NARC also announced that the second expansion franchise will go to either Toronto or Vancouver, with a final decision to come before the first Rugby Bowl in June.

The group led by de Villiers was in the running last year for the New York City-area franchise that eventually became the New Jersey Knights. The group wanted the club within New York State, but were not able to find a suitable stadium. Things changed for the group when de Villiers acquired a parcel of land in Hempstead to build what is believed to be the United States' first rugby-specific stadium. Ground has already been broken, as de Villiers was intent on building the stadium no matter what happened with NARC expansion. The stadium will eventually seat 25,000 fans, but the group is planning for roughly 16,500 of those seats to be ready in time for the 1997 season.

"We are excited to become a part of the North American Rugby Conference," de Villiers, who was present at the press conference in Los Angeles, said. "We've been working hard to bring a team to New York City, Long Island, and New York State, and our hard work has come to fruition."

"It's an exciting day for rugby union fans in New York," said NARC commissioner Delmar Scrivens. "With the new club and the Knights, we will have a true rugby derby in the New York area. And don't forget about the rugby stadium as well. That will have an impact on our sport."

The Hempstead stadium will have real grass, unlike the stadium in whichever Canadian city will land the second expansion franchise. Toronto and Vancouver's candidacies were made possible with a NARC rule change that allows a team's stadium surface to consist of a new type of synthetic grass called FieldTurf. FieldTurf is said to resemble real grass a lot more than AstroTurf, which will help curb some injuries. A group of potential owners have secured permission to use BC Place if a team is awarded, and would split the cost of installing FieldTurf in the stadium with the Canadian Football League's B.C. Lions. Toronto's group, meanwhile, plans to do the same with the University of Toronto's Varsity Stadium, which would also have to be renovated.

"There's still a lot of work to do," Scrivens said, "but we are excited about having another franchise in Canada. We've always said we need more than one team in Canada, and it looks like that will happen really quickly."

bbgunn

10-30-2011, 08:08 PM

bbgunn

10-30-2011, 08:08 PM

More Week 11 games to come later on.

bbgunn

10-31-2011, 01:28 AM

<center><table border="0" cellpadding="10"><tr><td>Boston Beacons</td><td>15-20</td><td>Capital City Dragons</td></tr></table></center>
Dragons win fifth straight, beat Beacons at home

COLLEGE PARK, MD - It was a hard-fought game at Byrd Stadium, but the Capital City Dragons managed to continue their run of success. The Dragons managed to beat the visiting Boston Beacons (5-6) 20-15 in front of 13,534 fans - the largest crowd of the season for Capital City. The Dragons (5-6) became the first team in NARC history to win five straight games, this after becoming the first team to lose six straight. More importantly for Capital City, the big division win puts them well within reach of a playoff spot. This team is hot at the right time.

"This is a dangerous team, when they're motivated," said Dragons head coach Gus Gardener. "We still have one more game to go. I'm not saying we're gonna win it, but we have a shot."

The key to Capital City's surge is their defense. No team has scored more than 17 points on the Dragons since Week 6, their last loss. Capital City's #6 Lincoln Osburne had another big day on defense; no player was able to get by or get out of an Osburne tackle.

Boston's left wing Felicien Covillon had two tries.

FINAL SCORE: Boston 15, Capital City 20
TOTAL TRIES: Boston 2, Capital City 3
CONVERSIONS: Boston 1/2, Capital City 1/3
PENALTIES: Boston 1/2, Capital City 1/1
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
3' - Boston - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #11). 5-0 Boston
14' - Capital City - no try . 5-0 Boston
15' - Capital City - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #8). 5-5 tie score
17' - Boston - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 12-5 Boston
24' - Capital City - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #1 ). 12-10 Boston
30' - Capital City - no try . 12-10 Boston
31' - Capital City - PENALTY GOAL. 13-12 Capital City
43' - Boston - no try . 13-12 Capital City
48' - Capital City - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #14). 20-12 Capital City
57' - Boston - PENALTY GOAL . 20-15 Capital City
63' - Boston - Penalty Goal Missed . 20-15 Capital City
75' - Capital City - no try . 20-15 Capital City

<center><table border="0" cellpadding="10"><tr><td>Chicago Legends</td><td>20-18</td><td>New Jersey Knights</td></tr></table></center>
Legends squeak by Knights

PISCATAWAY, NJ - Is it possible that Rob Nielsen is this year's MVP? The Chicago Legends (5-6) left wing definitely has a great case. Nielsen did not make it to the in-touch area today, but his impact was certainly felt in Chicago's 20-18 upset of the New Jersey Knights. Nielsen seemingly played two positions today, left wing and fly half. Not only did he shred New Jersey's defense time and time again with some exquisite runs, but when the defense started keying in on him, Nielsen kept plays alive with some great offloads. Nielsen played some great defense as well; in terms of defense, Nielsen just may be the best left wing in the NARC, and it showed.

"When you need him, he's there," said Chicago head coach Dave Waterman, whose team kept their playoff hopes alive with the big win. "I don't know about overall MVP, but he's our MVP for sure."

The loss was inconsequential for New Jersey (8-3). With the division title wrapped up, the Knights already have home-field advantage and a first-round bye in the playoffs. Charles Munn made one of two conversions, and two of two penalties.

FINAL SCORE: Chicago 20, New Jersey 18
TOTAL TRIES: Chicago 2, New Jersey 2
CONVERSIONS: Chicago 2/2, New Jersey 1/2
PENALTIES: Chicago 2/3, New Jersey 2/2
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
9' - New Jersey - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #12). 5-0 New Jersey
17' - New Jersey - PENALTY GOAL. 8-0 New Jersey
20' - New Jersey - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #9). 15-0 New Jersey
32' - Chicago - PENALTY GOAL. 15-3 New Jersey
37' - Chicago - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #12). 15-10 New Jersey
47' - Chicago - Penalty Goal Missed . 15-10 New Jersey
56' - Chicago - PENALTY GOAL. 15-13 New Jersey
68' - Chicago - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #13). 20-15 Chicago
73' - New Jersey - PENALTY GOAL . 20-18 Chicago

<center><table border="0" cellpadding="10"><tr><td>Edmonton Mashers</td><td>13-12</td><td>Golden Gate Stormers</td></tr></table></center>
Mashers escape with win over Stormers

PALO ALTO, CA - In a battle of teams with nothing left to play for in the regular season, the Edmonton Mashers came out flat today against the Golden Gate Stormers, and they almost lost. Only a missed conversion kick allowed the Mashers to beat the Stormers 13-12. Edmonton (8-3) dominated on defense in the first half, but Golden Gate (2-9) came back in the second half. A try in the 72nd minute pulled Golden Gate to within one, with a 13-12 score. However, fly half Sandy Kemp, who had a terrible angle near the sideline, kicked the ball wide right on the conversion attempt, and the game ended 13-12. Golden Gate has now lost six straight games, matching the league record set by Capital City.

When asked about a possible curse resulting from beating New Jersey in Week 5 (the last time the Stormers won), head coach Kyler Eccleston nearly shoved the reporter out of his way. "What a [expletive] stupid question," Eccleston yelled. "There's no [expletive] curse. What the [expletive] are you talking about? We play like [expletive], that's all there is to it."

Edmonton's Jace Hunter scored a try, but missed two conversion kicks, although he made his only penalty attempt.

FINAL SCORE: Edmonton 13, Golden Gate 12
TOTAL TRIES: Edmonton 2, Golden Gate 2
CONVERSIONS: Edmonton 0/2, Golden Gate 1/2
PENALTIES: Edmonton 1/1, Golden Gate 0/0
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
11' - Edmonton - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #10). 5-0 Edmonton
19' - Edmonton - no try . 5-0 Edmonton
31' - Edmonton - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #12). 10-0 Edmonton
43' - Edmonton - no try . 10-0 Edmonton
54' - Golden Gate - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #14). 10-7 Edmonton
61' - Edmonton - PENALTY GOAL . 13-7 Edmonton
68' - Edmonton - no try . 13-7 Edmonton
72' - Golden Gate - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #13). 13-12 Edmonton

<center><table border="0" cellpadding="10"><tr><td>Los Angeles Sharks</td><td>22-25</td><td>San Diego Mission</td></tr></table></center>
Mission hang on to beat Sharks

SAN DIEGO - The San Diego Mission came out of the locker room almost on fire, then beat back a comeback by the Los Angeles Sharks, as San Diego won this matchup 25-22 at Qualcomm Stadium. The win allowed San Diego (6-5) to clinch a playoff spot. Despite the loss, Los Angeles (6-5) gained a valuable bonus point for losing by only three points. That means that the Sharks' opponent next week, the Texas Harlequins, will need to get five standings points and hold L.A. to none in order to take the last playoff spot over L.A.

"I feel good about our chances," Sharks left wing Sammy Reilly said.

Meanwhile, the Mission celebrated making it to the playoffs. "This is what we worked hard for," said left wing Koby Riddle, who is 35 years old. "I don't have many years left in the game, so we gotta take these opportunities when they arise. We're going to the playoffs, baby!"

FINAL SCORE: Los Angeles 22, San Diego 25
TOTAL TRIES: Los Angeles 3, San Diego 3
CONVERSIONS: Los Angeles 2/3, San Diego 2/3
PENALTIES: Los Angeles 0/0, San Diego 2/3
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
7' - Los Angeles - no try . 0-0 tie score
10' - San Diego - no try . 0-0 tie score
21' - San Diego - no try . 0-0 tie score
33' - Los Angeles - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #2). 7-0 Los Angeles
36' - San Diego - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 7-7 tie score
42' - San Diego - PENALTY GOAL . 10-7 San Diego
43' - San Diego - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #8). 17-7 San Diego
46' - Los Angeles - no try . 17-7 San Diego
58' - San Diego - PENALTY GOAL . 20-7 San Diego
61' - San Diego - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #14). 25-7 San Diego
68' - Los Angeles - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #9). 25-12 San Diego
71' - Los Angeles - DROP GOAL . 25-15 San Diego
76' - Los Angeles - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #14). 25-22 San Diego
78' - San Diego - Penalty Goal Missed . 25-22 San Diego

bbgunn

10-31-2011, 01:29 AM

WEEK 11 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

It was a very close vote, as all three of these players were deserving of Player of the Week honors. The edge went to Osburne for his play, but with two points awarded for second place, Rob Nielsen takes the MVP lead with eight overall points. That's two more than New Jersey's Larry McGillicuddy and Noah Kidston as well as Osburne, and three more than Edmonton's Jace Hunter. With one game left in the regular season, Nielsen has a huge chance to win the first NARC MVP award.

1st place (3 pts in the MVP standings) – Capital City #6 Lincoln Osburne
2nd place (2 pts) – Chicago #11 Rob Nielsen
3rd place (1 pt) – Texas #11 Mason Letourneau

NARC STANDINGS AFTER WEEK 11

EASTERN GP W L T Pts BP PF PA Pdiff
y-New Jersey 11 8 3 0 41 9 345 174 171
Boston 11 5 6 0 26 6 259 227 32
Chicago 11 5 6 0 26 6 191 221 -30
Capital City 11 5 6 0 26 6 206 245 -39
Virginia 11 5 6 0 26 6 198 250 -52

WESTERN GP W L T Pts BP PF PA Pdiff
y-Edmonton 11 8 3 0 40 8 272 196 76
x-San Diego 11 6 5 0 32 8 257 228 29
Los Angeles 11 6 5 0 28 4 205 216 -11
Texas 11 5 6 0 23 3 195 297 -102
Golden Gate 11 2 9 0 12 4 177 251 -74

x - qualified for playoffs
y - won division; will receive a first-round bye in the playoffs

What a playoff race this is turning out to be! Half of the six playoff teams will be decided in Week 12, as well as home field for the two first-round games.

It is nothing short of amazing that the four teams battling for the two remaining spots in the Eastern Division are all tied at 26 points! If you want to know the head-to-head results (head-to-head is the first tiebreaker, with the second being point differential), here they are. Boston split its series with Chicago, Capital City, and Virginia, but they have the edge in point differential. Chicago split with Capital City and Virginia. Capital City beat Virginia in Week 9, and the second game will take place in Week 12.

There is still a playoff race in the Western Division as well. If Texas beats Los Angeles in Week 12 AND gets the maximum five points, along with none for L.A., Texas will tie L.A. in points with 28. Thanks to a Week 3 win over the Sharks, Texas would get into the playoffs over the Sharks based on the first tiebreaker, head-to-head results.

WEEK 12 GAMES

Friday - May 31st
San Diego at Golden Gate (CBS)

Saturday - June 1st
Edmonton at Chicago
Texas at Los Angeles (CBS)
New Jersey at Boston
Capital City at Virginia

Rawhide

10-31-2011, 05:56 AM

Edmonton just keep on doing that monster mash.

Coffee Warlord

10-31-2011, 08:23 AM

Is it possible that Rob Nielsen is this year's MVP?

Why is this even a question? Rob Nielsen IS the MVP. This year, and every year.

bbgunn

11-01-2011, 02:38 AM

bbgunn

11-01-2011, 02:41 AM

<center><table border="0" cellpadding="10"><tr><td>New Jersey Knights</td><td>44-22</td><td>Boston Beacons</td></tr></table></center>
Kidston scores three tries as Knights win big

BOSTON - Right wing Noah Kidston put together a MVP-worthy three-try performance as his team, the New Jersey Knights, dominated the Boston Beacons 44-22 on Saturday at Harvard Stadium. The win gives New Jersey a lot of momentum as they go into a bye week for the first round of the playoffs. Meanwhile, Kidston may have won the MVP award over Chicago's Rob Nielsen based on his performance.

"I don't really think about (the MVP), to be honest," Kidston, an Englishman, said after the game. "I just think about playing hard for Jersey. Other guys deserve it as much as I do."

Other players were not as modest. "My goodness, Kidston is, in my opinion, the best wing in the NARC," said center Henry Grant. "Yeah, he's 31, but he looks like he hasn't lost a step. And (left wing Larry) McGillicuddy is just about at Kidston's level, and he's only 22! It's the best wing combination in the league. That's why we've been winning.

"If Kidston doesn't win MVP," Grant continued, "something's wrong."

McGillicuddy scored a try in the game, as did Knights fullback Nick Thomas. Meanwhile, fly half Charles Munn made four of six conversions and both of his penalties.

In other news related to the game, some of the fans in Harvard Stadium were downright upset with the Beacons in the 79th minute, when, on a Knights penalty, fly half Durante Zetticci chose to go for a penalty kick, instead of a scrum in which Boston could have regained the ball and been in prime position to score a try. A fourth try would have given Boston a bonus point in the standings - one that could be vital in the race for a playoff spot. But Zetticci explained it this way after the game: "Their scrum is so big and strong, I knew the odds were against us. I thought it was better to get the three points and try to make our point differential as big as possible."

FINAL SCORE: New Jersey 44, Boston 22
TOTAL TRIES: New Jersey 6, Boston 3
CONVERSIONS: New Jersey 4/6, Boston 2/3
PENALTIES: New Jersey 2/2, Boston 1/1
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
1' - Boston - no try . 0-0 tie score
8' - New Jersey - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #14). 5-0 New Jersey
11' - New Jersey - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #14). 12-0 New Jersey
18' - Boston - no try . 12-0 New Jersey
20' - New Jersey - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #1 ). 19-0 New Jersey
31' - New Jersey - PENALTY GOAL . 22-0 New Jersey
36' - Boston - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #10). 22-7 New Jersey
39' - New Jersey - PENALTY GOAL . 25-7 New Jersey
48' - New Jersey - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #14). 30-7 New Jersey
57' - New Jersey - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 37-7 New Jersey
60' - New Jersey - no try . 37-7 New Jersey
65' - Boston - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #12). 37-12 New Jersey
66' - Boston - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #1 ). 37-19 New Jersey
71' - New Jersey - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #15). 44-19 New Jersey
79' - Boston - PENALTY GOAL . 44-22 New Jersey

<center><table border="0" cellpadding="10"><tr><td>Capital City Dragons</td><td>20-17</td><td>Virginia Stars</td></tr></table></center>
Dragons edge Stars for sixth straight win, playoff spot

NORFOLK, VA - After Week 6 of the season, when the Capital City Dragons were 0-6, Dragons head coach Gus Gardener seemed like the most inept head coach in the NARC. At that time, Dragons' management reportedly gave him an ultimatum: win in Week 7, or clean out your office. Gardener won that game... and he has won every game since.

The feel-good story of NARC's first season continued to unfold with another Capital City win. Their hard-fought 20-17 victory over the Virginia Stars on the road was their sixth straight, extending their NARC record for consecutive wins. More importantly, with Boston's loss to New Jersey (the Boston game ended about 30 minutes before Capital City's win), the Dragons clinched a playoff spot.

No person in the NARC is happier than Gus Gardener right now. After the win, Gardener made his way down from the coaches box to the field to celebrate with his team. The team that was 0-6 halfway through the season finished the season at 6-6. "What a team," Gardener said. "I've worked with the U.S. national team and with some clubs over in Ireland. This is the best moment of my professional coaching life. This is the best moment period, other than getting married and having kids."

Meanwhile, it wasn't all despair for the Virginia Stars. The try scored by right wing Kuji Chagulia in the 73rd minute made it a three-point game, and the team prevented Capital City from scoring again for the rest of the game. This was important because that gave Virginia a bonus point in the standings for losing by seven or fewer points. Therefore, a Chicago loss to Edmonton later on in the day, with no bonus points, would mean that Virginia would join Capital City in the playoffs.

FINAL SCORE: Capital City 20, Virginia 17
TOTAL TRIES: Capital City 2, Virginia 3
CONVERSIONS: Capital City 2/2, Virginia 1/3
PENALTIES: Capital City 2/3, Virginia 0/0
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
10' - Virginia - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #13). 5-0 Virginia
15' - Capital City - no try . 5-0 Virginia
23' - Capital City - PENALTY GOAL. 5-3 Virginia
27' - Capital City - Penalty Goal Missed . 5-3 Virginia
31' - Capital City - PENALTY GOAL . 6-5 Capital City
41' - Virginia - no try . 6-5 Capital City
48' - Capital City - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #14). 13-5 Capital City
58' - Virginia - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 13-12 Capital City
62' - Capital City - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #9). 20-12 Capital City
65' - Virginia - no try . 20-12 Capital City
73' - Virginia - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #14). 20-17 Capital City

<center><table border="0" cellpadding="10"><tr><td>Edmonton Mashers</td><td>33-22</td><td>Chicago Legends</td></tr></table></center>
Mashers come back big in second half, put away Legends

CHICAGO - There were questions about the Edmonton Mashers' offense heading into their last regular-season game. The Mashers answered their critics with an explosion of offense in the second half of their road game against the Chicago Legends. Edmonton won 33-22, led by two tries each from left wing Joe Theriot and right wing Koby Brodzky. Fly half Jace Hunter was all over the field as well, setting up some nice drives as well as scoring a try and making four of five conversion attempts.

Chicago left wing Rob Nielsen scored a try and played well, but this time he was unable to will his team to another victory. The Legends were not good enough to beat both New Jersey and Edmonton in consecutive weeks. The consequence: Chicago is out of the playoffs, and instead the Virginia Stars join New Jersey and Capital City from the Eastern Division. Nielsen left Soldier Field without speaking to reporters.

FINAL SCORE: Edmonton 33, Chicago 22
TOTAL TRIES: Edmonton 5, Chicago 3
CONVERSIONS: Edmonton 4/5, Chicago 2/3
PENALTIES: Edmonton 0/0, Chicago 1/1
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
7' - Edmonton - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 7-0 Edmonton
14' - Chicago - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #7). 7-7 tie score
25' - Chicago - PENALTY GOAL. 10-7 Chicago
33' - Chicago - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 17-7 Chicago
36' - Chicago - no try . 17-7 Chicago
43' - Edmonton - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #14). 17-14 Chicago
53' - Edmonton - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #10). 21-17 Edmonton
59' - Edmonton - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 28-17 Edmonton
66' - Edmonton - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #14). 33-17 Edmonton
73' - Chicago - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #4). 33-22 Edmonton
79' - Edmonton - no try . 33-22 Edmonton

<center><table border="0" cellpadding="10"><tr><td>Texas Harlequins</td><td>7-33</td><td>Los Angeles Sharks
</td></tr></table></center>
Sharks win big over Texas, clinch playoff spot

LOS ANGELES - A crowd of nearly 20,000 at Memorial Coliseum witnessed their team, the Los Angeles Sharks, win 33-7 over the visiting Texas Harlequins in a game with major playoff implications. L.A. needed to win or tie to clinch a playoff spot, and they did just that, thanks in part to two tries from veteran right wing Pete Sullivan.

Texas needed to beat L.A. big and score four tries to clinch a playoff spot. Instead, they left L.A. with no standings points whatsoever, and their season is over.

The Sharks will play at San Diego next week in the first round of the playoffs.

FINAL SCORE: Texas 7, Los Angeles 33
TOTAL TRIES: Texas 1, Los Angeles 4
CONVERSIONS: Texas 1/1, Los Angeles 2/4
PENALTIES: Texas 0/0, Los Angeles 3/4
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
9' - Texas - no try . 0-0 tie score
13' - Texas - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #9). 7-0 Texas
24' - Los Angeles - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #14). 7-7 tie score
26' - Los Angeles - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #4). 12-7 Los Angeles
30' - Los Angeles - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #14). 19-7 Los Angeles
38' - Los Angeles - no try . 19-7 Los Angeles
49' - Los Angeles - PENALTY GOAL . 22-7 Los Angeles
59' - Los Angeles - no try . 22-7 Los Angeles
69' - Los Angeles - PENALTY GOAL . 25-7 Los Angeles
74' - Los Angeles - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #9). 30-7 Los Angeles
78' - Los Angeles - PENALTY GOAL . 33-7 Los Angeles
79' - Los Angeles - Penalty Goal Missed . 33-7 Los Angeles

bbgunn

11-01-2011, 02:42 AM

WEEK 12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

1st place (3 pts in the MVP standings) – New Jersey #14 Noah Kidston
2nd place (2 pts) – Los Angeles #14 Pete Sullivan
3rd place (1 pt) – San Diego #10 Richard Benner

1996 NARC MVP

Congratulations to New Jersey right wing Noah Kidston! With nine overall points, the veteran of English rugby union edged Chicago's Rob Nielsen by one point to take the first-ever NARC Most Valuable Player award. Here are the final Top 5 standings for MVP.

POS. NAME TEAM POINTS
#14 Noah Kidston NJ 9
#11 Rob Nielsen CHI 8
#11 Larry McGillicuddy NJ 6
#6 Lincoln Osburne CC 6
#10 Jace Hunter EDM 5

FINAL REGULAR-SEASON NARC STANDINGS

EASTERN GP W L T Pts BP PF PA Pdiff
y-New Jersey 12 9 3 0 46 10 389 196 193
x-Capital City 12 6 6 0 30 6 226 262 -36
x-Virginia 12 5 7 0 27 7 215 270 -55
Boston 12 5 7 0 26 6 281 271 10
Chicago 12 5 7 0 26 6 213 254 -41

WESTERN GP W L T Pts BP PF PA Pdiff
y-Edmonton 12 9 3 0 45 9 305 218 87
x-San Diego 12 7 5 0 37 9 293 240 53
x-Los Angeles 12 7 5 0 33 5 238 223 15
Texas 12 5 7 0 23 3 202 330 -128
Golden Gate 12 2 10 0 12 4 189 287 -98

x - qualified for playoffs
y - won division; will receive a first-round bye in the playoffs

PLAYOFFS - FIRST ROUND GAMES

Saturday, June 8th, 1996
Virginia at Capital City, (CBS)
Los Angeles at San Diego, (CBS)

The playoffs are set! Who will become the first-ever NARC champion?

CrimsonFox

11-01-2011, 04:07 AM

The win was enough for San Diego to clinch home field for their first-round playoff game next week. Meanwhile, Golden Gate ends their season with a terrible seven-game losing streak, a string of results that have left some to wonder if Stormers head coach Kyler Eccleston will be out of a job soon.

Yeah! THAT'S IT! It's the COACH'S fault! Not MY fault at ALL!

Coffee Warlord

11-01-2011, 07:35 AM

We best be getting some stellar free agents.

bbgunn

11-01-2011, 07:38 PM

Second expansion franchise goes to Vancouver; new New York team to be called the Hoops

LOS ANGELES - The North American Rugby Conference announced that they have awarded the second of two new franchises for the 1997 season to an ownership group in Vancouver, British Columbia. Vancouver beat out Toronto for the franchise.

"We are happy to announce that Vancouver will be joining the NARC family in 1997," commissioner Delmar Scrivens said in a press release. "Vancouver and British Columbia have a large rugby union fan base, and we are happy to be a part of that."

Vancouver's candidacy for a franchise was made possible with a NARC rule change that allows a team's stadium surface to consist of a new type of synthetic grass called FieldTurf. FieldTurf is said to resemble real grass a lot more than AstroTurf, which will help curb some injuries. The Vancouver ownership has secured permission to use BC Place for their franchise, although there has been talk of building a rugby-specific stadium in the future. The Vancouver NARC team will split the cost of installing FieldTurf in the stadium with the Canadian Football League's B.C. Lions.

Meanwhile, the first expansion team on Long Island, New York, have announced that the team will be called the New York Hoops. The nickname comes from the design of the team's uniforms - blue and white stripes or hoops. The design borrows from that of the Western Province rugby team in South Africa. New York Hoops majority owner Korstiaan de Villiers grew up in South Africa rooting for Western Province.

bbgunn

11-01-2011, 07:47 PM

<center><table border="0" cellpadding="10"><tr><td>Virginia Stars</td><td>18-13</td><td>Capital City Dragons</td></tr></table></center>
Stars end Dragons' run, advance to division final

COLLEGE PARK, MD - The Capital City Dragons came into the first round of the playoffs having won six straight games, and they had swept the season series with the Virginia Stars, their opponent on Saturday. Meanwhile, Virginia had not won a game since Week 7, and they barely made it into the playoffs. With the Dragons playing at home in front of their largest crowd of the year (19,340 fans) , it looked like a sure win for Capital City. But that's why you play the games on the field. A try in the 76th minute allowed Virginia to come back and defeat Capital City 18-13. The Stars will play at New Jersey in the Eastern Division Final next week.

Capital City scored the first try of the game in the 9th minute, but Virginia added eight points of their own to make it 8-5 heading into the locker room. A Virginia penalty a minute into the second half made it 11-5, but then Capital City took the lead with a try (the conversion was missed) and a penalty goal. Virginia played aggressively from that point on, and it looked like Capital City's defense was up to the test. Two long Virginia drives ended short of the tryline with turnovers, the first on a fumble, and the second when a Stars player stepped on the touch line. The third big drive for Virginia, however, was the charm, as a great show of passing led to a Stars try in the 76th minute. The ensuing successful conversion kick made it a five-point game, 18-13, and that is how it ended.

"We were due for a win, and I'm glad it came today," said Virginia head coach Wiremu Wilson. "The boys did well, especially on the road."

Capital City, meanwhile, looked down but not completely disappointed with the end of their run. "Obviously we wanted to advance in the playoffs," Dragons head coach Gus Gardener said. "But we had a great year. People wrote us off after we started 0-6, and we made the playoffs. We took a lot of people by surprise. What we did this year is something we can build upon, and look out for us next year."

FINAL SCORE: Virginia 18, Capital City 13
TOTAL TRIES: Virginia 2, Capital City 2
CONVERSIONS: Virginia 1/2, Capital City 0/2
PENALTIES: Virginia 2/2, Capital City 1/2
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
9' - Capital City - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #15). 5-0 Capital City
13' - Virginia - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #12). 5-5 tie score
24' - Virginia - PENALTY GOAL. 8-5 Virginia
28' - Capital City - Penalty Goal Missed . 8-5 Virginia
30' - Capital City - no try . 8-5 Virginia
41' - Virginia - PENALTY GOAL. 11-5 Virginia
46' - Capital City - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #11). 11-10 Virginia
49' - Capital City - PENALTY GOAL . 13-11 Capital City
55' - Virginia - no try . 13-11 Capital City
64' - Virginia - no try . 13-11 Capital City
76' - Virginia - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #10). 18-13 Virginia

<center><table border="0" cellpadding="10"><tr><td>Los Angeles Sharks</td><td>27-7</td><td>San Diego Mission</td></tr></table></center>
Sharks shock Mission to advance

SAN DIEGO - Around 27,000 fans showed up to San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium to watch the First Round matchup between the host Mission and the visiting Los Angeles Sharks. Before the season started, this was envisioned as the premier rivalry in the NARC, as both cities had strong traditions of amateur rugby. The two games the teams played in the regular season lived up to the hype - hard-fought, physical games, with San Diego coming out on top both times.

So it was completely surprising on Saturday when San Diego played a terribly flat game, allowing Los Angeles to pull off a big 27-7 upset to advance to the Western Division Final at Edmonton. L.A. was led by young left wing Sammy Reilly, who scored three tries and was easily the player of the game.

San Diego started on fire, scoring one try in the 8th minute, and nearly scoring another two minutes before that. It was 7-0 in favor of San Diego after 20 minutes. But from that point on, it was nearly all Sharks, as Los Angeles scored 27 unanswered points. Disgusted with the play of the team, San Diego fans could be seen leaving the stadium as early as 15 minutes before the final siren.

"Horrible game for us," said Mission fly half Richard Benner. "We all share blame on this one. Yeah, they won, but... I just feel like we lost the game today. We could have played a lot better. We beat ourselves."

Meanwhile, Los Angeles, who won four of their last five games before the playoffs, was quite jubilant at the road win. "To come into San Diego and beat the Mission is a great feeling," said Reilly. "It's hard to play here. The players tackle hard, the fans really get on your case. It was great to persevere through that and win today."

FINAL SCORE: Los Angeles 27, San Diego 7
TOTAL TRIES: Los Angeles 4, San Diego 1
CONVERSIONS: Los Angeles 2/4, San Diego 1/1
PENALTIES: Los Angeles 1/2, San Diego 0/0
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
6' - San Diego - no try . 0-0 tie score
8' - San Diego - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #5). 7-0 San Diego
15' - Los Angeles - no try . 7-0 San Diego
27' - Los Angeles - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #13). 7-5 San Diego
28' - Los Angeles - PENALTY GOAL . 8-7 Los Angeles
39' - Los Angeles - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #11). 13-7 Los Angeles
47' - Los Angeles - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 20-7 Los Angeles
59' - Los Angeles - Penalty Goal Missed . 20-7 Los Angeles
67' - San Diego - no try . 20-7 Los Angeles
79' - Los Angeles - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 27-7 Los Angeles

PLAYOFFS - DIVISION FINALS (Saturday, June 15th, 1996)

Virginia at New Jersey (CBS)
Los Angeles at Edmonton (CBS)

Both home teams are favored to win and advance to the first Rugby Bowl in Los Angeles. The first-ever 30,000-plus crowd in NARC history is expected to show up at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, while Rutgers Stadium should see at least 20,000.

Travis

11-01-2011, 08:09 PM

Time to show a record crowd that the first place finish wasn't a fluke. Come on Mashers.

CrimsonFox

11-01-2011, 08:25 PM

new New York team to be called the Hoops

So just WHO will be running it I wonder? :D:rolleyes:

bbgunn

11-01-2011, 11:04 PM

So just WHO will be running it I wonder? :D:rolleyes:

Whoever is running it, they need to make sure the people of New York don't confuse it with a basketball team. :)

CrimsonFox

11-01-2011, 11:47 PM

You missed the joke. Obviously Hoops wouild run it. :)

bbgunn

11-02-2011, 01:54 AM

You missed the joke. Obviously Hoops wouild run it. :)

I could be the slowest person in the room, but.... yeah, I missed the joke. :)

bbgunn

11-03-2011, 09:56 PM

Vancouver's new NARC team to be called the Blue Hawks

VANCOUVER - The ownership group of the new Vancouver franchise in the North American Rugby Conference have announced that the team's nickname will be the Blue Hawks. They also announced that the team colors will be some sort of blue and yellow.

The group said that "Blue Hawks" is an homage to the University of British Columbia, which uses "Thunderbirds" for their athletic teams.

The team will begin play in 1997, along with another new team, the New York Hoops.

bbgunn

11-03-2011, 10:38 PM

<center><table border="0" cellpadding="10"><tr><td>Virginia Stars</td><td>8-34</td><td>New Jersey Knights</td></tr></table></center>
Knights easily eliminate Stars, advance to Rugby Bowl

PISCATAWAY, NJ - Two players scored two tries each for the New Jersey Knights as they easily disposed of their opponents, the Virginia Stars, 34-8 in Saturday's Eastern Division Final. New Jersey will play in the first NARC Rugby Bowl.

The two players to score two tries were scrum half Adrian Jones and fly half Charles Munn. Virginia left wing Diego Zito scored the only try for his team.

The Knights played in front of 21,400 fans at Rutgers Stadium, and they were very vocal in their support on Saturday afternoon. Late in the second half, with the game out of hand, the fans began their now-familiar chant: "Leeu!" "Leeu!", which of course refers to the Knights' head coach, Graham Van Leeuwenhoek. The chants virtually continued until the final siren, when the noise of the crowd erupted, becoming loud enough to reach the upper reaches of the stadium. Leeuwenhoek, the stoic coach, quickly left the field after the game was over, but Knights players stayed and celebrated with fans.

"We owe a lot to the fans," said right wing and 1996 MVP Noah Kidston. "They continued to come out here and support us, and helped us reach the heights that we are at now."

FINAL SCORE: Virginia 8, New Jersey 34
TOTAL TRIES: Virginia 1, New Jersey 5
CONVERSIONS: Virginia 0/1, New Jersey 3/5
PENALTIES: Virginia 1/1, New Jersey 1/2
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
8' - Virginia - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #11). 5-0 Virginia
14' - Virginia - no try . 5-0 Virginia
25' - New Jersey - PENALTY GOAL. 5-3 Virginia
28' - New Jersey - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #8). 10-5 New Jersey
39' - New Jersey - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #9). 15-5 New Jersey
51' - New Jersey - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #9). 20-5 New Jersey
57' - New Jersey - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #10). 27-5 New Jersey
64' - New Jersey - Penalty Goal Missed . 27-5 New Jersey
72' - New Jersey - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #10). 34-5 New Jersey
80' - Virginia - PENALTY GOAL. 34-8 New Jersey

<center><table border="0" cellpadding="10"><tr><td>Los Angeles Sharks</td><td>29-15</td><td>Edmonton Mashers</td></tr></table></center>
Sharks shock Mashers to advance to Rugby Bowl

EDMONTON, AB - A record NARC crowd of 32,780 people showed up to Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta, to watch their home team, the Mashers, play the Los Angeles Sharks in the Western Division Final. Unfortunately for them, they went home greatly saddened, as the Mashers failed to make it to Rugby Bowl I. Los Angeles stunned everyone involved with the NARC with a convincing 29-15 win over Edmonton on Saturday. The Sharks will play the New Jersey Knights next week at their own stadium for the first NARC championship.

L.A.'s left wing Sammy Reilly scored a try in the 7th minute, putting the first points on the scoreboard and quieting the large crowd. Edmonton made it 5-3 with a penalty goal, then took the lead 10-5 on scrum half Griffin Brander's try and subsequent conversion goal in the 26th minute. L.A.'s right wing Pete Sullivan scored a try to tie it up, and the halftime score was a tight 10-10.

The Sharks opened up a big lead when Sullivan scored a try in the 56th, then Reilly also gained a second try in the 62nd. Like that, it was 22-10 Los Angeles, and the record crowd had become somewhat subdued. You can never count Edmonton out that early, though, and right wing Koby Brodzky made it into the tryline with a dominant run down the right side in the 71st minute, making it a seven-point game with nine minutes remaining. But then it came undone for Edmonton, as Los Angeles put together a long, energy-draining drive. Frequently using their forwards, the Sharks put together a sequence consisting mainly of players quickly picking the ball out of rucks and scrums, and immediately running forward, pounding the ball yard-by-yard, until their hook stuck the ball over the tryline in the 78th minute. That drive sucked the air out of the Mashers, and the game was effectively over.

After the siren rang, L.A. players picked up head coach William Ready and paraded him around the Sharks sideline in celebration. Including their two playoff wins, the Sharks have now won six of their last seven games, and they look hot as they prepare for New Jersey.

Meanwhile, Edmonton left the field, dejected after their upset loss. Head coach Roger Bagley was near tears in the post-game press conference. "It's all on me," he said. "We were not ready, and that falls on the coach. I disappointed the players, I disappointed the city of Edmonton, and I disappointed the country of Canada."

FINAL SCORE: Los Angeles 29, Edmonton 15
TOTAL TRIES: Los Angeles 5, Edmonton 2
CONVERSIONS: Los Angeles 2/5, Edmonton 1/2
PENALTIES: Los Angeles 0/0, Edmonton 1/2
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
7' - Los Angeles - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #11). 5-0 Los Angeles
16' - Edmonton - PENALTY GOAL . 5-3 Los Angeles
26' - Edmonton - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #9). 10-5 Edmonton
34' - Los Angeles - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #14). 10-10 tie score
46' - Edmonton - Penalty Goal Missed . 10-10 tie score
51' - Los Angeles - no try . 10-10 tie score
56' - Los Angeles - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #14). 15-10 Los Angeles
60' - Edmonton - no try . 15-10 Los Angeles
62' - Los Angeles - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #11). 22-10 Los Angeles
71' - Edmonton - TRY – missed conversion (Try scorer: #14). 22-15 Los Angeles
78' - Los Angeles - TRY – conversion made (Try scorer: #1 ). 29-15 Los Angeles

RUGBY BOWL I (Saturday, June 22nd, 1996)
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

New Jersey Knights vs Los Angeles Sharks

The first-ever Rugby Bowl will feature two teams that, surprisingly, have never played each other before. All ten teams played a schedule in which they did not play one team from the opposite division, and that was the case for Los Angeles and New Jersey.

New Jersey features some of the best players in the NARC, including MVP right wing Noah Kidston. Other Knights with points in the MVP race includes left wing Larry McGillicuddy, fly half Charles Munn, inside center Henry Grant, and fullback Nick Thomas. Meanwhile, the only Los Angeles player with any points in the MVP standings was right wing Pete Sullivan, but the 36-year-old has had a nice run the last few weeks. The best player may be young left wing Sammy Reilly, who has scored a total of five tries in two playoff games.

If the Knights think that they can walk over Los Angeles for the title, especially at Memorial Coliseum, then they will lose Rugby Bowl I. But if the Knights do what they always do, and if coach Graham Van Leeuwenhoek has them prepared like he usually does, the Knights will be the first NARC champions. We are going to predict a 34-17 New Jersey win.

Travis

11-04-2011, 01:08 AM

Son of a...

Rawhide

11-05-2011, 04:08 AM

We got mashed.

Young Drachma

11-07-2011, 08:55 AM

Meanwhile, the Jersey steamroller continues.

bbgunn

11-07-2011, 11:52 PM

bbgunn

11-08-2011, 12:34 AM

The NARC amateur draft is scheduled for late July 1996. In real life, it will take place on Monday next week, so if you want to get a player in, sign up in this thread (http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=82611).

bbgunn

11-08-2011, 12:46 AM

TEAM ORDER FOR 1997 NARC AMATEUR DRAFT

1. New York Hoops (first pick won by coin toss over Vancouver)
2. Vancouver Blue Hawks
3. Golden Gate Stormers
4. Texas Harlequins
5. Chicago Legends
6. Boston Beacons
7. Capital City Dragons
8. San Diego Mission
9. Virginia Stars
10. Edmonton Mashers
11. New Jersey Knights
12. Los Angeles Sharks

Rawhide

11-08-2011, 03:08 AM

Quite the upset, although home field advantage was definitely a boost.

bbgunn

11-08-2011, 05:41 PM

Quite the upset, although home field advantage was definitely a boost.
Yeah, it certainly helped that L.A. was playing in their own stadium. There is a home field advantage factor in the sim. It's still a shocker, though, that the Sharks were able to beat New Jersey and go on that run.

bbgunn

11-13-2011, 07:36 PM

Sorry about the inactivity lately. (a), I've been very very busy in RL lately, and (b) with the little free time I do have, I've either been playing FM2011 or working on some tweaks in the rugby spreadsheet simulation. I was simming a few trades, and it upset me that, as things stood before, individual players didn't have an impact on the strength of a team. That has been changed now, as all the players have an attack and a defense rating.

Also, I'm seriously thinking of going to a more traditional dice-and-chart system for simming games. That would allow me the freedom to factor in a person's kicking ability as well as other things like injuries. Of course, with me having to play out every game, it would take longer to put up updates, and we wouldn't have the nifty play-by-play rundowns that we did in NARC's first season, but we would have somewhat more realistic results.

I'm also looking at how to manually keep track of individual statistics (tries, conversions, kicking percentages, etc.). I'm not sure how much it would slow down the dynasty (it's pretty slow, anyway), but I'm willing to give it a go.

Anyway, the draft for next season has been delayed while I work all of this out.

bbgunn

11-14-2011, 10:01 PM

Okay, the delay is over. Here are the changes that will be made to this dynasty.

* I have decided to sim the games manually using a tabletop-type system, as I mentioned before. This will allow me the flexibility to make tweaks and improve the quality of the dynasty without having to deal with complex spreadsheet formulas (I realize that I'm way out of my league with that). The spreadsheet won't completely go away, though: I will use it for dice rolls and the like.

* All players now have an attack and a defense rating, with forwards weighted more towards defense and backs more towards attack. These ratings help determine the strength of a team. To thank my loyal readers, the FOFC players are the stars in the league; any FOFCer is better than any non-FOFC player, and overall the FOFCers are equal to each other. If you are curious about what your ratings are, and if you even want to change them, let me know.

* Players who kick - right now, just the fly halves - also have a kicking rating, which will come into play in the game sim. FOFCers are generally better than other players, although not always.

* There have been some improvements to the coaching system as well. Some coaches now have an offensive and/or defensive strategy that range from very conservative to very aggressive. This will be calculated into the sim.

* As if it is not slow enough already ( ;p ), I will attempt to manually keep track of player statistics. In fact, after the draft, I will attempt to go back to the first season's results and calculate player statistics.

There you go. The offseason is back on now!

bbgunn

11-14-2011, 10:10 PM

RETIREMENTS

A slew of players retired after the 1996 season. Among the notable players: San Diego's Brendan Muir, who scored the first points in NARC history. Two notable players in Rugby Bowl I - New Jersey's Henry Grant and Los Angeles' Pete Sullivan - called it quits, with Sullivan becoming the head coach of the New York Hoops. Edmonton's Mark James also retired to become the head coach of the Vancouver Blue Hawks.

#10 Durante Zetticci, ITA (b. 1964) (BOS 1996)
#11 Felicien Covillon, FRA (b. 1963) (BOS 1996)
#15 Simone Endrizzi, ITA (b. 1955) (BOS 1996)
#12 Henry Grant, USA (b. 1961) (NJ 1996)
#13 Mark James, CAN (b. 1960) (EDM 1996) *Hired as coach of VAN
#14 Pete Sullivan, USA (b. 1960) (LA 1996) *Hired as coach of NY
#11 Koby Riddle, USA (b. 1961) (SD 1996)
#13 Brendan Muir, AUS (b. 1963) (SD 1996) *scored first points (try) in league history
#8 Max Gregory, ENG (b. 1964) (TX 1996)
#9 Ansel Cuillerier, RSA (b. 1962) (TX 1996)

TRADES BEFORE THE DRAFT

The only notable trade involved Edmonton and Texas. The Mashers sent Canadian right wing Koby Brodzky to the Harlequins for a first-round pick in the upcoming draft (the number four pick).

FREE AGENTS

Only four (well-known) players were eligible for free agency this year, but they all decided to resign with their current teams.

#13 Timotheus Langeler (re-signed with CHI)
#9 Angus Warrington (re-signed with SD)
#14 Ben Winning (re-signed with SD)
#12 Corey Connor (re-signed with VA)

NOTE: For ease, free agency works like this. When a player is 25-, 29-, or 33-years-old, or every two years after age 33, they are eligible for free agency after the season.

Travis

11-14-2011, 10:43 PM

Interesting changes and looking forward to them.

Also excited about a couple of first rounders in the ammo pack for the upcoming draft. Hopefully some immediate help coming Edmonton's way.

bbgunn

11-15-2011, 05:55 PM

Interesting changes and looking forward to them.

Also excited about a couple of first rounders in the ammo pack for the upcoming draft. Hopefully some immediate help coming Edmonton's way.

Thanks for the comments, Travis. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping that everything works out with the sim process!

bbgunn

11-15-2011, 06:10 PM

The first NARC Amateur Player Draft was not the juggernaut that its counterpart in the National Football League is every year, but there was a buzz among the many team and league officials present at the Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles. Several youngsters - including many players from other countries that had not signed up for teams in Europe or in the Southern Hemisphere - were on hand to see if they could land with a team in one of the two rounds of the draft.

The New York Hoops had the first pick, and they chose Canadian number 8 Alex Donovan - a somewhat surprising pick, but one that Hoops coach Pete Sullivan said would help lay the foundation of the team both offensively and defensively. With the second pick, the Vancouver Blue Hawks chose American right wing Benton Breeze, considered to be the fastest player in the draft. Golden Gate chose Canadian flanker Sam King - a defensive beast - next. Another flanker, American David McCoy, was chosen by Edmonton in the number four spot. The Chicago Legends rounded out the top five by choosing the best fly half in the draft, American Ches O'Peake.

Following are the complete first- and second-round picks.

FIRST ROUND
New York - #8 Alex Donovan, CAN (SirFozzie)
Vancouver - #14 Benton Breeze, USA (Breeze)
Golden Gate - #6 Sam King, CAN (Rawhide)
Edmonton (from Texas) - #7 David McCoy, USA
Chicago - #10 Ches O’Peake, USA (chesapeake)
Boston - #12 Cooper McCourt, SCO
Capital City - #4 Nicolas Dandonneau, FRA
San Diego - #15 Reece Atkins, AUS
Virginia - #7 Christiaan Crielaard, RSA
Edmonton - #6 Myles Gray, RSA
New Jersey - #7 Seine Kuilboer, RSA
Los Angeles - #10 Taylor Bevan, USA

SECOND ROUND
New York - #10 Fitz Benoit, RSA
Vancouver - #3 Jett Aplin, CAN
Golden Gate - #4 Miron Groenewold, RSA
Texas - #10 Alfonso Calabresi, ITA
Chicago - #5 Jamie Gillespie, ENG
Boston - #10 Astolpho Beaulieu, CAN
Capital City - #8 Dustin Simoneau, AUS
San Diego - #6 Michele Lombardo, ITA
Virginia - #10 Roddy Kelly, IRL
Edmonton - #13 Jordan Wallace, USA
New Jersey - #6 Dominic Stokes, USA
Los Angeles - #9 Finlay Herbert, NZL

Rawhide

11-15-2011, 07:35 PM

Time to change allegiences then.......

Go Stormers!

Coffee Warlord

11-15-2011, 09:54 PM

Welcome to Chicago, ches. Time to dominate. I got screwed out of the playoffs and my MVP award last year, this year's gonna be different.

chesapeake

11-16-2011, 09:09 AM

The playoffs are now a lock, but I'm afraid you'll have to be content with splitting the MVP vote.

Coffee Warlord

11-16-2011, 09:13 AM

Shaddap and block someone, rookie.

bbgunn

11-16-2011, 10:13 PM

Not sure if I can get an update in today. Some behind the scenes news, though: I have compiled individual tries/conversions/penalties from 1996 and will list the leaders when I get time, as well as FOFCer stats.

I hope to kick the 1997 season off on Monday or Tuesday next week. Just too busy in the RL this week.

bbgunn

11-18-2011, 12:27 AM

As promised, here are the FOFCer statistics from the 1996 NARC season, along with the best at scoring tries, conversions, etc. Enjoy. The new season starts next week!

TOP 10 TRY SCORERS
1. #11 Larry McGillicuddy, NJ (15)
2. #14 Noah Kidston, NJ (13)
3. #11 Mason Letourneau, TX (9)
t4. #10 Jace Hunter, EDM (8)
t4. #11 Joe Theriot, EDM (8)
t4. #14 Koby Brodzky, EDM (8)
t4. #11 Diego Zito, VA (8)
t8. #14 Armaan Forbes, CC (7)
t8. #13 Timotheus Langeler, CHI (7)
t8. #14 Ben Winning, SD (7)
t8. #14 Kuji Chagulia, VA (7)
t8. #11 Felicien Covillon, BOS (7)
t8. #11 Koby Riddle, SD (7)

TOP 5 CONVERSIONS MADE
1. Charles Munn, NJ (35)
2. Richard Benner, SD (31)
3. Jace Hunter, EDM (28)
4. Durante Zetticci, BOS (25)
5. Rory Falk, CHI (23)

TOP 5 CONVERSION PERCENTAGE
1. Rory Falk, CHI (74.2%)
2. Richard Benner, SD (73.8%)
3. James Drake, CC (66.7%)
4. Charles Munn, NJ (66.0%)
5. Franco Trentini, LA (65.6%)

TOP 5 PENALTIES MADE
1. Charles Munn, NJ (18)
t2. James Drake, CC (12)
t2. Durante Zetticci, BOS (12)
t4. Franco Trentini, LA (10)
t4. Sandy Kemp, GG (10)

TOP 5 PENALTY PERCENTAGE
1. Charles Munn, NJ (94.7%)
2. Durante Zetticci, BOS (75%)
3. Gavino Lombardo, VA (55.6%)
4. James Drake, CC (54.5%)
5. Sandy Kemp, GG (52.6%)

FOFC STATS (I think I got everybody, but if I forgot you, please let me know.)

#11 Rob Nielsen, CHI - 5 tries
#10 Jace Hunter, EDM - 8 tries, 28/45 conversions (62%), 7/14 penalties (50%)
#9 Alf Linster, GG - 2 tries
#10 Sandy Kemp, GG - 0 tries, 13/26 conversions (50%), 10/19 penalties (53%)
#10 Charles Munn, NJ - 3 tries, 35/53 conversions (66%), 18/19 penalties (95%)
#11 Larry McGillicuddy, NJ - 15 tries
#15 Nick Thomas, NJ - 1 try
#14 Kuji Chagulia, VA - 7 tries

bbgunn

11-18-2011, 12:29 AM

NEW YORK HOOPS
3590

VANCOUVER BLUE HAWKS
3591

bbgunn

11-21-2011, 12:10 AM

1997 NARC Preview
New Jersey to win their first title?

It's back! The 1997 NARC season is ready to begin. Last year, the New Jersey Knights looked to be the class of the NARC, but they slipped up against the surprising Los Angeles Sharks, who took the first Rugby Bowl silverware. Could New Jersey be even more dangerous this season? That is what we at Rugby America feel, as we predict the Knights to take Rugby Bowl II at Rutgers Stadium.

Following is the first of what we hope will be an annual NARC season preview. Teams are listed in order of where we think they will finish in the divisions.

EASTERN DIVISION PREVIEW

The New Jersey Knights look loaded and ready to repeat as division champs. Head coach Graham Van Leeuwenhoek's brand of ultra aggressive offense and laid-back, careful defense worked wonders in 1996... at least until the Rugby Bowl. However, with a year under their belt, this team figures to be much better. They have last year's MVP (right wing Noah Kidston), last year's top try scorer (left wing Larry McGillicuddy), plus several more key players, including fly half Charles Munn and fullback Nick Thomas.

Who will finish second? Virginia returns all of their key players and looks to make another playoff run, but we are looking to the Chicago Legends to take a step up. Legends left wing Rob Nielsen played out of his mind most of the season, but the problem was that the team did not have a reliable fly half to make decisions and help distribute the ball. That changed with the drafting of talented #10 Ches O'Peake. The O'Peake-Nielsen tandem will be one to watch the next several seasons.

The Virginia Stars kept their #12 Corey Connor, although he was eligible for free agency this past offseason. Virginia is deadly on the wings with speedsters #11 Diego Zito and #14 Kuji Chagulia. The Stars should finish ahead of the Capital City Dragons. Capital City will not surprise anybody this season, but surely last year's run has benefited this group of players.

The Boston Beacons lost a lot of key players to retirement, and it remains to be seen whether or not they will be able to replace them. They are off to a good start after they picked #12 Cooper McCourt in the draft. He may already be one of the more powerful centers in the NARC, and he will pound it down the middle of the field often in Boston's conservative offense. That won't be enough to get the Beacons into the playoffs, though.

Finally, the New York Hoops will run a very conservative offense under Pete Sullivan as they endure what should be a long debut season. However, watch out for Number 8 Alex Donovan.

WESTERN DIVISION PREVIEW

The Los Angeles Sharks had a pretty good run in last year's playoffs, and teams would be wise not to take the Sharks lightly in 1997. However, we are going to pick the Edmonton Mashers to finish ahead of them this year in the Western Division. Everybody is back except for Koby Brodzky, who was traded to Texas. That means they still have fly half Jace Hunter, who had a great season last year. Edmonton also beefed up their defense in the draft, and with the aggressive way Edmonton plays defense, watch out.

Los Angeles lost right wing Pete Sullivan to retirement as Sullivan will coach New York. But they have an exciting young fly half in Taylor Bevan who will wreak havoc on opposing defenses. L.A.'s defense is probably second only to New Jersey's.

The Golden Gate Stormers were the worst team last year, but we feel that they will play better rugby in 1997. They have to! They have a talented fly half in Sandy Kemp, a great scrum half in Alf Linster, and rookie flanker Sam King helps make the Stormers a dangerous team on defense and in the scrum. Head coach Kyler Eccleston said his team will play more aggressively this season. That could help them get into the playoffs, but it will be close.

The San Diego Mission have a deadly, aggressive offense. But where is their defense? We see many holes for opponents to exploit. The Mission will win games only by outscoring their opponents. The same goes for the Texas Harlequins; they improved their offense but not their defense.

Finally, like their counterparts in New York, the Vancouver Blue Hawks will have a long season, but the fans will at least enjoy the exploits of fast American right wing Benton Breeze.

PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS

Remember, after the division winners, the next best four teams will make the playoffs, regardless of division. With that in mind, let's look at our predictions.

EASTERN
1. New Jersey
2. Chicago*
3. Virginia*
4. Capital City*
5. Boston
6. New York

WESTERN
1. Edmonton
2. Los Angeles*
3. Golden Gate
4. San Diego
5. Texas
6. Vancouver

PLAYOFFS
FIRST ROUND
Chicago def. Virginia
Los Angeles def. Capital City

SEMIFINALS
New Jersey def Chicago
Edmonton def Los Angeles

RUGBY BOWL II (Piscataway, NJ)
New Jersey def Edmonton

bbgunn

11-21-2011, 12:13 AM

I hope you don't mind me foregoing the posting of the entire season schedule. If you really want it, let me know and I will put it together. But for now, here is the Week 1 schedule:

WEEK 1 GAMES

Friday night - March 14th, 1997
Los Angeles at New York (CBS)

Saturday - March 15th, 1997
Capital City at Boston
Texas at Virginia
San Diego at Chicago (CBS)
Edmonton at Golden Gate
New Jersey at Vancouver

Young Drachma

11-21-2011, 12:35 AM

Ooh, Expansion teams. Gotta love that. Great year by Chuckie Munn. Hope this year gives Jersey the title we deserve!

bbgunn

11-21-2011, 12:52 AM

Hoops shock NARC, pound defending champ Sharks

HEMPSTEAD, NY - A decent crowd of 14,600 people - nearly a sellout - was on hand to watch the first game in the New York Hoops' history as they faced the defending NARC champions Los Angeles Sharks. The Sharks were favored to teach the Hoops a lesson, but New York had other plans. In a truly stunning result, New York rookie Number 8 Alex Donovan scored three tries, and the Hoops' defense did the rest, as they defeated L.A. 29-7 on Friday night.

"Unbelievable," said Hoops' head coach Pete Sullivan, who outcoached his former head coach, Los Angeles' William Ready. Sullivan helped lead the Sharks (0-1) to the NARC title just last year. "I do have some feelings for Coach Ready and many of the guys in L.A. But... this is a special win and I'm going to enjoy it."

If we told you that the game would be won with stifling defense, you would think that Los Angeles would be the team on the winning team. But it was the expansion Hoops (1-0) that dominated, as Los Angeles only made it into enemy territory once in the second half. It was a truly amazing night for Hoops fans.

FINAL SCORE: Los Angeles 7, New York 29
LOS ANGELES STATS
TRIES: #13 Jordan 14'
CONV: #10 Bevan 1/1
PEN: none
INJURIES: #7 Bergamaschi (hand, 1 week)
NEW YORK STATS
TRIES: #8 Donovan 44' 70' 77', #11 Alexander 48'
CONV: #10 Benoit 3/4
PEN: Benoit 1/1
INJURIES: #14 Smeekens (ankle, 8 weeks)
HALFTIME SCORE: 7-3 Los Angeles

bbgunn

11-21-2011, 12:53 AM

Looks like I'll be quite busy the next couple of days, so look for more posts later this week.

Travis

11-21-2011, 12:21 PM

Looking forward to season 2.

bbgunn

11-22-2011, 01:31 AM

Looking forward to season 2.

Me too... especially now, as I have figured out how to put this new sim system into a spreadsheet for automatic output! I had some unexpected free time today, and I used it to research formulas and put something together. It looks good right now, and I'm ready to start using it for simming. This saves me a lot of time. The Week 1 Friday night result will stay as it is, but I will use the new spreadsheet from Week 1 Saturday on.

Unfortunately, I will cut out the injuries, in order to save me some more time.

bbgunn

11-23-2011, 10:01 PM

Rookie McCourt scores record four tries in 44-5 Boston win

BOSTON - Less than a day after one rookie - New York's number 8 Alex Donovan - surprised many in the NARC with his performance, another rookie did him one better. The Boston Beacons' rookie inside center Cooper McCourt set a NARC record by scoring four tries in one game (his first NARC game!) as the Beacons drilled the Capital City Dragons (0-1) into the ground 44-5. Boston (1-0) scored a team record seven tries altogether. Not a bad way for the Beacons to debut their 1997 season.

"What a performance," Boston coach Paddy Moriarty said of McCourt. "His runs were great, and he is a tough kid. He gives us a nice presence on the inside. Teams are going to have to keep an eye on him."

FINAL SCORE: Capital City 5, Boston 44
TOTAL TRIES: Capital City 1, Boston 7
CONVERSIONS: Capital City 0/1, Boston 3/7
PENALTIES: Capital City 0/0, Boston 1/1
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Boston #12 Cooper McCourt

PLAY-BY-PLAY
7' - Capital City - no try. 0-0 tie score
15' - Boston - no try. 0-0 tie score
16' - Boston - TRY [#12 Cooper McCourt] (conv no good). 5-0 Boston
21' - Boston - TRY [#4 Louw Spiering] (CONV GOOD). 12-0 Boston
29' - Boston - TRY [#7 Charlie Miah] (CONV GOOD). 19-0 Boston
33' - Boston - TRY [#12 Cooper McCourt] (conv no good). 24-0 Boston
45' - Boston - TRY [#10 Astolpho Beaulieu] (conv no good). 29-0 Boston
46' - Boston - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 32-0 Boston
58' - Capital City - TRY [#13 Stanislao Trevisani] (conv no good). 32-5 Boston
62' - Boston - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 32-5 Boston
66' - Boston - TRY [#12 Cooper McCourt] (CONV GOOD). 39-5 Boston
70' - Boston - TRY [#12 Cooper McCourt] (conv no good). 44-5 Boston

*The OFFENSIVE PENALTY in the 62nd minute was not the only offensive penalty for Boston nor for the game. Rather, it means that a team had a good try-scoring opportunity nullified by an offensive penalty. Teams with more aggressive coaches on offense will score at a higher percentage, but have a number of try opportunities killed by penalties.

Stars defeat Harlequins 25-10 with defense

NORFOLK, VA - The Virginia Stars held the Texas Harlequins (0-1) to just one try as they defeated the visitors 25-10. Virginia's inside center Corey Connor - who re-signed with Virginia (1-0) in the offseason instead of going elsewhere - was named player of the game for his performances. Connor played a huge role in setting up two of Virginia's three tries, plus he played some great defense.

FINAL SCORE: Texas 10, Virginia 25
TOTAL TRIES: Texas 1, Virginia 3
CONVERSIONS: Texas 1/1, Virginia 2/3
PENALTIES: Texas 1/1, Virginia 2/3
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Virginia #12 Corey Connor

PLAY-BY-PLAY
5' - Virginia - TRY [#7 Christiaan Crielaard] (conv no good). 5-0 Virginia
14' - Texas - TRY [#13 John Packman] (CONV GOOD). 7-5 Texas
26' - Virginia - TRY [#9 Nathan Sims] (CONV GOOD). 12-7 Virginia
32' - Virginia - Penalty Kick no good. 12-7 Virginia
43' - Virginia - TRY [#5 Julian Rabin] (CONV GOOD). 19-7 Virginia
44' - Virginia - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 22-7 Virginia
52' - Texas - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 22-7 Virginia
61' - Texas - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 22-10 Virginia
71' - Virginia - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 25-10 Virginia

O'Peake-Nielsen tandem dominate, Legends win 24-17

CHICAGO - Chicago Legends fans are excited after seeing the Legends' first game of 1997, and with good reason. It looks like the pairing of left wing Rob Nielsen - the 1996 MVP runner-up - and rookie fly half Ches O'Peake will be an exciting one to watch for the next few years. The duo almost single-handedly (double-handedly?) defeated the visiting San Diego Mission (0-1) 24-17 on a cold day at Soldier Field. Nielsen and O'Peake complimented each other very well, setting up each other as they scored tries. Nielsen had one, while O'Peake had two. O'Peake also had a perfect kicking day for Chicago (1-0), earning him player of the game honors.

"I always said we had the best player in the league," Chicago coach Dave Waterman said of Nielsen. "Now I think I might have to change that and say we have the best two players in the league!"

FINAL SCORE: San Diego 17, Chicago 24
TOTAL TRIES: San Diego 2, Chicago 3
CONVERSIONS: San Diego 2/2, Chicago 3/3
PENALTIES: San Diego 1/1, Chicago 1/1
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Chicago #10 Ches O'Peake

PLAY-BY-PLAY
2' - Chicago - no try. 0-0 tie score
9' - Chicago - TRY [#11 Rob Nielsen (Coffee Warlord)] (CONV GOOD). 7-0 Chicago
10' - San Diego - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 7-3 Chicago
12' - Chicago - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 7-3 Chicago
22' - Chicago - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 10-3 Chicago
27' - Chicago - TRY [#10 Ches O’Peake (chesapeake)] (CONV GOOD). 17-3 Chicago
31' - Chicago - TRY [#10 Ches O’Peake (chesapeake)] (CONV GOOD). 24-3 Chicago
36' - San Diego - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 24-3 Chicago
41' - San Diego - TRY [#15 Reece Atkins] (CONV GOOD). 24-10 Chicago
52' - Chicago - no try. 24-10 Chicago
61' - San Diego - TRY [#14 Ben Winning] (CONV GOOD). 24-17 Chicago
73' - Chicago - no try. 24-17 Chicago
77' - Chicago - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 24-17 Chicago

Mashers comeback falls short as Stormers win 17-16

PALO ALTO, CA - Golden Gate rookie flanker Sam King was named player of the game for his defensive play, as the Stormers upset the Edmonton Mashers 17-16 in the Bay Area. The Stormers (1-0) took a 17-0 lead into the locker room at halftime, the focus being on Sam King's tackling. In the second half, however, the Stormers almost let the game get away from them, giving Edmonton (0-1) three penalty kicks, all converted by fly half Jace Hunter. A try by Jordan Wallace in the 78th minute pulled Edmonton to within one, but they were not able to do anything else the rest of the game. Both kickers in the game - Hunter and Golden Gate's Sandy Kemp - were perfect on their conversions and penalties.

FINAL SCORE: Edmonton 16, Golden Gate 17
TOTAL TRIES: Edmonton 1, Golden Gate 2
CONVERSIONS: Edmonton 1/1, Golden Gate 2/2
PENALTIES: Edmonton 3/3, Golden Gate 1/1
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Golden Gate #6 Sam King

PLAY-BY-PLAY
5' - Golden Gate - no try. 0-0 tie score
17' - Golden Gate - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 3-0 Golden Gate
27' - Golden Gate - TRY [#11 Nate Fereday] (CONV GOOD). 10-0 Golden Gate
33' - Golden Gate - TRY [#10 Sandy Kemp (CrimsonFox)] (CONV GOOD). 17-0 Golden Gate
37' - Edmonton - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 17-0 Golden Gate
46' - Golden Gate - no try. 17-0 Golden Gate
57' - Edmonton - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 17-3 Golden Gate
60' - Edmonton - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 17-6 Golden Gate
71' - Edmonton - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 17-9 Golden Gate
74' - Golden Gate - no try. 17-9 Golden Gate
78' - Edmonton - TRY [#13 Jordan Wallace] (CONV GOOD). 17-16 Golden Gate

Blue Hawks score five tries, shock Knights

VANCOUVER - What is going on here? In Week 1 the two Rugby Bowl finalists from last year - Los Angeles and New Jersey - played the two expansion teams - New York and Vancouver, respectively - and both lost. In their franchise debut at B.C. Place in front of a 20,000-plus crowd, the Blue Hawks never trailed as they took an early lead, then withstood a Knights comeback attempt to win 31-23. Vancouver flanker Wilbert de Boom had two tries for the Blue Hawks, both within the first three minutes of the game.

"We've been working hard all winter for this day, this moment," said Vancouver head coach Mark James, who was known as a tough player with the Edmonton Mashers last year. "We might be new here in the league, but we have guys who know how to play."

FINAL SCORE: New Jersey 23, Vancouver 31
TOTAL TRIES: New Jersey 3, Vancouver 5
CONVERSIONS: New Jersey 1/3, Vancouver 3/5
PENALTIES: New Jersey 2/2, Vancouver 0/0
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Vancouver #5 Faizan Johnston

PLAY-BY-PLAY
2' - Vancouver - TRY [#7 Wilbert de Boom] (CONV GOOD). 7-0 Vancouver
3' - Vancouver - TRY [#7 Wilbert de Boom] (CONV GOOD). 14-0 Vancouver
5' - Vancouver - no try. 14-0 Vancouver
12' - New Jersey - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 14-3 Vancouver
24' - Vancouver - TRY [#10 Brayden Colechin] (CONV GOOD). 21-3 Vancouver
25' - Vancouver - no try. 21-3 Vancouver
37' - New Jersey - TRY [#10 Charles Munn (Dark Cloud)] (conv no good). 21-8 Vancouver
40' - Vancouver - no try. 21-8 Vancouver
44' - New Jersey - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 21-11 Vancouver
53' - New Jersey - TRY [#6 Dominic Stokes] (conv no good). 21-16 Vancouver
63' - Vancouver - TRY [#3 Jett Aplin] (conv no good). 26-16 Vancouver
67' - Vancouver - no try. 26-16 Vancouver
68' - Vancouver - TRY [#13 Thomas Massy-Greene] (conv no good). 31-16 Vancouver
78' - New Jersey - TRY [#9 Adrian Jones] (CONV GOOD). 31-23 Vancouver

bbgunn

11-23-2011, 10:05 PM

WEEK 1 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Rookies dominated the Player of the Week voting for Week 1, with Cooper McCourt's four-try performance easily putting him ahead of the rest.

1st place (3 pts in the MVP standings) – Boston #12 Cooper McCourt
2nd place (2 pts) – New York #8 Alex Donovan
3rd place (1 pt) – Golden Gate #6 Sam King

NARC STANDINGS AFTER WEEK 1

EASTERN GP W L T Pts BP PF PA Pdiff
Boston 1 1 0 0 5 1 44 5 39
New York 1 1 0 0 5 1 29 7 22
Virginia 1 1 0 0 4 0 25 10 15
Chicago 1 1 0 0 4 0 24 17 7
New Jersey 1 0 1 0 0 0 23 31 -8
Capital City 1 0 1 0 0 0 5 44 -39

WESTERN GP W L T Pts BP PF PA Pdiff
Vancouver 1 1 0 0 5 1 31 23 8
Golden Gate 1 1 0 0 4 0 17 16 1
Edmonton 1 0 1 0 1 1 16 17 -1
San Diego 1 0 1 0 1 1 17 24 -7
Texas 1 0 1 0 0 0 10 25 -15
Los Angeles 1 0 1 0 0 0 7 29 -22

WEEK 2 GAMES

The Friday night Chicago-Boston matchup is must-see TV. Meanwhile, it sounds unthinkable, but the loser of Saturday's Rugby Bowl I rematch at Memorial Coliseum will begin the year 0-2.

Friday - March 21st, 1997
Chicago at Boston (CBS)

Saturday - March 22nd, 1997
Texas at Capital City
Vancouver at Virginia
New York at Edmonton
Golden Gate at San Diego
New Jersey at Los Angeles (CBS)

bbgunn

11-24-2011, 08:56 PM

Legends, Beacons play to first tie in NARC history

BOSTON - After trailing for much of the game, a drop kick by Boston's rookie fly half Astolpho Beaulieu in the 74th minute enabled the Beacons to tie the visiting Chicago Legends 21-21 on Friday night at Harvard Stadium. It was the first time in the short history of the North American Rugby Conference that two teams played to a tie.

It was a close, hard-fought game all the way, but Boston (1-0-1) only led the game for three minutes in the first half, after a try by rookie sensation Cooper McCourt. Chicago (1-0-1) seemed to play better for most of the game, but allowed the Beacons to come back late.

There was a bit of controversy after the game, when Legends scrum half Hunter Byrne said that there should have been a not releasing the ball foul on Boston in the ruck immediately before Beaulieu made his drop kick in the 74th minute. "A guy in a green and red uniform basically handed the ball off to their scrum half," Byrne said. "He didn't lay it on the grass or anything like that. There should have been a penalty on that."

With the tie, Boston is now alone in first place in the Eastern Division with seven points, one ahead of Chicago. Boston is looking pretty good after two games.

Chicago's Ches O'Peake went 3-for-3 on conversions, but missed his only penalty opportunity.

FINAL SCORE: Chicago 21, Boston 21
TOTAL TRIES: Chicago 3, Boston 2
CONVERSIONS: Chicago 3/3, Boston 1/2
PENALTIES: Chicago 0/1, Boston 2/2
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Boston #5 Germain Marchesseault

PLAY-BY-PLAY
1' - Boston - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 0-0 tie score
13' - Boston - TRY [#12 Cooper McCourt] (CONV GOOD). 7-0 Boston
16' - Chicago - TRY [#6 Logan Clarkson] (CONV GOOD). 7-7 tie score
21' - Chicago - no try. 7-7 tie score
22' - Boston - no try. 7-7 tie score
25' - Chicago - TRY [#7 Gianluca Jacob] (CONV GOOD). 14-7 Chicago
35' - Boston - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 14-10 Chicago
42' - Chicago - Penalty Kick no good. 14-10 Chicago
46' - Chicago - no try. 14-10 Chicago
49' - Chicago - TRY [#14 Orson Vaillancourt] (CONV GOOD). 21-10 Chicago
53' - Chicago - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 21-10 Chicago
60' - Boston - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 21-13 Chicago
65' - Boston - TRY [#5 Germain Marchesseault] (conv no good). 21-18 Chicago
73' - Chicago - no try. 21-18 Chicago
74' - Boston - DROP KICK GOOD. 21-21 tie score

bbgunn

11-24-2011, 08:58 PM

Harlequins pull away in second half, defeat Dragons 31-16

COLLEGE PARK, MD - Texas Harlequins' right wing Koby Brodzky - acquired in a trade from Edmonton in the offseason - scored his first try as a member of his new team, as Texas (1-1) defeated the Capital City Dragons (0-2) 31-16 on Saturday. Texas flanker Donald Scott had two of Texas' five tries.

FINAL SCORE: Texas 31, Capital City 16
TOTAL TRIES: Texas 5, Capital City 2
CONVERSIONS: Texas 3/5, Capital City 0/2
PENALTIES: Texas 0/0, Capital City 2/5
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Texas #13 John Packman

PLAY-BY-PLAY
9' - Capital City - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 3-0 Capital City
14' - Texas - TRY [#6 Donald Scott] (CONV GOOD). 7-3 Texas
19' - Texas - TRY [#14 Koby Brodzky] (CONV GOOD). 14-3 Texas
28' - Capital City - TRY [#10 James Drake] (conv no good). 14-8 Texas
31' - Capital City - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 14-11 Texas
33' - Capital City - Penalty Kick no good. 14-11 Texas
41' - Capital City - Penalty Kick no good. 14-11 Texas
47' - Texas - TRY [#12 Gary Wallace] (conv no good). 19-11 Texas
55' - Texas - TRY [#15 Matthew Glover] (CONV GOOD). 26-11 Texas
58' - Texas - TRY [#6 Donald Scott] (conv no good). 31-11 Texas
59' - Capital City - no try. 31-11 Texas
69' - Capital City - Penalty Kick no good. 31-11 Texas
73' - Capital City - no try. 31-11 Texas
80' - Capital City - TRY [#9 Evan Walker] (conv no good). 31-16 Texas

Blue Hawks now 2-0 after containing Stars 18-5

NORFOLK, VA - Vancouver rookie right wing Benton Breeze scored his first two tries as a NARC pro, as the Blue Hawks won 18-5 against the host Virginia Stars in an ugly game. Both teams had a lot of penalties, but Virginia especially had a load of them. After the Stars (1-1) took an early lead on the expansion Blue Hawks with a Nathan Sims score in the 11th minute, the team virtually disappeared in front of a crowd of 7,390 on a cold day in Norfolk.

"This loss is on me," said Stars coach Wiremu Wilson.

FINAL SCORE: Vancouver 18, Virginia 5
TOTAL TRIES: Vancouver 2, Virginia 1
CONVERSIONS: Vancouver 1/2, Virginia 0/1
PENALTIES: Vancouver 2/5, Virginia 0/0
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Vancouver #14 Benton Breeze

PLAY-BY-PLAY
11' - Virginia - TRY [#9 Nathan Sims] (conv no good). 5-0 Virginia
15' - Vancouver - Penalty Kick no good. 5-0 Virginia
19' - Vancouver - Penalty Kick no good. 5-0 Virginia
25' - Virginia - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 5-0 Virginia
32' - Vancouver - Penalty Kick no good. 5-0 Virginia
38' - Vancouver - TRY [#14 Benton Breeze (Breeze)] (CONV GOOD). 7-5 Vancouver
44' - Vancouver - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 10-5 Vancouver
47' - Vancouver - no try. 10-5 Vancouver
56' - Vancouver - no try. 10-5 Vancouver
63' - Virginia - no try. 10-5 Vancouver
70' - Vancouver - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 13-5 Vancouver
78' - Vancouver - TRY [#14 Benton Breeze (Breeze)] (conv no good). 18-5 Vancouver

Mashers beat expansion Hoops 24-10

EDMONTON - Edmonton fly half Jace Hunter had a try and generally played will both offensively and defensively, helping the Mashers to a 24-10 win over the expansion New York Hoops. Hunter was named player of the game for his efforts. Edmonton (1-1) gives New York (1-1) their first loss ever, while at the same time bringing their record back up to .500. New York rookie number 8 Alex Donovan scored his team's only try, his fourth of the year.

FINAL SCORE: New York 10, Edmonton 24
TOTAL TRIES: New York 1, Edmonton 3
CONVERSIONS: New York 1/1, Edmonton 3/3
PENALTIES: New York 1/3, Edmonton 1/3
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Edmonton #10 Jace Hunter

PLAY-BY-PLAY
11' - Edmonton - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 3-0 Edmonton
15' - Edmonton - TRY [#10 Jace Hunter (Travis)] (CONV GOOD). 10-0 Edmonton
18' - New York - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 10-3 Edmonton
30' - Edmonton - TRY [#11 Joe Theriot] (CONV GOOD). 17-3 Edmonton
37' - New York - Penalty Kick no good. 17-3 Edmonton
49' - Edmonton - Penalty Kick no good. 17-3 Edmonton
56' - New York - TRY [#8 Alex Donovan (SirFozzie)] (CONV GOOD). 17-10 Edmonton
64' - Edmonton - no try. 17-10 Edmonton
66' - Edmonton - Penalty Kick no good. 17-10 Edmonton
72' - New York - Penalty Kick no good. 17-10 Edmonton
78' - Edmonton - TRY [#12 Mohammad Grant] (CONV GOOD). 24-10 Edmonton
79' - Edmonton - no try. 24-10 Edmonton

Stormers pound Mission 36-5

SAN DIEGO - Are the Golden Gate Stormers for real? After squeaking out a win over defending Western Division champs Edmonton in Week 1, the Stormers (2-0) really turned it on on the road against the San Diego Mission (0-2), winning 36-5. The player of the game was Stormers fly half Sandy Kemp, who scored two tries, went 4-for-5 on conversions, and made his only penalty attempt. Stormers left wing Nate Fereday also had two tries.

FINAL SCORE: Golden Gate 36, San Diego 5
TOTAL TRIES: Golden Gate 5, San Diego 1
CONVERSIONS: Golden Gate 4/5, San Diego 0/1
PENALTIES: Golden Gate 1/1, San Diego 0/0
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Golden Gate #10 Sandy Kemp

PLAY-BY-PLAY
12' - Golden Gate - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 3-0 Golden Gate
18' - Golden Gate - no try. 3-0 Golden Gate
23' - Golden Gate - TRY [#4 Miron Groenewold] (CONV GOOD). 10-0 Golden Gate
34' - Golden Gate - TRY [#10 Sandy Kemp (CrimsonFox)] (CONV GOOD). 17-0 Golden Gate
45' - Golden Gate - TRY [#11 Nate Fereday] (CONV GOOD). 24-0 Golden Gate
52' - San Diego - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 24-0 Golden Gate
58' - Golden Gate - TRY [#10 Sandy Kemp (CrimsonFox)] (conv no good). 29-0 Golden Gate
68' - San Diego - TRY [#10 Richard Benner] (conv no good). 29-5 Golden Gate
74' - Golden Gate - TRY [#11 Nate Fereday] (CONV GOOD). 36-5 Golden Gate

Knights score 55 on Sharks, tying own record

LOS ANGELES - Now these are the New Jersey Knights that we know and love.

After playing uninspired against expansion Vancouver in Week 1, New Jersey had to face the Los Angeles Sharks at Memorial Coliseum in a rematch of Rugby Bowl I. Yes, revenge for that Rugby Bowl loss was a possibility, but surely nobody expected New Jersey to win 55-7 like they did. The Knights tied their own league record for most points in a game by one team. New Jersey spanked San Diego 55-21 in Week 8 last season.

With three tries, the player of the game was Knights scrum half Adrian Jones. But it could have easily been teammate and fullback Nick Thomas. Thomas had two tries of his own, plus he made some great tackles. Defending MVP Noah Kidston had his first try of the year for the Knights (1-1), as did star left wing Larry McGillicuddy and fly half Charles Munn. Munn also made an amazing six of his eight conversion attempts. Meanwhile, L.A.'s star, left wing Sammy Reilly, scored the only try for the Sharks.

At 0-2, what has happened to the defending champions? Only they and Capital City have no points in the standings. Statistically, L.A. has both the worst offense and defense in the league. The seat of head coach William Ready has to be getting quite warm.

FINAL SCORE: New Jersey 55, Los Angeles 7
TOTAL TRIES: New Jersey 8, Los Angeles 1
CONVERSIONS: New Jersey 6/8, Los Angeles 1/1
PENALTIES: New Jersey 1/1, Los Angeles 0/0
PLAYER OF THE GAME: New Jersey #9 Adrian Jones

PLAY-BY-PLAY
9' - New Jersey - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 3-0 New Jersey
14' - New Jersey - TRY [#9 Adrian Jones] (conv no good). 8-0 New Jersey
15' - New Jersey - TRY [#9 Adrian Jones] (conv no good). 13-0 New Jersey
18' - New Jersey - TRY [#9 Adrian Jones] (CONV GOOD). 20-0 New Jersey
25' - New Jersey - TRY [#14 Noah Kidston] (CONV GOOD). 27-0 New Jersey
29' - New Jersey - TRY [#11 Larry McGillicuddy (larrymcg421)] (CONV GOOD). 34-0 New Jersey
41' - Los Angeles - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 34-0 New Jersey
48' - Los Angeles - TRY [#11 Sammy Reilly] (CONV GOOD). 34-7 New Jersey
55' - New Jersey - TRY [#10 Charles Munn (Dark Cloud)] (CONV GOOD). 41-7 New Jersey
57' - New Jersey - no try. 41-7 New Jersey
62' - Los Angeles - no try. 41-7 New Jersey
63' - New Jersey - TRY [#15 Nick Thomas (MacroGuru)] (CONV GOOD). 48-7 New Jersey
68' - New Jersey - TRY [#15 Nick Thomas (MacroGuru)] (CONV GOOD). 55-7 New Jersey
79' - Los Angeles - no try. 55-7 New Jersey

bbgunn

11-24-2011, 09:00 PM

WEEK 2 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Knights scrum half Adrian Jones played a huge role in his team's blowout of the Sharks, earning him Player of the Week honors for Week 2.

1st place (3 pts in the MVP standings) – New Jersey #9 Adrian Jones
2nd place (2 pts) – Golden Gate #10 Sandy Kemp
3rd place (1 pt) – New Jersey #15 Nick Thomas

NARC STANDINGS AFTER WEEK 2

EASTERN GP W L T Pts BP PF PA Pdiff
Boston 2 1 0 1 7 1 65 26 39
Chicago 2 1 0 1 6 0 45 38 7
New Jersey 2 1 1 0 5 1 78 38 40
New York 2 1 1 0 5 1 39 31 8
Virginia 2 1 1 0 4 0 30 28 2
Capital City 2 0 2 0 0 0 21 75 -54

WESTERN GP W L T Pts BP PF PA Pdiff
Golden Gate 2 2 0 0 9 1 53 21 32
Vancouver 2 2 0 0 9 1 49 28 21
Edmonton 2 1 1 0 5 1 40 27 13
Texas 2 1 1 0 5 1 41 41 0
San Diego 2 0 2 0 1 1 22 60 -38
Los Angeles 2 0 2 0 0 0 14 84 -70

WEEK 3 GAMES

The two division leaders - Boston and Golden Gate - square off in a titanic matchup on national television on Saturday, with the loser getting their first loss. Virginia-New Jersey is a big divisional matchup as well. Meanwhile, if L.A. loses at Edmonton, Sharks coach William Ready could be in big trouble.

Friday, March 28th, 1997
Virginia at New Jersey (CBS)

Saturday, March 29th, 1997
San Diego at New York
Vancouver at Capital City
Chicago at Texas
Los Angeles at Edmonton
Boston at Golden Gate(CBS)

Nugget699

11-26-2011, 01:36 AM

Are you going to upload the spreadsheet anywhere? I think tabletop-sports.com would like to see something like this.

And me too :)

bbgunn

11-27-2011, 08:46 PM

Are you going to upload the spreadsheet anywhere? I think tabletop-sports.com would like to see something like this.

And me too :)

Well, the simulator is messy and not very user-friendly, so it's probably not ready for tabletop-sports.com, but it is usable for most people. So, here it is. Of course, if you want to clean it up and make it better, by all means!

The file is in LibreOffice (formerly OpenOffice) format. I could convert it to MS Excel, but I'm not so sure that some of the formulas would work in Excel, so I've left it as is. (If you want to convert it yourself and see what happens, but you don't want to install LibreOffice on your system, you can get a portable copy of LibreOffice at PortableApps.com. Although they are designed for use on USB drives and the like, you can equally install it on a computer. You can just install it into any folder, and it won't mess with your registry.)

Instructions are written in the sheet titled "How to Use".

bbgunn

11-27-2011, 08:47 PM

I should be able to put an update here today, but be patient for a couple of hours. :)

bbgunn

12-01-2011, 08:05 PM

Stars unexpectedly blow out Knights

PISCATAWAY, NJ - After a dominating road win over Los Angeles in Week 2, the New Jersey Knights came back home for Week 3 and were themselves blown out. The Virginia Stars never trailed in the 42-19 win. Inside center Corey Connor had three tries and was named player of the game, while left wing Diego Zito added two more tries. New Jersey right wing Noah Kidston had one of the Knights' two tries.

After going down by as much as 21-3 earlier in the game, New Jersey came back to cut Virginia's lead to two points in the middle of the second half, exciting the home crowd. But then Virginia proceeded to score three tries in eleven minutes, sealing victory. The win puts Virginia's win-loss record at 2-1, while New Jersey drops to 1-2.

FINAL SCORE: Virginia 42, New Jersey 19
TOTAL TRIES: Virginia 6, New Jersey 2
CONVERSIONS: Virginia 6/6, New Jersey 0/2
PENALTIES: Virginia 0/0, New Jersey 3/3
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Virginia #12 Corey Connor

PLAY-BY-PLAY
7' - Virginia - TRY [#11 Diego Zito] (CONV GOOD). 7-0 Virginia
16' - Virginia - TRY [#12 Corey Connor] (CONV GOOD). 14-0 Virginia
25' - Virginia - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 14-0 Virginia
35' - New Jersey - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 14-3 Virginia
41' - Virginia - TRY [#11 Diego Zito] (CONV GOOD). 21-3 Virginia
48' - New Jersey - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 21-3 Virginia
53' - New Jersey - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 21-6 Virginia
54' - New Jersey - TRY [#14 Noah Kidston] (conv no good). 21-11 Virginia
57' - New Jersey - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 21-11 Virginia
58' - New Jersey - TRY [#8 Kamiel Stevens] (conv no good). 21-16 Virginia
64' - New Jersey - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 21-19 Virginia
67' - Virginia - TRY [#12 Corey Connor] (CONV GOOD). 28-19 Virginia
71' - Virginia - TRY [#12 Corey Connor] (CONV GOOD). 35-19 Virginia
78' - Virginia - TRY [#10 Roddy Kelly] (CONV GOOD). 42-19 Virginia

bbgunn

12-01-2011, 08:07 PM

Mission's late comeback seals 10-point win over Hoops

HEMPSTEAD, NY - It hasn't been a good season for the San Diego Mission (1-2) up until this point, but they took a big step towards turning things around with a come-from-behind 31-21 victory on the road against the New York Hoops (1-2). San Diego scrum half Angus Warrington had two tries, but rookie fullback Reece Atkins was named player of the game for his defensive performance.

FINAL SCORE: San Diego 31, New York 21
TOTAL TRIES: San Diego 4, New York 3
CONVERSIONS: San Diego 4/4, New York 3/3
PENALTIES: San Diego 1/2, New York 0/0
PLAYER OF THE GAME: San Diego #15 Reece Atkins

PLAY-BY-PLAY
3' - New York - no try. 0-0 tie score
14' - New York - TRY [#10 Fitz Benoit] (CONV GOOD). 7-0 New York
25' - New York - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 7-0 New York
35' - San Diego - Penalty Kick no good. 7-0 New York
37' - New York - TRY [#6 Julian Walker] (CONV GOOD). 14-0 New York
43' - San Diego - no try. 14-0 New York
45' - San Diego - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 14-3 New York
51' - New York - no try. 14-3 New York
52' - San Diego - TRY [#14 Ben Winning] (CONV GOOD). 14-10 New York
60' - New York - TRY [#10 Fitz Benoit] (CONV GOOD). 21-10 New York
67' - San Diego - TRY [#9 Angus Warrington] (CONV GOOD). 21-17 New York
72' - San Diego - TRY [#9 Angus Warrington] (CONV GOOD). 24-21 San Diego
74' - San Diego - TRY [#10 Richard Benner] (CONV GOOD). 31-21 San Diego

Blue Hawks continue to surprise, pound hapless Dragons

COLLEGE PARK, MD - Are the Vancouver Blue Hawks a legitimate contender for the Rugby Bowl? That's what some are asking themselves after Vancouver improved to 3-0 following a dominating 41-14 road win against the Capital City Dragons. Rookie Vancouver sensation Benton Breeze had two tries, bringing his season total to four. The player of the game was Vancouver hooker Adam Tate, who not only had a good defensive game, but scored two of Vancouver's seven tries.

Vancouver fans have to be delighted with the way the team is playing right now. Meanwhile, it seems that, like the first half of last season, Capital City (0-3) head coach Gus Gardener's job is now on the line. It doesn't get any easier for Gardener, as the New Jersey Knights come to town in Week 4.

FINAL SCORE: Vancouver 41, Capital City 14
TOTAL TRIES: Vancouver 7, Capital City 2
CONVERSIONS: Vancouver 3/7, Capital City 2/2
PENALTIES: Vancouver 0/0, Capital City 0/0
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Vancouver #2 Adam Tate

PLAY-BY-PLAY
9' - Vancouver - TRY [#2 Adam Tate] (conv no good). 5-0 Vancouver
11' - Vancouver - TRY [#9 Roberto Beneventi] (CONV GOOD). 12-0 Vancouver
12' - Vancouver - TRY [#4 Jamie Atkins] (conv no good). 17-0 Vancouver
21' - Capital City - no try. 17-0 Vancouver
30' - Vancouver - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 17-0 Vancouver
32' - Capital City - TRY [#10 James Drake] (CONV GOOD). 17-7 Vancouver
34' - Vancouver - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 17-7 Vancouver
36' - Capital City - no try. 17-7 Vancouver
47' - Vancouver - no try. 17-7 Vancouver
53' - Vancouver - TRY [#14 Benton Breeze (Breeze)] (CONV GOOD). 24-7 Vancouver
59' - Vancouver - TRY [#2 Adam Tate] (CONV GOOD). 31-7 Vancouver
67' - Vancouver - TRY [#14 Benton Breeze (Breeze)] (conv no good). 36-7 Vancouver
68' - Vancouver - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 36-7 Vancouver
72' - Capital City - TRY [#2 Ty Ross] (CONV GOOD). 36-14 Vancouver
77' - Vancouver - TRY [#4 Jamie Atkins] (conv no good). 41-14 Vancouver
80' - Capital City - no try. 41-14 Vancouver

Legends withstand Harlequin surge, win 22-17

AUSTIN, TX - The Chicago Legends withstood a Texas Harlequin comeback effort in the second half of Saturday's matchup, then scored the winning try as time expired, creating an exciting end to their 22-17 victory over Texas in Austin. Chicago's rookie fly half Ches O'Peake ran across the tryline roughly one minute after the final siren rang.

Chicago (2-0-1) dominated the first half of the game, going up 17-3 by halftime. But then the Harlequins scored two tries within a minute of each other early in the second half, tying the score. Defense took over from there for both teams, at least until Chicago won possession of the ball in their own half at the 77th minute. Good passing and ball control extended the drive for about four minutes, and the Legends made Texas (1-2) pay with O'Peake's try.

Chicago outside center Timotheus Langeler won player of the game honors. He had one try.

With the win, Chicago remains undefeated, while Texas has now lost two of three.

FINAL SCORE: Chicago 22, Texas 17
TOTAL TRIES: Chicago 3, Texas 2
CONVERSIONS: Chicago 2/3, Texas 2/2
PENALTIES: Chicago 1/2, Texas 1/1
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Chicago #13 Timotheus Langeler

PLAY-BY-PLAY
6' - Chicago - Penalty Kick no good. 0-0 tie score
8' - Chicago - TRY [#13 Timotheus Langeler] (CONV GOOD). 7-0 Chicago
20' - Texas - no try. 7-0 Chicago
21' - Chicago - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 10-0 Chicago
28' - Texas - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 10-0 Chicago
30' - Texas - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 10-3 Chicago
40' - Chicago - TRY [#12 Logan Hawkins] (CONV GOOD). 17-3 Chicago
47' - Texas - TRY [#14 Koby Brodzky] (CONV GOOD). 17-10 Chicago
48' - Texas - TRY [#13 John Packman] (CONV GOOD). 17-17 tie score
60' - Chicago - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 17-17 tie score
70' - Texas - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 17-17 tie score
80' - Chicago - TRY [#10 Ches O’Peake (chesapeake)] (conv no good). 22-17 Chicago

Sharks' comeback not good enough, lose to Mashers

EDMONTON - After falling behind 28-6, the Los Angeles Sharks mounted a comeback attempt, but fell short as they lost 28-23 to the host Edmonton Mashers. Edmonton fly half Jace Hunter was named player of the game for the second straight week as his team improves to 2-1.

The Mashers went up 21-3 at halftime, then improved the score to 28-6 by the 47th minute. Los Angeles (0-3) then started a comeback, scoring tries in the 56th and 66th minutes. The key play of the game was the last scoring drive. Los Angeles made it deep into Edmonton (2-1) territory, but that is where the Masher defense clamped down, making tackle after tackle to keep the Sharks away from the tryline. With frustration building, L.A. fly half Taylor Bevan kicked a drop goal to come to within five points of Edmonton. After receiving the kickoff, however, L.A. would fumble the ball away at midfield, effectively ending the game.

"We were losing that battle," said Bevan of the drive before his drop kick. "We were getting nowhere, so I wanted to get the three points, get the kickoff, and have a more open field for us to use our speed. But we lost it."

The loss dropped the defending champs to 0-3, and there are some calls for head coach William Ready's head. Ready will have to redeem himself against a hot Virginia team next week.

FINAL SCORE: Los Angeles 23, Edmonton 28
TOTAL TRIES: Los Angeles 2, Edmonton 4
CONVERSIONS: Los Angeles 2/2, Edmonton 4/4
PENALTIES: Los Angeles 2/2, Edmonton 0/0
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Edmonton #10 Jace Hunter

PLAY-BY-PLAY
7' - Edmonton - TRY [#6 Myles Gray] (CONV GOOD). 7-0 Edmonton
17' - Edmonton - TRY [#11 Joe Theriot] (CONV GOOD). 14-0 Edmonton
21' - Edmonton - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 14-0 Edmonton
27' - Edmonton - TRY [#9 Griffin Brander] (CONV GOOD). 21-0 Edmonton
30' - Edmonton - no try. 21-0 Edmonton
34' - Los Angeles - no try. 21-0 Edmonton
40' - Los Angeles - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 21-3 Edmonton
43' - Los Angeles - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 21-6 Edmonton
44' - Edmonton - no try. 21-6 Edmonton
47' - Edmonton - TRY [#12 Mohammad Grant] (CONV GOOD). 28-6 Edmonton
54' - Edmonton - no try. 28-6 Edmonton
56' - Los Angeles - TRY [#11 Sammy Reilly] (CONV GOOD). 28-13 Edmonton
66' - Los Angeles - TRY [#3 Austin Cuthbert] (CONV GOOD). 28-20 Edmonton
78' - Los Angeles - DROP KICK GOOD. 28-23 Edmonton

Stormers come from behind to beat Beacons, go to 3-0

PALO ALTO, CA - Stormers scrum half Alf Linster scored two tries and was named player of the game as Golden Gate came back from a 14-0 deficit to beat the Boston Beacons 29-14. The win was Golden Gate's third of the season, out of three games. They have already won more games this season than they did in all of 1996. Blind flanker Sam King and fly half Sandy Kemp also had tries for Golden Gate.

Boston (1-1-1) went up 14-0 after two tries before the 30th minute, then allowed Golden Gate 29 unanswered points. The Beacons were nowhere near the tryline in the second half.

Despite the win, not everybody was completely happy in the Golden Gate locker room. Several players were a bit upset with what they considered a cheap shot by Boston's prop Korstiaan Van Happen on Kemp late in the game. The two collided in the open field, but some Stormers said that Van Happen led with his shoulder and clearly had intent to hit Kemp. "He hit our player like that, and no foul was called," said Stormers tighthead prop August Peace. "I don't know if the referee missed it or not... he might have. In hindsight, I should have delivered a little justice to [Van Happen], if you know what I mean." Kemp was a bit shaken up after the incident, but recovered to score the last try for Golden Gate.

FINAL SCORE: Boston 14, Golden Gate 29
TOTAL TRIES: Boston 2, Golden Gate 4
CONVERSIONS: Boston 2/2, Golden Gate 3/4
PENALTIES: Boston 0/1, Golden Gate 1/1
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Golden Gate #9 Alf Linster

PLAY-BY-PLAY
11' - Golden Gate - no try. 0-0 tie score
22' - Boston - TRY [#15 Edward Usher] (CONV GOOD). 7-0 Boston
23' - Golden Gate - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 7-0 Boston
27' - Boston - TRY [#5 Germain Marchesseault] (CONV GOOD). 14-0 Boston
33' - Golden Gate - TRY [#9 Alf Linster (Alf)] (CONV GOOD). 14-7 Boston
38' - Boston - Penalty Kick no good. 14-7 Boston
39' - Golden Gate - TRY [#9 Alf Linster (Alf)] (conv no good). 14-12 Boston
40' - Golden Gate - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 14-12 Boston
52' - Golden Gate - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 14-12 Boston
55' - Golden Gate - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 15-14 Golden Gate
63' - Golden Gate - no try. 15-14 Golden Gate
72' - Golden Gate - TRY [#6 Sam King (Rawhide)] (CONV GOOD). 22-14 Golden Gate
74' - Golden Gate - TRY [#10 Sandy Kemp (CrimsonFox)] (CONV GOOD). 29-14 Golden Gate

bbgunn

12-01-2011, 08:09 PM

WEEK 3 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

1st place (3 pts in the MVP standings) – Virginia #12 Corey Connor
2nd place (2 pts) – Golden Gate #9 Alf Linster
3rd place (1 pt) – Edmonton #10 Jace Hunter

NARC STANDINGS AFTER WEEK 3

EASTERN GP W L T Pts BP PF PA Pdiff
Chicago 3 2 0 1 10 0 67 55 12
Virginia 3 2 1 0 9 1 72 47 25
Boston 3 1 1 1 7 1 79 55 24
New Jersey 3 1 2 0 5 1 97 80 17
New York 3 1 2 0 5 1 60 62 -2
Capital City 3 0 3 0 0 0 35 116 -81

WESTERN GP W L T Pts BP PF PA Pdiff
Vancouver 3 3 0 0 14 2 90 42 48
Golden Gate 3 3 0 0 14 2 82 35 47
Edmonton 3 2 1 0 10 2 68 50 18
Texas 3 1 2 0 6 2 58 63 -5
San Diego 3 1 2 0 6 2 53 81 -28
Los Angeles 3 0 3 0 1 1 37 112 -75

The best teams in the league are Vancouver and Golden Gate?!? Vancouver's offense is second only to New Jersey's, while their defense is second only to Golden Gate's. Those two teams, not coincidentally, have the league's two best point differentials. Golden Gate will play at Vancouver in Week 5; if those two go through Week 4 unscathed, we will have a big matchup on our hands.

WEEK 4 GAMES
The matchup of the week is on Friday night, as two division leaders clash: Vancouver and Chicago.

Friday - April 4th, 1997
Vancouver at Chicago (CBS)

Saturday - April 5th, 1997
New York at Boston
New Jersey at Capital City
Golden Gate at Texas
Edmonton at San Diego
Virginia at Los Angeles (CBS)

chesapeake

12-02-2011, 10:49 AM

Fortunately I was there to bail us out at the end. Maybe Nielsen makes it to the game this week?

Rawhide

12-03-2011, 02:04 AM

Impressive defence from Golden Gate so far. Hopefully this early season form isn't a mirage.

bbgunn

12-04-2011, 08:17 PM

Sources: Harlequins bleeding funds

AUSTIN, TX - According to multiple sources, the Texas Harlequins of the North American Rugby Conference has lost a "substantial amount of money" during its nearly one-and-a-half years of existence, and the franchise's future is in doubt.

No NARC team turned a profit in the first season of the NARC, although some franchises, such as Edmonton, New Jersey, and San Diego, are believed to have come close. (The NARC has not released exact financial figures for each team.) At the other end of the spectrum, Texas is believed to have lost more money than any other franchise, with a big gap between them and the next two teams, Capital City and Virginia.

"The ownership group of the Harlequins is committed to professional rugby union in the Austin metropolitan area," said one of the sources, "but it is clear that the team has lost a substantial amount of money during its time in the city. Some solutions need to be found."

A big problem has been attendance - by far the lowest in the league. Texas, which came close to making the playoffs in 1996, averaged about 5,690 fans per game. The Virginia Stars were second-worst with 9,000 fans per game, and every other team in the league had an average of at least 10,000.

"Texas and Virginia were supposed to be the Green Bay Packers of the NARC," said a source close to the Harlequins. "It seems to be working somewhat in Virginia, but not here. We have to compete with the Texas Longhorns football team for fans and money, but they don't have any brand-name teams in Norfolk."

So, what lies ahead for the Harlequins? Officials from the Harlequins and the NARC are tight-lipped about the situation. However, relocation or folding the franchise seem to be serious options for the team if things do not improve in a hurry.

bbgunn

12-04-2011, 10:53 PM

O'Peake wins game for Legends again

CHICAGO - Last week, a truly last-second try by Chicago Legends rookie fly half Ches O'Peake gave his team a 22-17 win over the Texas Harlequins in Austin.

On Friday at home, O'Peake did it again, this time with his foot.

With the score tied at 10-10 in the 78th minute, O'Peake kicked a penalty to put Chicago ahead for good as the Legends defeated the previously-undefeated Vancouver Blue Hawks 13-10 in a defensive struggle.

O'Peake was perfect with his foot all night - he made both his penalty kicks and his only conversion attempt - but it was his teammate, left wing Rob Nielsen, who was named Player of the Game. Nielsen had several key carries, including drawing the defense towards him and brilliantly passing the ball to an open teammate, Logan Hawkins, who scored the only Chicago try on a drive in the 60th minute.

While giving Vancouver (3-1) its first loss ever, Chicago remains undefeated. They are 3-0-1, their only blemish being a tie to Boston.

FINAL SCORE: Vancouver 10, Chicago 13
TOTAL TRIES: Vancouver 1, Chicago 1
CONVERSIONS: Vancouver 1/1, Chicago 1/1
PENALTIES: Vancouver 1/1, Chicago 2/2
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Chicago #11 Rob Nielsen

PLAY-BY-PLAY
12' - Chicago - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 0-0 tie score
13' - Vancouver - TRY [#9 Roberto Beneventi] (CONV GOOD). 7-0 Vancouver
21' - Chicago - no try. 7-0 Vancouver
32' - Chicago - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 7-0 Vancouver
41' - Chicago - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 7-3 Vancouver
48' - Vancouver - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 7-3 Vancouver
58' - Vancouver - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 10-3 Vancouver
60' - Chicago - TRY [#12 Logan Hawkins] (CONV GOOD). 10-10 tie score
66' - Chicago - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 10-10 tie score
78' - Chicago - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 13-10 Chicago

bbgunn

12-04-2011, 10:58 PM

Beacons pound Hoops

BOSTON - Three different players scored tries for Boston as the Beacons (2-1-1) beat the expansion New York Hoops (1-3) 25-3. Boston lock Germain Marchesseault won Player of the Game honors, his second such honor of the year.

FINAL SCORE: New York 3, Boston 25
TOTAL TRIES: New York 0, Boston 3
CONVERSIONS: New York 0/0, Boston 2/3
PENALTIES: New York 1/2, Boston 2/3
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Boston #5 Germain Marchesseault

PLAY-BY-PLAY
6' - Boston - no try. 0-0 tie score
10' - Boston - TRY [#3 Audric Berthelette] (conv no good). 5-0 Boston
22' - Boston - no try. 5-0 Boston
34' - Boston - TRY [#4 Louw Spiering] (CONV GOOD). 12-0 Boston
41' - New York - no try. 12-0 Boston
46' - Boston - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 15-0 Boston
49' - Boston - TRY [#12 Cooper McCourt] (CONV GOOD). 22-0 Boston
52' - Boston - Penalty Kick no good. 22-0 Boston
55' - Boston - no try. 22-0 Boston
65' - New York - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 22-3 Boston
73' - New York - Penalty Kick no good. 22-3 Boston
77' - Boston - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 25-3 Boston

Knights get back to .500, beat woeful Dragons

COLLEGE PARK, MD - New Jersey Knights left wing Larry McGillicuddy did not score a try, but was named Player of the Game for his impact on the Knights' 29-17 win over the Capital City Dragons. McGillicuddy set up a few of his team's tries, including those by Nick Thomas and Adrian Jones.

It looked good for Capital City at halftime, when they led 14-10 at Byrd Stadium. However, after the Dragons made it 17-10 in the 50th minute, Jersey opened things up with three unanswered tries.

New Jersey is now 2-2 on the season, while Capital City is 0-4 for the second straight season.

FINAL SCORE: New Jersey 29, Capital City 17
TOTAL TRIES: New Jersey 4, Capital City 2
CONVERSIONS: New Jersey 3/4, Capital City 2/2
PENALTIES: New Jersey 1/1, Capital City 1/1
PLAYER OF THE GAME: New Jersey #11 Larry McGillicuddy

PLAY-BY-PLAY
6' - Capital City - TRY [#10 James Drake] (CONV GOOD). 7-0 Capital City
13' - New Jersey - TRY [#13 Mohammad Pratt] (CONV GOOD). 7-7 tie score
22' - New Jersey - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 7-7 tie score
28' - Capital City - TRY [#10 James Drake] (CONV GOOD). 14-7 Capital City
33' - New Jersey - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 14-7 Capital City
40' - New Jersey - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 14-10 Capital City
50' - Capital City - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 17-10 Capital City
55' - New Jersey - TRY [#15 Nick Thomas (MacroGuru)] (CONV GOOD). 17-17 tie score
64' - Capital City - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 17-17 tie score
66' - New Jersey - TRY [#14 Noah Kidston] (conv no good). 22-17 New Jersey
72' - New Jersey - TRY [#9 Adrian Jones] (CONV GOOD). 29-17 New Jersey

Stormers improve to 4-0 but lose Kemp

AUSTIN, TX - The Golden Gate Stormers kept their spot atop the NARC world, but that status took a big hit with a key injury.

Stormers fly half Sandy Kemp had two tries and went 2/3 on conversions and a perfect 2-for-2 in penalties - stats that earned him Player of the Game honors - as Golden Gate edged the Texas Harlequins 25-19 on Saturday. However, the story of the game was an injury to the Player of the Game. Kemp suffered a severe knee sprain in the 71st minute of the game. Team doctors say the injury is serious enough to keep him out for about three weeks.

"It looked more serious than that," said Stormers coach Kyler Eccleston. "A big Harlequin fell on his leg. I'm happy that it's just a sprain, But Sandy is a big part of how we play, and we are going to have to play hard without him."

Blind flanker Sam King also had a try in the Golden Gate win.

Golden Gate improves their record to 4-0. Amazingly, they have already won twice has many games as they did in all of 1996! Meanwhile, Texas (1-3) continues to struggle on and off the field. An announced crowd of 5,000 showed up at Texas Memorial Stadium for the game, although observers at the game said there were far less people in the stands.

FINAL SCORE: Golden Gate 25, Texas 19
TOTAL TRIES: Golden Gate 3, Texas 3
CONVERSIONS: Golden Gate 2/3, Texas 2/3
PENALTIES: Golden Gate 2/2, Texas 0/0
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Golden Gate #10 Sandy Kemp

PLAY-BY-PLAY
2' - Golden Gate - TRY [#10 Sandy Kemp (CrimsonFox)] (CONV GOOD). 7-0 Golden Gate
13' - Texas - TRY [#2 Aloin Mainville] (conv no good). 7-5 Golden Gate
16' - Golden Gate - TRY [#6 Sam King (Rawhide)] (conv no good). 12-5 Golden Gate
17' - Golden Gate - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 12-5 Golden Gate
20' - Texas - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 12-5 Golden Gate
26' - Golden Gate - TRY [#10 Sandy Kemp (CrimsonFox)] (CONV GOOD). 19-5 Golden Gate
27' - Texas - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 19-5 Golden Gate
33' - Golden Gate - no try. 19-5 Golden Gate
39' - Texas - TRY [#12 Gary Wallace] (CONV GOOD). 19-12 Golden Gate
51' - Texas - TRY [#11 Mason Letourneau] (CONV GOOD). 19-19 tie score
53' - Golden Gate - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 22-19 Golden Gate
58' - Texas - no try. 22-19 Golden Gate
68' - Golden Gate - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 25-19 Golden Gate
74' - Golden Gate - no try. 25-19 Golden Gate

Mission win second straight, beat Mashers

SAN DIEGO - It's not often that the Edmonton Mashers get held to as low as five points. In fact, it had never happened, not before the San Diego Mission (2-2) did just that on Saturday. Despite a below-average kicking day, Mission fly half Richard Benner was named Player of the Game for his offensive and defensive play as his team defeated the visiting Mashers 28-5 in what could be considered a shock result - shocking because Edmonton (2-2) had extremely few try-scoring opportunities.

"My goodness, what a defensive performance by the boys," the Mission's Australian head coach Fletcher Barton said. "They were playing at the highest level."

Edmonton's only points of the game did not come until the 77th minute. That is the closest that any team in NARC history has come to being shut out.

FINAL SCORE: Edmonton 5, San Diego 28
TOTAL TRIES: Edmonton 1, San Diego 4
CONVERSIONS: Edmonton 0/1, San Diego 1/4
PENALTIES: Edmonton 0/0, San Diego 2/3
PLAYER OF THE GAME: San Diego #10 Richard Benner

PLAY-BY-PLAY
6' - San Diego - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 0-0 tie score
13' - San Diego - TRY [#5 Forrest Lachapelle] (conv no good). 5-0 San Diego
22' - San Diego - Penalty Kick no good. 5-0 San Diego
27' - San Diego - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 8-0 San Diego
37' - San Diego - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 8-0 San Diego
48' - San Diego - TRY [#10 Richard Benner] (conv no good). 13-0 San Diego
51' - San Diego - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 16-0 San Diego
60' - Edmonton - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 16-0 San Diego
66' - San Diego - TRY [#9 Angus Warrington] (conv no good). 21-0 San Diego
69' - San Diego - TRY [#14 Ben Winning] (CONV GOOD). 28-0 San Diego
77' - Edmonton - TRY [#4 Ruurd Vriends] (conv no good). 28-5 San Diego

L.A. was Ready in win over Stars

LOS ANGELES - After starting the season 0-3, there were a few calls for Los Angeles Sharks head coach William Ready's head. Those calls have been put on hold for the moment after the Sharks (1-3) surprisingly defeated the visiting Virginia Stars (2-2) 27-7. Los Angeles hooker Peverell Edouard had two tries, but left wing Sammy Reilly was named Player of the Game.

FINAL SCORE: Virginia 7, Los Angeles 27
TOTAL TRIES: Virginia 1, Los Angeles 4
CONVERSIONS: Virginia 1/1, Los Angeles 2/4
PENALTIES: Virginia 0/0, Los Angeles 1/2
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Los Angeles #11 Sammy Reilly

PLAY-BY-PLAY
1' - Los Angeles - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 0-0 tie score
4' - Virginia - no try. 0-0 tie score
7' - Los Angeles - Penalty Kick no good. 0-0 tie score
15' - Los Angeles - TRY [#2 Peverell Édouard] (CONV GOOD). 7-0 Los Angeles
18' - Virginia - TRY [#11 Diego Zito] (CONV GOOD). 7-7 tie score
22' - Los Angeles - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 7-7 tie score
26' - Los Angeles - no try. 7-7 tie score
30' - Los Angeles - TRY [#11 Sammy Reilly] (conv no good). 12-7 Los Angeles
37' - Virginia - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 12-7 Los Angeles
39' - Los Angeles - TRY [#12 Dominic Hooper] (conv no good). 17-7 Los Angeles
48' - Los Angeles - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 20-7 Los Angeles
53' - Los Angeles - no try. 20-7 Los Angeles
63' - Virginia - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 20-7 Los Angeles
74' - Los Angeles - TRY [#2 Peverell Édouard] (CONV GOOD). 27-7 Los Angeles

bbgunn

12-04-2011, 11:00 PM

WEEK 4 PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Golden Gate's Sandy Kemp had the better statistical day, but even without putting any points on the scoreboard, Chicago's Rob Nielsen had a big impact in the Legends' win over Vancouver, giving him the edge for Player of the Week. Kemp need not worry, though; with four overall points, he has taken the lead in the season MVP race... for now.

1st place (3 pts in the MVP standings) – Chicago #11 Rob Nielsen
2nd place (2 pts) – Golden Gate #10 Sandy Kemp
3rd place (1 pt) – San Diego #10 Richard Benner

NARC STANDINGS AFTER WEEK 4

EASTERN GP W L T Pts BP PF PA Pdiff
Chicago 4 3 0 1 14 0 80 65 15
Boston 4 2 1 1 11 1 104 58 46
New Jersey 4 2 2 0 10 2 126 97 29
Virginia 4 2 2 0 9 1 79 74 5
New York 4 1 3 0 5 1 63 87 -24
Capital City 4 0 4 0 0 0 52 145 -93

WESTERN GP W L T Pts BP PF PA Pdiff
Golden Gate 4 4 0 0 18 2 107 54 53
Vancouver 4 3 1 0 15 3 100 55 45
San Diego 4 2 2 0 11 3 81 86 -5
Edmonton 4 2 2 0 10 2 73 78 -5
Texas 4 1 3 0 7 3 77 88 -11
Los Angeles 4 1 3 0 6 2 64 119 -55

WEEK 5 GAMES

It's no longer a matchup of unbeaten teams, but the clash between Golden Gate and Vancouver is still significant, as the winner will take control of the Western Division. The Chicago-New Jersey game is must-see TV as well.

Friday - April 11th, 1997
Boston at Edmonton (CBS)

Saturday - April 12th, 1997
Texas at New York
Chicago at New Jersey
Capital City at Virginia
Los Angeles at San Diego
Golden Gate at Vancouver (CBS)

bbgunn

12-04-2011, 11:13 PM

Capital City's Gardener "safe for now", while his players fight

COLLEGE PARK, MD - After the Captial City Dragons started 0-4 for the second year in a row, there were questions about whether or not head coach Gus Gardener would be fired after the team lost to New Jersey on Saturday. However, ownership has given him more time. "Coach Gardener's position is safe for now," an official team statement said. "He has bounced back from adversity before, and we think he is capable of doing it again. We wish Coach Gardener the best of luck against the Virginia Stars this weekend."

While Gardener's job is all good right now, things are far from good in his locker room. Multiple sources reported that several players fought among themselves in the wake of the team's loss to New Jersey. One source said that there is growing frustration among players who feel that the team should be performing better than they have.

bbgunn

12-06-2011, 09:31 PM

Beacons have no problem beating Mashers

EDMONTON, AB - What has happened to the Mashers? They seem to have disappeared the past couple of weeks. For the second straight game, Edmonton failed to crack ten points, this time at home, as they lost to the Boston Beacons 31-7 on a cold Friday night. Rookie inside center Cooper McCourt had a big game for Boston (3-1-1), scoring a try in the process, and he was named Player of the Game.

Boston's defense held its opponent to single digits for the third time this season. Meanwhile, the offensive struggles continue for Edmonton (2-3), and questions surround the defending Western Division champion. When asked about a lack of consistency on offense, Mashers coach Roger Bagley, who is known for his conservative approach to offense, said simply, "We'll work it out. There's a lot of rugby left to be played."

FINAL SCORE: Boston 31, Edmonton 7
TOTAL TRIES: Boston 4, Edmonton 1
CONVERSIONS: Boston 4/4, Edmonton 1/1
PENALTIES: Boston 1/2, Edmonton 0/0
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Boston #12 Cooper McCourt

PLAY-BY-PLAY
6' - Boston - TRY [#3 Audric Berthelette] (CONV GOOD). 7-0 Boston
15' - Boston - TRY [#10 Astolpho Beaulieu] (CONV GOOD). 14-0 Boston
19' - Boston - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 17-0 Boston
28' - Edmonton - no try. 17-0 Boston
39' - Boston - Penalty Kick no good. 17-0 Boston
43' - Boston - TRY [#12 Cooper McCourt] (CONV GOOD). 24-0 Boston
48' - Edmonton - no try. 24-0 Boston
60' - Boston - TRY [#11 Massimiliano Jones] (CONV GOOD). 31-0 Boston
68' - Edmonton - TRY [#9 Griffin Brander] (CONV GOOD). 31-7 Boston
76' - Edmonton - no try. 31-7 Boston

bbgunn

12-06-2011, 09:34 PM

Hoops end skid with win over Harlequins

HEMPSTEAD, NY - A big offensive second half saw the host New York Hoops pull away, then hold off a Texas Harlequins comeback attempt, and they won 30-25. New York (2-3) rookie fly half Fitz Benoit had a perfect kicking day as well as scoring a try, and he won Player of the Game honors. Texas falls to 1-4.

FINAL SCORE: Texas 25, New York 30
TOTAL TRIES: Texas 3, New York 3
CONVERSIONS: Texas 2/3, New York 3/3
PENALTIES: Texas 2/2, New York 3/3
PLAYER OF THE GAME: New York #10 Fitz Benoit

PLAY-BY-PLAY
8' - Texas - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 3-0 Texas
16' - Texas - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 6-0 Texas
24' - New York - TRY [#10 Fitz Benoit] (CONV GOOD). 7-6 New York
25' - New York - no try. 7-6 New York
34' - Texas - no try. 7-6 New York
36' - Texas - no try. 7-6 New York
43' - Texas - TRY [#10 Darcy Schmella] (conv no good). 11-7 Texas
44' - New York - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 11-10 Texas
52' - New York - no try. 11-10 Texas
58' - New York - TRY [#4 Adalrico Padovesi] (CONV GOOD). 17-11 New York
64' - Texas - TRY [#14 Koby Brodzky] (CONV GOOD). 18-17 Texas
65' - New York - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 20-18 New York
71' - New York - TRY [#2 William White] (CONV GOOD). 27-18 New York
76' - New York - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 30-18 New York
77' - Texas - TRY [#4 Aidan Corrie] (CONV GOOD). 30-25 New York

Knights' shutout of Legends first in league history

PISCATAWAY, NJ - The New Jersey Knights left wing Larry McGillicuddy had a good day on the field, creating offense, scoring a try, and winning the Player of the Game award. But the defense was the story on Saturday, as the Knights blanked the Chicago Legends 24-0 in a big division win. The shutout was the first in NARC history.

Chicago (3-1-1) had several try-scoring opportunities forfeited by offensive penalties, so it appears that they were to blame for their failure to score. However, New Jersey (3-2) was vicious on defense, making several unbelievable tackles and frustrating their opponents.

"They got in our heads," said a dejected Dave Waterman, head coach of the Legends. "We have to be mentally tough to win against New Jersey, and we weren't."

To make matters worse for the Legends, they lost outside center Timotheus Langeler to an elbow injury early in the game. He missed the rest of the game and will miss the Week 6 game against Virginia as well.

New Jersey is now level with Chicago in the division in second place. Both teams have 14 standings points.

FINAL SCORE: Chicago 0, New Jersey 24
TOTAL TRIES: Chicago 0, New Jersey 3
CONVERSIONS: Chicago 0/0, New Jersey 3/3
PENALTIES: Chicago 0/0, New Jersey 1/1
PLAYER OF THE GAME: New Jersey #11 Larry McGillicuddy

PLAY-BY-PLAY
1' - New Jersey - TRY [#13 Mohammad Pratt] (CONV GOOD). 7-0 New Jersey
4' - Chicago - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 7-0 New Jersey
16' - Chicago - no try. 7-0 New Jersey
18' - New Jersey - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 7-0 New Jersey
30' - Chicago - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 7-0 New Jersey
39' - Chicago - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 7-0 New Jersey
40' - New Jersey - TRY [#14 Noah Kidston] (CONV GOOD). 14-0 New Jersey
49' - New Jersey - no try. 14-0 New Jersey
55' - New Jersey - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 17-0 New Jersey
65' - Chicago - no try. 17-0 New Jersey
73' - New Jersey - TRY [#11 Larry McGillicuddy (larrymcg421)] (CONV GOOD). 24-0 New Jersey
80' - Chicago - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 24-0 New Jersey

Dragons win first of year with second half comeback over Stars

NORFOLK, VA - The Virginia Stars are full of sportsmanship. How nice of them to help both the Los Angeles Sharks and the Capital City Dragons win their first games of the year in successive weeks.

The Dragons (1-4) came back from a 6-0 deficit to beat the sliding Stars 17-6. Capital City fly half James Drake stood out with his play, especially in the second half. Much like he did last season, when he willed his team to a win after they started 0-6, Drake may have saved head coach Gus Gardener's job.

"Listen," Drake said. "Coach Gus is a good coach. He put us in position to win today. I just did my part."

After drilling New Jersey in Week 3, Virginia (2-3) has now lost to two of the worst performing teams in the NARC in successive weeks. Meanwhile, some are questioning right wing Kuji Chagulia, who, despite being one of the fastest players in the league, has not even come close to scoring a try this season.

FINAL SCORE: Capital City 17, Virginia 6
TOTAL TRIES: Capital City 2, Virginia 0
CONVERSIONS: Capital City 2/2, Virginia 0/0
PENALTIES: Capital City 1/1, Virginia 2/2
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Capital City #10 James Drake

PLAY-BY-PLAY
11' - Virginia - no try. 0-0 tie score
12' - Virginia - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 0-0 tie score
23' - Virginia - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 0-0 tie score
33' - Virginia - no try. 0-0 tie score
38' - Virginia - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 3-0 Virginia
50' - Virginia - no try. 3-0 Virginia
52' - Virginia - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 6-0 Virginia
57' - Capital City - TRY [#2 Ty Ross] (CONV GOOD). 7-6 Capital City
58' - Capital City - TRY [#11 Lorenzo Kraan] (CONV GOOD). 14-6 Capital City
67' - Capital City - no try. 14-6 Capital City
71' - Capital City - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 17-6 Capital City

Sharks win second straight, defeat rival Mission

SAN DIEGO - No love is lost when the Los Angeles Sharks and San Diego Mission get together, and that was the case on Saturday as well. Both teams played a physical game, and in the end it was L.A. on top 21-14. The win was the Sharks' second straight after starting 0-3. Fly half Taylor Bevan scored a try and hit all of his conversion attempts.

FINAL SCORE: Los Angeles 21, San Diego 14
TOTAL TRIES: Los Angeles 3, San Diego 2
CONVERSIONS: Los Angeles 3/3, San Diego 2/2
PENALTIES: Los Angeles 0/0, San Diego 0/0
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Los Angeles #10 Taylor Bevan

PLAY-BY-PLAY
7' - San Diego - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 0-0 tie score
16' - Los Angeles - no try. 0-0 tie score
23' - San Diego - TRY [#10 Richard Benner] (CONV GOOD). 7-0 San Diego
27' - Los Angeles - TRY [#11 Sammy Reilly] (CONV GOOD). 7-7 tie score
34' - Los Angeles - TRY [#10 Taylor Bevan] (CONV GOOD). 14-7 Los Angeles
45' - Los Angeles - TRY [#5 Raymond Labrosse] (CONV GOOD). 21-7 Los Angeles
48' - Los Angeles - no try. 21-7 Los Angeles
56' - Los Angeles - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 21-7 Los Angeles
59' - Los Angeles - no try. 21-7 Los Angeles
60' - San Diego - TRY [#15 Reece Atkins] (CONV GOOD). 21-14 Los Angeles
72' - Los Angeles - no try. 21-14 Los Angeles

No Kemp? No problem as Stormers dominate Blue Hawks

VANCOUVER - Nearly 27,000 fans flocked to B.C. Place as their team, the Vancouver Blue Hawks, welcomed the high-flying Golden Gate Stormers in a battle for Western Division supremacy. With Stormers fly half Sandy Kemp out with a knee injury, Vancouver had to like their chances.

It didn't take them long to start hating their chances.

Golden Gate scored four tries in the first 30 minutes of play, then added three more in the second half, all while keeping Vancouver (3-2) out of the in-touch area, as the Stormers won 43-3. And remember, MVP-candidate Kemp was out of the game.

"Sandy is a major part of this team," said Stormers left wing Nate Fereday, who had two tries, "and we have a better chance to win with him on the pitch. But we have a lot of talent on this team, and we showed that today."

Speaking of talent, flanker Sam King was named Player of the Game. The Stormers rookie was stellar on defense, plus he scored two tries. It's unusual when a flanker is a dual threat, but when King gets his hands on the ball, he is hard to tackle more often than not.

Now at 5-0, Golden Gate has surpassed New Jersey's 4-0 start last year. And what do you know, New Jersey comes to Palo Alto in Week 6. If you recall, it was Golden Gate that ended the Knights' perfect start in Palo Alto last season. To get revenge against the Stormers in the same location would be sweet.

FINAL SCORE: Golden Gate 43, Vancouver 3
TOTAL TRIES: Golden Gate 7, Vancouver 0
CONVERSIONS: Golden Gate 4/7, Vancouver 0/0
PENALTIES: Golden Gate 0/0, Vancouver 1/1
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Golden Gate #6 Sam King

PLAY-BY-PLAY
2' - Golden Gate - TRY [#6 Sam King (Rawhide)] (conv no good). 5-0 Golden Gate
13' - Golden Gate - TRY [#13 Nicholas Mansom] (conv no good). 10-0 Golden Gate
22' - Golden Gate - TRY [#3 August Peace] (CONV GOOD). 17-0 Golden Gate
29' - Golden Gate - TRY [#7 Luke Tims] (CONV GOOD). 24-0 Golden Gate
39' - Golden Gate - no try. 24-0 Golden Gate
43' - Golden Gate - TRY [#6 Sam King (Rawhide)] (CONV GOOD). 31-0 Golden Gate
51' - Vancouver - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 31-3 Golden Gate
55' - Golden Gate - no try. 31-3 Golden Gate
60' - Golden Gate - no try. 31-3 Golden Gate
63' - Golden Gate - TRY [#11 Nate Fereday] (conv no good). 36-3 Golden Gate
75' - Golden Gate - TRY [#11 Nate Fereday] (CONV GOOD). 43-3 Golden Gate

bbgunn

12-06-2011, 09:35 PM

WEEK 5 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Voters couldn't argue much with Sam King's play for Golden Gate against Vancouver. He was named Player of the Week.

1st place (3 pts in the MVP standings) – Golden Gate #6 Sam King
2nd place (2 pts) – New Jersey #11 Larry McGillicuddy
3rd place (1 pt) – New York #10 Fitz Benoit

NARC STANDINGS AFTER WEEK 5

EASTERN GP W L T Pts BP PF PA Pdiff
Boston 5 3 1 1 16 2 135 65 70
New Jersey 5 3 2 0 14 2 150 97 53
Chicago 5 3 1 1 14 0 80 89 -9
Virginia 5 2 3 0 9 1 85 91 -6
New York 5 2 3 0 9 1 93 112 -19
Capital City 5 1 4 0 4 0 69 151 -82

WESTERN GP W L T Pts BP PF PA Pdiff
Golden Gate 5 5 0 0 23 3 150 57 93
Vancouver 5 3 2 0 15 3 103 98 5
San Diego 5 2 3 0 12 4 95 107 -12
Edmonton 5 2 3 0 10 2 80 109 -29
Los Angeles 5 2 3 0 10 2 85 133 -48
Texas 5 1 4 0 8 4 102 118 -16

In the Eastern Division, look out! New Jersey is just two points behind Boston. Chicago is also two points behind and in good position, but they need to improve on their offense, a unit that is better than only Capital City's.

WEEK 6 GAMES

The best matchup of Week 6 is easily the New Jersey-Golden Gate showdown at Stanford Stadium on Saturday. Is New Jersey really a contender? They can prove it by either beating Golden Gate or playing them close. Also, a battle of expansion teams is on the cards as the Hoops travel to Vancouver.

Friday - April 18th, 1997
Capital City at Los Angeles (CBS)

Saturday - April 19th, 1997
San Diego at Boston
Virginia at Chicago
Edmonton at Texas
New Jersey at Golden Gate (CBS)
New York at Vancouver

Rawhide

12-07-2011, 03:00 AM

Still reading, mainly because this dynasty is still excellent.

Travis

12-07-2011, 03:54 PM

Gah, time to turn the season around.

Coffee Warlord

12-07-2011, 04:11 PM

Clearly, I need to start carrying a shiv on the field.

bbgunn

12-07-2011, 06:01 PM

Still reading, mainly because this dynasty is still excellent.

Thanks for the comment! It's certainly been a good year for King at Golden Gate.

Gah, time to turn the season around.

I cannot figure out why Edmonton is playing so poorly. Maybe a coaching change is in order?

Clearly, I need to start carrying a shiv on the field.

Yeah, that might open up some space for Nielsen to run for some tries. A shiv might open up a few other things, too.

Travis

12-07-2011, 10:58 PM

I cannot figure out why Edmonton is playing so poorly. Maybe a coaching change is in order?

Must be time to go back to the old system ;)

bbgunn

12-07-2011, 11:11 PM

Sharks win third straight, beat Dragons

LOS ANGELES - Don't look now, but the Los Angeles Sharks are the hottest team in the league not named Golden Gate. The Sharks are now 3-3 after beating the Capital City Dragons 27-19 on Friday night at Memorial Coliseum. Los Angeles left wing Sammy Reilly had two tries, while Dragons fly half James Drake also had the same amount.

L.A. has now won three straight games, and it seems that head coach William Ready has righted the ship just in time to make a charge at the playoffs. Capital City (1-5) was hoping to win their second straight and make a run like they did last season, but this team looks woeful right now.

After the game, the Capital City ownership released a statement saying that Gus Gardener "will be our head coach for the remainder of the 1997 season." They went on to say that they have not "discussed Gardener's status for 1998 and beyond at this time and will not do so until after the season has completed." The statement was in response to rumors that said Gardener would be fired should the Dragons lose at Los Angeles. However, with games coming up against Chicago, Golden Gate, San Diego and Edmonton in the next five weeks, management may have concluded that a new coach would not make much of a difference.

FINAL SCORE: Capital City 19, Los Angeles 27
TOTAL TRIES: Capital City 3, Los Angeles 4
CONVERSIONS: Capital City 2/3, Los Angeles 2/4
PENALTIES: Capital City 0/0, Los Angeles 1/2
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Los Angeles #11 Sammy Reilly

PLAY-BY-PLAY
4' - Los Angeles - TRY [#1 Toby Gallagher] (conv no good). 5-0 Los Angeles
10' - Los Angeles - Penalty Kick no good. 5-0 Los Angeles
19' - Los Angeles - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 8-0 Los Angeles
25' - Capital City - TRY [#4 Nicolas Dandonneau] (CONV GOOD). 8-7 Los Angeles
26' - Los Angeles - TRY [#11 Sammy Reilly] (CONV GOOD). 15-7 Los Angeles
31' - Capital City - TRY [#10 James Drake] (conv no good). 15-12 Los Angeles
42' - Capital City - no try. 15-12 Los Angeles
45' - Capital City - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 15-12 Los Angeles
57' - Capital City - TRY [#10 James Drake] (CONV GOOD). 19-15 Capital City
62' - Los Angeles - TRY [#11 Sammy Reilly] (conv no good). 20-19 Los Angeles
72' - Los Angeles - no try. 20-19 Los Angeles
73' - Los Angeles - TRY [#5 Raymond Labrosse] (CONV GOOD). 27-19 Los Angeles

bbgunn

12-07-2011, 11:13 PM

Mission win lackluster game at Boston

BOSTON - It was not a pretty game by any stretch of the imagination, but San Diego will take it. The Mission took their first lead of the game in the 58th minute on an Angus Warrington try, and they withstood a couple of close calls by the Boston Beacons (3-2-1), as San Diego (3-3) won 12-8. The win was San Diego's third in their last four games.

FINAL SCORE: San Diego 12, Boston 8
TOTAL TRIES: San Diego 2, Boston 1
CONVERSIONS: San Diego 1/2, Boston 0/1
PENALTIES: San Diego 0/0, Boston 1/1
PLAYER OF THE GAME: San Diego #12 Thomas Alston

PLAY-BY-PLAY
4' - Boston - no try. 0-0 tie score
15' - Boston - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 0-0 tie score
19' - San Diego - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 0-0 tie score
25' - Boston - TRY [#12 Cooper McCourt] (conv no good). 5-0 Boston
30' - San Diego - TRY [#14 Ben Winning] (conv no good). 5-5 tie score
34' - San Diego - no try. 5-5 tie score
46' - Boston - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 8-5 Boston
58' - San Diego - TRY [#9 Angus Warrington] (CONV GOOD). 12-8 San Diego
67' - Boston - no try. 12-8 San Diego
71' - Boston - no try. 12-8 San Diego

Poor kicking the difference as Legends lose to Stars

CHICAGO - Virginia right wing Kuji Chagulia scored his first try of the season and was named Player of the Game as the Stars (3-3) edged the Chicago Legends 20-15. Chicago (3-2-1) actually had more tries than Virginia, edging them 3-2, but Chicago fly half Ches O'Peake left six points off the board by missing all three of his conversion attempts, and that proved to be the difference.

"People forget that he's a rookie," Legends head coach Dave Waterman said of O'Peake. "He's still had a pretty good season."

FINAL SCORE: Virginia 20, Chicago 15
TOTAL TRIES: Virginia 2, Chicago 3
CONVERSIONS: Virginia 2/2, Chicago 0/3
PENALTIES: Virginia 2/2, Chicago 0/0
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Virginia #14 Kuji Chagulia

PLAY-BY-PLAY
3' - Chicago - no try. 0-0 tie score
7' - Virginia - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 3-0 Virginia
12' - Chicago - TRY [#11 Rob Nielsen (Coffee Warlord)] (conv no good). 5-3 Chicago
24' - Chicago - no try. 5-3 Chicago
34' - Virginia - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 6-5 Virginia
41' - Virginia - TRY [#14 Kuji Chagulia (bbgunn)] (CONV GOOD). 13-5 Virginia
52' - Chicago - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 13-5 Virginia
61' - Chicago - TRY [#14 Orson Vaillancourt] (conv no good). 13-10 Virginia
65' - Virginia - TRY [#9 Nathan Sims] (CONV GOOD). 20-10 Virginia
72' - Chicago - TRY [#10 Ches O’Peake (chesapeake)] (conv no good). 20-15 Virginia
76' - Virginia - no try. 20-15 Virginia

Mashers get needed win against Harlequins

AUSTIN, TX - After playing poorly the past couple of weeks, the Edmonton Mashers - one of the preseason favorites to win it all in 1997 - needed to win against a bad Texas Harlequins, even though the game was on the road, and they did just that, beating Texas 25-7. Jace Hunter, David McCoy and Joe Theriot all scored tries for the visitors, but scrum half Griffin Brander was the Player of the Game. Attendance at Texas Memorial Stadium? A league record-low 2,340.

FINAL SCORE: Edmonton 25, Texas 7
TOTAL TRIES: Edmonton 3, Texas 1
CONVERSIONS: Edmonton 2/3, Texas 1/1
PENALTIES: Edmonton 2/2, Texas 0/0
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Edmonton #9 Griffin Brander

PLAY-BY-PLAY
6' - Texas - no try. 0-0 tie score
11' - Edmonton - TRY [#10 Jace Hunter (Travis)] (CONV GOOD). 7-0 Edmonton
22' - Edmonton - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 7-0 Edmonton
27' - Edmonton - no try. 7-0 Edmonton
35' - Texas - TRY [#12 Gary Wallace] (CONV GOOD). 7-7 tie score
46' - Edmonton - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 10-7 Edmonton
47' - Edmonton - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 13-7 Edmonton
49' - Edmonton - TRY [#7 David McCoy] (conv no good). 18-7 Edmonton
55' - Edmonton - TRY [#11 Joe Theriot] (CONV GOOD). 25-7 Edmonton
62' - Texas - no try. 25-7 Edmonton
73' - Edmonton - no try. 25-7 Edmonton

Stormers remain undefeated, beat Knights

PALO ALTO, CA - CBS billed this game as a revenge opportunity for the New Jersey Knights, refering to last year's matchup in Palo Alto, when the Golden Gate Stormers ended the Knights' hopes for an unbeaten regular season. The Knights were hoping to do the same thing to the Stormers here, but New Jersey had no answers in a 34-17 loss. Golden Gate scrum half Alf Linster had three tries and won Player of the Game honors. A team-record 27,340 people were on hand at Stanford Stadium to witness the event.

It wasn't all bad for the Knights. After going down as much as 19-3 in the first half, they scored a try to make it 19-10 at the half. It was 19-17 after a Mohammad Pratt try in the 50th minute, but that's when Golden Gate took over, scoring 15 unanswered points. Golden Gate is clearly the class of the NARC in 1997. What's even scarier is that starting fly half Sandy Kemp returns to the lineup in Week 7 as they travel to Virginia.

FINAL SCORE: New Jersey 17, Golden Gate 34
TOTAL TRIES: New Jersey 2, Golden Gate 5
CONVERSIONS: New Jersey 2/2, Golden Gate 3/5
PENALTIES: New Jersey 1/1, Golden Gate 1/1
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Golden Gate #9 Alf Linster

PLAY-BY-PLAY
3' - Golden Gate - TRY [#9 Alf Linster (Alf)] (CONV GOOD). 7-0 Golden Gate
13' - New Jersey - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 7-3 Golden Gate
24' - Golden Gate - no try. 7-3 Golden Gate
29' - Golden Gate - TRY [#11 Nate Fereday] (CONV GOOD). 14-3 Golden Gate
39' - Golden Gate - TRY [#9 Alf Linster (Alf)] (conv no good). 19-3 Golden Gate
40' - New Jersey - TRY [#5 Rhys Duncan] (CONV GOOD). 19-10 Golden Gate
42' - New Jersey - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 19-10 Golden Gate
47' - New Jersey - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 19-10 Golden Gate
50' - New Jersey - TRY [#13 Mohammad Pratt] (CONV GOOD). 19-17 Golden Gate
60' - Golden Gate - TRY [#12 Alexis Quenneville] (CONV GOOD). 26-17 Golden Gate
62' - Golden Gate - TRY [#9 Alf Linster (Alf)] (conv no good). 31-17 Golden Gate
73' - Golden Gate - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 34-17 Golden Gate

Hoops win ugly battle of expansion teams

VANCOUVER - Perhaps inspired by the San Diego-Boston matchup earlier in the day, the New York Hoops and Vancouver Blue Hawks played like expansion teams, with New York edging Vancouver 12-10 in a ghastly game.

For the first time in NARC history, the Player of the Game award went to a player on the losing team. Vancouver's rookie right wing Benton Breeze had a number of fantastic runs in the game, scoring one try and getting his team close to the tryline on a number of other occasions, only to have his teammates give away those try-scoring chances. Breeze played well enough to win the game for Vancouver, but his teammates had other ideas.

FINAL SCORE: New York 12, Vancouver 10
TOTAL TRIES: New York 2, Vancouver 1
CONVERSIONS: New York 1/2, Vancouver 1/1
PENALTIES: New York 0/0, Vancouver 1/2
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Vancouver #14 Benton Breeze

PLAY-BY-PLAY
9' - Vancouver - no try. 0-0 tie score
21' - Vancouver - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 3-0 Vancouver
32' - New York - TRY [#9 James Smith] (conv no good). 5-3 New York
37' - Vancouver - no try. 5-3 New York
45' - New York - no try. 5-3 New York
46' - Vancouver - Penalty Kick no good. 5-3 New York
51' - Vancouver - TRY [#14 Benton Breeze (Breeze)] (CONV GOOD). 10-5 Vancouver
57' - Vancouver - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 10-5 Vancouver
68' - New York - no try. 10-5 Vancouver
69' - Vancouver - no try. 10-5 Vancouver
78' - New York - TRY [#7 Quirijn van Vonderen] (CONV GOOD). 12-10 New York

bbgunn

12-07-2011, 11:34 PM

WEEK 6 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Linster's big day gave him his first Player of the Week award. Not only that, Linster leads teammates Sandy Kemp and Sam King with five overall points in the MVP standings. Kemp and King have four each. It is believed to be the first time that one team has had the top three players in the MVP standings at any given time.

1st place (3 pts in the MVP standings) – Golden Gate #9 Alf Linster
2nd place (2 pts) – Virginia #14 Kuji Chagulia
3rd place (1 pt) – Edmonton #9 Griffin Brander

NARC STANDINGS AFTER WEEK 6

EASTERN GP W L T Pts BP PF PA Pdiff
Boston 6 3 2 1 17 3 143 79 64
Chicago 6 3 2 1 15 1 95 109 -14
New Jersey 6 3 3 0 14 2 167 131 36
Virginia 6 3 3 0 13 1 105 106 -1
New York 6 3 3 0 13 1 105 122 -17
Capital City 6 1 5 0 4 0 90 178 -88

WESTERN GP W L T Pts BP PF PA Pdiff
Golden Gate 6 6 0 0 28 4 184 60 124
Vancouver 6 3 3 0 16 4 113 110 3
San Diego 6 3 3 0 16 4 107 115 -8
Los Angeles 6 3 3 0 15 3 112 152 -40
Edmonton 6 3 3 0 13 1 91 116 -25
Texas 6 1 5 0 8 4 109 143 -34

Basically, it's Golden Gate up high, and a sea of mediocrity below them. Think about this one: the Stormers have a higher point differential than nine other teams have points scored! That is dominance.

WEEK 7 GAMES

Can you think of a must-see matchup in Week 7? We can't. The two New York City-area teams face off in the first NARC derby as the Hoops travel to Rutgers Stadium. But will the actual game be good? The Stormers travel across the country to face Virginia in their first game of the season in the Eastern Time Zone. North of the border, Commonwealth Stadium will host the first all-Canadian NARC game. Los Angeles will try to win its fourth straight game as they host the Beacons.

Friday - April 25th, 1997
New York at New Jersey (CBS)

Saturday - April 26th, 1997
Chicago at Capital City
Golden Gate at Virginia
Vancouver at Edmonton
Texas at San Diego
Boston at Los Angeles (CBS)

****

MID-SEASON STATS REPORT

At the halfway point of the NARC's second season, a rookie, Boston's Cooper McCourt, leads all try scorers with eight. He is on pace to best Larry McGillicuddy's try total from last season (15). Meanwhile, he doesn't get much press lately, but New Jersey fly half Charles Munn is having a pretty good kicking year, especially when it comes to penalties. Munn has had nine attempts and he has made them all.

TRIES SCORED
1. Boston #12 Cooper McCourt, 8
t2. Capital City #10 James Drake, 6
t2. Golden Gate #10 Sandy Kemp, 6
t2. Golden Gate #11 Nate Fereday, 6
t2. Los Angeles #11 Sammy Reilly, 6
t6. Golden Gate #9 Alf Linster, 5
t6. New Jersey #9 Adrian Jones, 5
t6. Vancouver #14 Benton Breeze, 5

CONVERSIONS MADE
1. Charles Munn, NJ, 15
2. Astolpho Beaulieu, BOS, 12
3. six others, including Sandy Kemp, GG and Jace Hunter, EDM, 11

CONVERSION PERCENTAGE
t1. Fitz Benoit, NY, 84.6%
t1. Jace Hunter, EDM, 84.6%
t1. Roddy Kelly, VA, 84.6%
4. Sandy Kemp, GG, 78.6%
t5. Taylor Bevan, LA, 73.3%
t5. Darcy Schmella, TX, 73.3%

PENALTIES MADE
1. Charles Munn, NJ, 9
2. Astolpho Beaulieu, BOS, 7
t3. Fitz Benoit, NY, 6
t3. Jace Hunter, EDM, 6
t3. Roddy Kelly, VA, 6

PENALTY PERCENTAGE
t1. Charles Munn, NJ, 100.0%
t1. Sandy Kemp, GG, 100.0%
t1. Darcy Schmella, TX, 100.0%
4. Roddy Kelly, VA, 85.7%
5. Jace Hunter, EDM, 75.0%

Finally, a quick look at the all-time NARC leaders after one and a half seasons. New Jersey teammates Larry McGillicuddy and Noah Kidston are tied at 17 apiece, while Golden Gate's Nate Fereday is third with 12.

No kicker is even close to Charles Munn's 50 total conversions. (It helps, though, when you are on an offense as prolific as the New Jersey Knights'.) Second place on that list, with 41, is San Diego's Richard Benner, while Edmonton's Jace Hunter (39) is third. Out of kickers with at least 40 conversion attempts, Benner has the highest career percentage (71.9%), with Hunter (67.2%) and Munn (66.7%) trailing.

For total penalties, again, Munn is your mann... uh, man. He has racked up 27 penalties out of 28 attempts. His 96.4% penalty success rate is easily the highest in the NARC out of players with at least ten attempts. Trailing Munn in the totals are Capital City's James Drake (16) and Golden Gate's Sandy Kemp (15). Trailing Munn in career percentage are Boston's Durante Zetticci (75.0%), who retired after last season, and his successor, Astolpho Beaulieu (70.0%). Kemp is fourth with 62.5%.

Alf

12-08-2011, 06:43 AM

Go me, Go Stormers !

Breeze

12-08-2011, 09:31 AM

Player of the game is nice, but I'd have rather gotten the win...

bbgunn

12-08-2011, 07:28 PM

Knights bounce back with derby win over Hoops

PISCATAWAY, NJ - After getting creamed by the Golden Gate Stormers last week, the New Jersey Knights came home and took out their frustrations on their brethren from Long Island. 1996 MVP right wing Noah Kidston and fullback Nick Thomas had two tries each as the Knights defeated the New York Hoops 41-7 on Friday night. Knights left wing Larry McGillicuddy also had a try and was named Player of the Game. The Hoops never led in the blowout.

FINAL SCORE: New York 7, New Jersey 41
TOTAL TRIES: New York 1, New Jersey 6
CONVERSIONS: New York 1/1, New Jersey 4/6
PENALTIES: New York 0/0, New Jersey 1/2
PLAYER OF THE GAME: New Jersey #11 Larry McGillicuddy

PLAY-BY-PLAY
3' - New Jersey - TRY [#14 Noah Kidston] (CONV GOOD). 7-0 New Jersey
9' - New Jersey - TRY [#4 Henry Mitchell] (conv no good). 12-0 New Jersey
10' - New Jersey - TRY [#15 Nick Thomas (MacroGuru)] (CONV GOOD). 19-0 New Jersey
19' - New Jersey - Penalty Kick no good. 19-0 New Jersey
25' - New York - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 19-0 New Jersey
26' - New York - TRY [#1 Hubert Gibson] (CONV GOOD). 19-7 New Jersey
35' - New Jersey - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 22-7 New Jersey
42' - New Jersey - TRY [#15 Nick Thomas (MacroGuru)] (CONV GOOD). 29-7 New Jersey
50' - New Jersey - TRY [#11 Larry McGillicuddy (larrymcg421)] (CONV GOOD). 36-7 New Jersey
58' - New York - no try. 36-7 New Jersey
68' - New Jersey - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 36-7 New Jersey
75' - New Jersey - TRY [#14 Noah Kidston] (conv no good). 41-7 New Jersey

bbgunn

12-08-2011, 07:29 PM

Legends end two-game skid, beat Dragons

COLLEGE PARK, MD - Inside center Logan Hawkins made it to the in-touch area three times, while teammate Ches O'Peake added another try, as the visiting Chicago Legends beat the Capital City Dragons 31-15. Chicago's outside center Timotheus Langeler came back from injury and also scored a try.

Early on, the game was a little too close for comfort for the Legends, who were looking to keep pace with Boston and New Jersey at the top of the Eastern Division standings. Chicago led 19-15 at halftime, then struggled for the majority of the second half until Logan Hawkins opened things up for them in the 67th minute with his second try. Hawkins' third try in the 77th minute, coupled with some good team defense, sealed the victory.

FINAL SCORE: Chicago 31, Capital City 15
TOTAL TRIES: Chicago 5, Capital City 3
CONVERSIONS: Chicago 3/5, Capital City 0/3
PENALTIES: Chicago 0/0, Capital City 0/1
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Chicago #12 Logan Hawkins

PLAY-BY-PLAY
9' - Capital City - TRY [#1 Jake Barlow] (conv no good). 5-0 Capital City
13' - Chicago - TRY [#10 Ches O’Peake (chesapeake)] (CONV GOOD). 7-5 Chicago
19' - Chicago - TRY [#12 Logan Hawkins] (CONV GOOD). 14-5 Chicago
24' - Chicago - TRY [#13 Timotheus Langeler] (conv no good). 19-5 Chicago
33' - Capital City - TRY [#12 Gifford Lemaître] (conv no good). 19-10 Chicago
37' - Capital City - TRY [#10 James Drake] (conv no good). 19-15 Chicago
46' - Capital City - Penalty Kick no good. 19-15 Chicago
47' - Chicago - no try. 19-15 Chicago
57' - Chicago - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 19-15 Chicago
67' - Chicago - TRY [#12 Logan Hawkins] (conv no good). 24-15 Chicago
77' - Chicago - TRY [#12 Logan Hawkins] (CONV GOOD). 31-15 Chicago

Linster, Stormers extend unbeaten run with win over Stars

NORFOLK, VA - Golden Gate scrum half Alf Linster had a try and was named Player of the Game for the second straight week, as the Stormers defeated the Virginia Stars 30-5. Linster added to the offense, but his defensive play really stood out on Saturday. Speaking of the Stormers' defense, they have not allowed their opponent more than 20 points in a game all season.

Fly half Sandy Kemp returned to the lineup from injury and had a perfect kicking day, making all three of his conversion attempts and doing the same with his penalties.

FINAL SCORE: Golden Gate 30, Virginia 5
TOTAL TRIES: Golden Gate 3, Virginia 1
CONVERSIONS: Golden Gate 3/3, Virginia 0/1
PENALTIES: Golden Gate 3/3, Virginia 0/0
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Golden Gate #9 Alf Linster

PLAY-BY-PLAY
9' - Golden Gate - TRY [#9 Alf Linster (Alf)] (CONV GOOD). 7-0 Golden Gate
19' - Golden Gate - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 10-0 Golden Gate
20' - Virginia - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 10-0 Golden Gate
29' - Golden Gate - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 13-0 Golden Gate
36' - Virginia - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 13-0 Golden Gate
45' - Golden Gate - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 16-0 Golden Gate
55' - Virginia - TRY [#8 Kyle Fraser] (conv no good). 16-5 Golden Gate
61' - Virginia - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 16-5 Golden Gate
67' - Golden Gate - TRY [#5 Burnell de Chateaub] (CONV GOOD). 23-5 Golden Gate
73' - Golden Gate - TRY [#11 Nate Fereday] (CONV GOOD). 30-5 Golden Gate
79' - Golden Gate - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 30-5 Golden Gate

Blue Hawks champion of Canada! Win over Mashers

EDMONTON, AB - Vancouver fullback Riley Nelson had two tries, while right wing Benton Breeze added one more and won Player of the Game honors in the Blue Hawks' surprising 34-14 win over the Edmonton Mashers. It was the first time that two Canadian teams had played each other in the NARC, and Vancouver pulled off the road upset against the defending Western Division champions.

The win was especially sweet for Vancouver head coach Mark James, who played outside center for the Mashers last season before retiring as a player.

"It's good to come here and see the guys," he said, "but it's also nice to come here and win. I have a lot of respect for [Edmonton head coach Roger] Bagley, but maybe he taught me a bit too well."

When asked about growing discontent in Edmonton with Bagley, whose team has now lost more games than it did in the 1996 regular season, James replied, "I hope they don't do anything drastic. Coach Bagley built a pretty good team from scratch in Edmonton. For whatever reason, whether it's team chemistry or something else, he should be given the time to work it out. There's still a lot of games to be played."

FINAL SCORE: Vancouver 34, Edmonton 14
TOTAL TRIES: Vancouver 4, Edmonton 2
CONVERSIONS: Vancouver 4/4, Edmonton 2/2
PENALTIES: Vancouver 2/2, Edmonton 0/0
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Vancouver #14 Benton Breeze

PLAY-BY-PLAY
4' - Edmonton - no try. 0-0 tie score
5' - Vancouver - no try. 0-0 tie score
17' - Vancouver - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 3-0 Vancouver
26' - Vancouver - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 6-0 Vancouver
30' - Vancouver - TRY [#15 Riley Nelson] (CONV GOOD). 13-0 Vancouver
31' - Vancouver - TRY [#15 Riley Nelson] (CONV GOOD). 20-0 Vancouver
33' - Edmonton - no try. 20-0 Vancouver
34' - Vancouver - TRY [#8 Ashton Sands] (CONV GOOD). 27-0 Vancouver
43' - Edmonton - TRY [#11 Joe Theriot] (CONV GOOD). 27-7 Vancouver
53' - Vancouver - TRY [#14 Benton Breeze (Breeze)] (CONV GOOD). 34-7 Vancouver
56' - Vancouver - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 34-7 Vancouver
65' - Vancouver - no try. 34-7 Vancouver
75' - Edmonton - TRY [#11 Joe Theriot] (CONV GOOD). 34-14 Vancouver
80' - Edmonton - no try. 34-14 Vancouver

Harlequins surprise Mission for first win since Week 2

SAN DIEGO - The visiting Texas Harlequins' defense put on a clinic as they held the San Diego Mission to one try in a 25-7 victory. It was Texas' first win since Week 2, when they beat Capital City. Both wins were on the road. Meanwhile, San Diego, whose strength is supposed to be offense, has not scored more than 14 points the past three weeks, and they have gone 1-2 during that time.

FINAL SCORE: Texas 25, San Diego 7
TOTAL TRIES: Texas 3, San Diego 1
CONVERSIONS: Texas 2/3, San Diego 1/1
PENALTIES: Texas 2/3, San Diego 0/1
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Texas #12 Gary Wallace

PLAY-BY-PLAY
9' - Texas - TRY [#5 Jamie Gillespie] (conv no good). 5-0 Texas
18' - San Diego - TRY [#9 Angus Warrington] (CONV GOOD). 7-5 San Diego
21' - Texas - TRY [#11 Mason Letourneau] (CONV GOOD). 12-7 Texas
24' - Texas - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 12-7 Texas
31' - Texas - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 15-7 Texas
38' - Texas - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 15-7 Texas
43' - San Diego - no try. 15-7 Texas
54' - Texas - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 18-7 Texas
62' - Texas - TRY [#14 Koby Brodzky] (CONV GOOD). 25-7 Texas
69' - San Diego - Penalty Kick no good. 25-7 Texas
80' - Texas - Penalty Kick no good. 25-7 Texas

Sharks hold of big Beacon comeback to win fourth straight

LOS ANGELES - Are the NARC champions back? It certainly looks that way, at least it did during the first half. Five different Los Angeles Sharks scored tries as they defeated the visiting Boston Beacons 33-27. However, L.A. nearly let the game get away from them. Los Angeles scored all of their points in the first half, going up 33-0 two minutes before halftime, all while keeping Boston nowhere near the try line. But they allowed a try right before the break, then Boston came out on fire in the second half, pulling to within six points of the lead by the 61st minute. A not releasing the ball penalty on a deep drive in the 75th minute may have cost Boston the game. Instead, Los Angeles celebrates its fourth straight victory, the longest winning streak this season by a team not named Golden Gate.

Meanwhile, in defeat, Boston rookie inside center Cooper McCourt became the first player this season to reach ten tries for the year.

FINAL SCORE: Boston 27, Los Angeles 33
TOTAL TRIES: Boston 3, Los Angeles 5
CONVERSIONS: Boston 3/3, Los Angeles 4/5
PENALTIES: Boston 2/2, Los Angeles 0/0
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Los Angeles #11 Sammy Reilly

PLAY-BY-PLAY
1' - Los Angeles - no try. 0-0 tie score
13' - Los Angeles - TRY [#9 Finlay Herbert] (CONV GOOD). 7-0 Los Angeles
19' - Los Angeles - TRY [#11 Sammy Reilly] (CONV GOOD). 14-0 Los Angeles
25' - Los Angeles - no try. 14-0 Los Angeles
26' - Los Angeles - no try. 14-0 Los Angeles
35' - Los Angeles - TRY [#6 Andrew Babb] (CONV GOOD). 21-0 Los Angeles
36' - Los Angeles - TRY [#14 Yoshi Hagenaars] (CONV GOOD). 28-0 Los Angeles
38' - Los Angeles - TRY [#10 Taylor Bevan] (conv no good). 33-0 Los Angeles
39' - Boston - TRY [#2 Emmanuel Broks] (CONV GOOD). 33-7 Los Angeles
42' - Boston - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 33-10 Los Angeles
43' - Boston - TRY [#12 Cooper McCourt] (CONV GOOD). 33-17 Los Angeles
51' - Boston - TRY [#12 Cooper McCourt] (CONV GOOD). 33-24 Los Angeles
61' - Boston - PENALTY KICK GOOD. 33-27 Los Angeles
71' - Los Angeles - no try. 33-27 Los Angeles
75' - Boston - OFFENSIVE PENALTY. 33-27 Los Angeles