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OMBAC REMAIN UNBEATEN AFTER 42-20 VICTORY OVER KANSAS CITY: Two late tries seal victory, bonus point
(San Diego, CA) 5 April 2003 -- The Old Mission Beach Athletic Club kept its perfect Super League record intact after dispatching the Kansas City Blues 42-20 at the Little Q yesterday. OMBAC needed two late tries to put the game away but it was a deserved victory nonetheless as the home side outscored their guests five tries to three. The win improved OMBAC’s SL record to 4-0 while the Blues dropped to 1-3. By scoring five tries, OMBAC collected its third bonus point of the season and remain on top of the Super League’s Blue Division with 19 points. It was a beautiful day for rugby at the Little Q with a temperature of around 60° at game time and bright sunshine. OMBAC did enjoy a strong breeze at their backs in the first half and it only took them a minute of play to take advantage of it. The Blues were called for not releasing the ball in the tackle and Alistair Steele started OMBAC’s account with a 35-meter strike. Ten minutes later, Steele made the Blues pay again for not releasing, this time from 30-meters out. With most of the play in the Blues half of the pitch, it seemed only a matter of time before OMBAC would add to their total. The wait was a short one. At the 15-minute mark, prop Chris Conklin took hold of a loose ball and drove ahead. The rucked ball was spun out to the backs where Riaan Hamilton, in his first match back since playing for the United States at the Hong Kong Sevens, set out on a knifing run through the center of the Blues defense to score near the posts. The easy conversion was slotted by Steele to increase OMBAC’s lead to 13-0. The Blues’ Scott Kram had a chance to cut into OMBAC’s lead but his poorly struck kick on an easy penalty was wide of the mark and the score remained 13-0. From the ensuing 22-meter drop out, OMBAC’s cover defense was quick to chase down the long kick forcing the Blues to cough up possession. With the defense in disarray, the ball went wide to the flying Siaa Taveuveu and he flew down the line unmolested before carrying three Blues defenders over the try line for OMBAC’s second Yahtzee of the day. Steele’s fourth successful kick in as many attempts upped the score to 20-0. Both teams had chances in the final ten minutes of the half but the only scoring came via the boot as Kram nailed his first of the day while Steele pumped in a long drop goal to make it 23-3, in favor of OMBAC at the half. The wind continued to blow hard in the second half and the Blues did all they could to make the Blue Division leaders sweat. The big Kansas City pack started to assert themselves more in the second 40 and it was forward muscle that led to the Blues first try of the day. The Blues controlled a lineout five meters from the OMBAC line. A nice drive ahead, orchestrated by scrumhalf Vince Pastorino, kept the maul moving closer to the OMBAC line before prop Shawn Garoner broke off and flopped over the line. Kram’s kicking woes returned as another easy conversion attempt went wide but the Blues were back in touch at 23-8. After more Blues’ pressure was rebuffed by the locals, OMBAC scored the try of the day. Midway through the second spell, Steele counterattacked a Blues kick ten meters inside his half of the pitch. He went up the middle before hurling a gorgeous cut out pass to the high-stepping Dave DiSorbo on the outside. The veteran winger took it down the sideline until the defense closed in, then quick hands saw the ball come all the way back to the other side of the field. Henry Schaaf, OMBAC’s rugged #8, used all his power to steam down the center of the pitch. His offload let Matt Wyatt enjoy more free space before the ball went to Dan Payne who put Schaaf in for OMBAC’s third try of the day. Kicking into the wind, Steele finally missed an attempt at goal but the lead was back to 20 points at 28-8. And that was a good thing too as the Blues answered with two more tries in the next 15 minutes. Another big drive by the K.C. pack led to Pastorino’s short touch down and yet another drive ahead created a channel for center Mike Skahan and he fought off two OMBAC defenders to dot down. With five minutes left, the scoreboard now read OMBAC 28 – Kansas City 20. Over the last five minutes of the game OMBAC went in search of putting the game out of touch while also securing the bonus point for scoring four tries. Another scintillating run by Taveuveu at the 81st minute mark accomplished both. The shifty center gathered in a Blues kick near midfield and with a turn of speed raced past all would be tacklers to go in untouched securing the bonus point and increasing the lead to 35-20. MC Laubscher, getting his first start on the blind side flank, added one more try for OMBAC on the game’s final play as good interchange between the backs and forwards left a lane open and Laubscher showed some speed of his own in covering the final 20 meters. Steele added the extras to both late tries to bring his personal haul to 17 as OMBAC beat the Blues 42-20. “I was pleased with the way we finished the game,” said OMBAC coach Joe Leota. “Those last two tries were good ones. We still have patches where we seem to lose focus. We did that today and allowed the Blues back in the match when we should have put on 30 or 40 points in the first half. We still have things to work on and hopefully we can get some of those things in order before we head to Dallas.” In other Super League action on Saturday, Aspen scored 14 tries in thumping Boston 94-14; the Harlequins of Dallas won on the road at the Olympic Club; PAC nipped the New York Athletic Club at home 33-29; Belmont Shore remained unbeaten after its victory over Philly-Whitemarsh; the Chicago Lions won by a 26-24 score over San Francisco Golden Gate; Old Blue New York defeated OPSB 28-8; and the Denver Barbarians won on the road at Washington 26-14. OMBAC’s Super League team is on the road next week against a very good Dallas Harlequins team. Dallas, fresh off their road win in San Francisco, sports a 3-1 record and has played OMBAC tough over the last several meetings. It’s an important match for OMBAC as they try to keep hold of the top spot in the Blue Division standings. There is rugby at the Little Q on Saturday as OMBAC’s Division II side takes on Southern California third division side, San Luis Obispo. Victory will mean OMBAC’s Division II team will compete in Division II next year. A loss will drop OMBAC down to Division III play next year. Come on out and support your team in this important match at the Little Q. Kickoff on Saturday is at 3:00 p.m.
Source: OMBACRugby.com
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