San Francisco Golden Gate has claimed the USA Rugby Super League Championship with a heart-stopping last minute 23-13 win over the Life University Running Eagles in Glendale Colorado.

San Francisco winger Arona Palamo streaked away for a 50 meter try at the death as the Running Eagles launched a last ditch effort having fallen behind 16-13 thanks to a Volney Rouse penalty goal with 30 seconds left on the clock.

It was a classic match, well worthy of a final and was locked at 13-13 until the final 30 seconds.

After Rouse slotted the pressure penalty, Life centre Andrew ‘Tui’ Osbourne fumbled a pass near halfway and the Golden Gate offence took charge to release Palamo on a sprint to the line, his huge swan-dive and celebration had the San Francisco fans in raptures.

Earlier San Francisco prop Jason Bowden opened the scoring for his side with a rumbling try in the 10th minute.

Nolte Coetzee missed two early penalty chances for Life University and the Golden Gate boys took advantage of their first real chance when scrum half Mose Timoteo turned Bowden back on the inside from close range and the big hulking prop powered straight through the line to score under the posts.

Rouse made no mistake with the easy conversion for a 7-0 lead.

With 22 minutes gone Rouse had a chance to extend the lead via a 39 meter penalty however the attempt sailed wide.

Just moments later Life University lost Coetzee to injury, a crucial loss as replacement kicker Nathan Rodgers was wayward with the boot.

Rouse pushed the lead out to 10-0 with a 32nd minute penalty and the game looked to be falling into Golden Gate hands before the Running Eagles made a late run in the half.

Rodgers missed an easy penalty with four remaining before the break but the Running Eagles didn’t let the miss ruin their flow and ‘Tui’ Osbourne put his stamp on the match in the last moments of the half.

His first bust down the left wing looked promising however his attempted chip kick over the fullback just barely found touch.

But just minutes later Osbourne chimed into the backline on the right and bulldozed his way over into the corner after some great fast ball from the Life forwards.

Rodgers missed the difficult conversion but the game was back in the balance at 10-5 at the break.

An impressive 50meter penalty from Rouse extended the lead to 13-5 early in the second half but Mark Aylor scored a great 50th minute try to bring Life within three points.

Life’s flyhalf made a strong run on the left edge before dropping a pass inside to Aylor and the big forward showed great strength to bust through three tackles and roll over next to the posts. Once again Rodgers missed the conversion attempt to bring the score to 13-10.

Rouse, the RSL’s leading point scorer in the regular season, had two penalty attempts in three minutes but failed to nail either in the 53rd and 56th minutes and when Aaron McMaster slotted a 70th minute three pointer for Life the match was all square at 13-13.

The equalizer came after a controversial penalty where San Francisco fullback Jone Naqica was called for offside after taking an intercept off his own try line.

The veteran was streaking away downfield only to be called back by referee Chris Henshall with replays suggesting the Golden Gate custodian may have well been onside.

But it all proved academic in the end as Rouse showed nerves of steel to slot the late goal and clinch the title for his side.

He had previously missed another chance to get the go ahead points in the 75th minute and the crucial play came just moments later when a Life clearing kick rolled all the way dead in goal and was brought back to the Running Eagles half.

The field position allowed Golden Gate to attack and with advantage on his side Naciqa went for but missed a 78th minute drop goal, knowing referee Henshall would recall the ball for a penalty.

“I am just so thrilled,” San Francisco coach Paul Keeler said post match.

“We knew it would be a tough 80 minute match and I am just so glad it was us that came out on top.”

SAN FRANCISCO 23 (TRIES: Jason Bowden, Arona Palamo; CONVERSIONS: Volney Rouse 2; PENALTIES: Volney Rouse 3) d. LIFE UNIVERSITY 13 (TRIES: Andrew ‘Tui’ Osbourne, Mary Aylor; PENALTIES: Aaron McMaster)

LIFE UNIVERSITY RUNNING EAGLES v SAN FRANCISCO GOLDEN GATE

TELEVISED ON ESPN360 AND ESPN CLASSIC at 9PM EASTERN

Just 80 minutes of committed rugby stands between either Life University or San Francisco taking home the 2009 Rugby Super League championship title and one thing is more than certain
 it shapes as a massive 80 minutes.

It is fitting the top two sides from the Rugby Super League’s two conferences come together in the battle for the title as they have been both exciting in attack yet clinical in defence and have given fans of the RSL plenty to love in a thrilling season.

Life University weren’t even part of the competition until just weeks before kick-off but having joined at the 11th hour thanks to the withdrawal of St Louis they have been incredible, going through undefeated to this point.

The Running Eagles dispelled any doubts about their credentials with an impressive 25-3 win over Belmont Shore in the semi final last weekend.

Plenty expected their run to come to an end at the hands of Belmont but the Blue Conference leaders shut the attacking Shore down in an awesome defensive display to prove they can match it with their more fancied Red Conference rivals.

San Francisco enters the final with just one loss to their name, having been beaten by Belmont early in the season.

They have been an attacking machine, scoring points at will thanks to their big and fast backline and their hardnosed aggressive forwards.

But it still took them to the very last seconds of play to qualify for the decider, with prop Jason Bowden crashing over late to give his side a 19-16 win over a very determined Denver in the semi final last weekend.

Coaches Scott Lawrence (Life University) and Paul Keeler (SFGG) both deserve heavy praise for guiding their teams this far.

Lawrence is all about professionalism and teamwork, drilling his side often and with distinct purpose.

The side plays as a unit, to its strengths, with each cog in the machine as important as the next and the formula works.

San Francisco are no doubt also a good team unit however they have some instinctive players with individual brilliance who have been the difference in many games this year.

They ride on the back of a dominant forward pack which gives their backline plenty of space to weave their magic.

“We said all season we wanted to be the team you had to beat to win the Super League,” Keeler said in the lead up to the match of the year.

“We need a full team effort to get the job done, just like we have had all season.

"Some falsely assume because of the amounts of points we score that we play this overly expansive game and that our back line is our only strength but that is not the case,” Keeler adds.

“Our forwards do tremendous work and we need that to continue if we are to play well.

“We know they have a strong pack and team. They are the closest thing to a professional team in the USA with all the time they dedicate to rugby but our forwards are the best in the country in my opinion and we will be looking to take it to them come Saturday.”

After the nail-biter against Denver, Keeler admits he has had some nerves but knows his players have what it takes to give the title a real shake.

“I’d like to be able to sleep,” he says with a small grin.

“But I know we just need to focus on being focussed yet relaxed in the lead up. We just need to make sure everyone is healthy and in a good frame of mind. We just need to focus on what has worked to get us here and replicating it on the weekend.”

Prop Jason Bowden barged his way over after continual pressure to send the home team into raptures and break the hearts of a plucky Denver unit.

Having led 12-0 early in the match, San Francisco falted and allowed the Barbarians back into the game.

Maximo De Achaval once again kept Denver in the contest with consistent kicking and in fact his side led 16-12 after a neat try to the Barbarians inside center.

But try as they might they just couldn't hold on and the Bowden try sealed a place in next weekend's decider for SFGG.

"It was a classic game that probably didn't deserve a loser," San Francisco coach Paul Keeler said.

"Denver played exceptional and defended great to keep us to just three tries.

"But as a club we are so excited to have won and have a chance at the title. We have worked hard all season for this and now we just have to prepare well for the big day."

SAN FRANCISCO 19 (TRIES: Manoa, Tupui, Bowden; CONVERSIONS: Rouse 2) d. DENVER BARBARIANS 16 (TRIES: Unknown; CONVERSIONS: Maximo De Achaval; PENALTIES: Maximo De Achaval 3)

After being a late inclusion in the competition following the withdrawel of St Louis, Life University have beaten all comers and now enter the final undefeated.

The Running Eagles turned a 13-3 halftime lead into a 25-3 clinical victory and will take plenty of confidence into next weekend.

Steve Petzel scored twice for the home side and Mark Aylor and Garry Sullivan added another try each to clinch the result but it was their dogged defence which did the job.

Belmont had known try scorers across the park but couldn't post anything other than an Ata Malifa penalty thanks to the Life brick wall.

LIFE UNIVERSITY 25 (TRIES: Steve Petzel 2, Mark Aylor, Gary Sullivan; CONVERSIONS: Nolte Coetzee; PENALTIES: Nolte Coetzee) d. BELMONT SHORE 3 (PENALTIES: Ata Malifa)

A place in the Rugby Super League final goes on the line this Saturday and Sunday as the four remaining teams’ battle it out for club rugby supremacy.

Three Red Conference teams have prevailed through to the final four with only the undefeated Life University joining them from the Blue Conference.

The Denver Barbarians are the biggest underdogs of the weekend as they face a rampant San Francisco Golden Gate in Northern California while two teams yet to feel a loss in Belmont Shore and Life University will provide a ding dong battle in Atlanta.

One thing is for sure, the teams who come out on top will have deserved their chance to take the 2009 title.

BELMONT SHORE @ LIFE UNIVERSITY 1pm EST SUNDAY

Two undefeated sides come head-to-head in a match worthy of a championship final here with the result anyone’s guess.

Life University took down each of the Blue Conference teams to finish undefeated in the regular season and continued their run with a 22-14 win over the Red Conference Chicago Lions but they face a step up in class when they host Belmont Shore.

Since playing out a draw with the Lions in the opening round, Belmont have won seven straight matches including a 36-15 win over Old Blue New York last weekend.

The result was in the balance until Belmont produced a late flurry of points, coming once again through the skill and pace of their backline.

For Life University to remain in this competition they’ll need to find a way to contain the combination of fly half Ata Malifa and center Craig Wells.

The pair are elusive and strong and Wells adds a healthy dose of aggression to the mix. With the likes of try scoring machines Sinipati Uiagalelei and Peter Sio outside the pair the Shore point scoring potential is massive.

Life are the quintessential team. Each player has a specific job to do and they go about getting it done.

Coach Scott Lawrence has drilled his side to almost perfection. They are clinical in attack and proven in defense and it’s the attitude they’ll need to take into this contest to combat Belmont’s skill.

Home field advantage is huge here with a big crowd sure to be on hand for the Running Eagles.

DENVER BARBARIANS @ SAN FRANCISCO GOLDEN GATE 3pm SATURDAY PST

Denver provided the upset of the first week of the finals by taking down the reigning champion New York Athletic Club with a spectacular last minute chip and chase try to fly half Maximo De Achaval.

But if they thought that task was difficult, they must now travel up to San Francisco to take on the RSL’s most fluent and damaging attacking team.

The Golden Gate boys destroyed Dallas 48-13 in the quarterfinals to take plenty of confidence into this Saturday’s clash.

With try scoring talent across their entire starting 15, San Francisco are deservedly favorites for the match, especially considering they demolished Denver 45-10 in the regular season.

But the Barbarians are not concerned about history, besides the clash was way back in round one of the season and Denver has come a long way forward since early March.

De Achaval is the key for Denver if they are to continue their giant-killing run.

The skilful ball-player and runner must be contained by the Golden Gate defense or the Barbarians will be a real chance of another upset.

The Denver defense must also lift to provide their best performance of the season as the San Francisco attack averages over 40 points a match and if they concede anything near that amount their season will be over.

Whether it be through damaging forwards or massive, speedy backs the Golden Gate side has multiple weapons and in all likelihood their biggest rival here could be complacency.

It is important coach Paul Keeler keeps his side focussed as if they step off the gas at all Denver won’t need a second invitation.

With just minutes remaining on the clock and his side trailing 19-16, De Achaval chanced his arm by kicking over the top, a move which at first looked to be well covered by the NYAC defense.

But as a rugby ball can do, the bounce eluded the New York cover defense, and found its way directly into the Barbarian playmakers hands, gifting him the crucial points and knocking the reigning title holders out of the race for this year's trophy.

“When he first kicked the ball I was thinking I was going to kill him,” Denver coach Dave Hodges said.

“We had the ball in good field position and were building to something so when he kicked it I wasn’t impressed.

“But it bounced up and over their players and straight to him so it turned out to be a great play.

“It’s so good to finally be on the right end of a close finish for a change.”

The first half was an extremely tight affair with both teams trading penalty goals.

NYAC’s Dan Power slotted three-pointers in the 15th and 39th minutes while De Achaval also grabbed two penalties in the 20th and 36th minutes to leave the score locked at 6-6 at halftime.

De Achavel gave the visitors the lead at 9-6 soon after the resumption of play but two more Power penalties had the home side back in control at 12-9 after 58 minutes.

But with 20 minutes to go, Denver winger Jody Kramer chased down a clever kick, regathered, then showed great skill to beat three cover defenders in an elusive run to the line to give his side a 16-12 lead.

The celebrations were tempered when the side turned over the ball in their own half soon after and NYAC clinically took care of business, working their way down the field before James Hayter crashed over to regain the lead at 19-16.

They looked set to hold onto a close win until De Achaval’s heroics stole the show.

“We had them trapped down their end with two minutes to go but a comedy of errors allowed them to get some air,” NYAC coach Bruce McLane said.

“A blocked kick, a penalty and before we knew it they were moving up field.

“You have to give credit to Maximo though, our defensive line was set, they weren’t going through us and he took a chance. Our fullback went one way, he went the other and nobody knew how the ball would bounce.

"Lucky for them it bounced for him and that was that.

“At the end of the day you have got to take your opportunities and covert your pressure into points and Denver did that better than us today.”

DENVER BARBARIANS 23 (TRIES: Jody Kremer, Maximo De Achaval; CONVERSIONS: Maximo De Achaval 2; PENALTIES: Maximo De Achaval 3) d. NEW YORK ATHLETIC CLUB 19 (TRIES: James Hayter; CONVERSIONS: Dan Power; PENALTIES: Dan Power 4)

The number one Blue Conference seed clinched a home semi final after surviving a late score against the Red Conference number four seed.

Having led 17-0 at half time thanks to tries to Garry Sullivan and Steve Petzel plus a penalty goal for Nolte Coetzee it appeared Life would do it easy against the Lions but converted tries to Tom Dolan and Matt Kelly gave the home side a real scare at 17-14 with 10 minutes left on the clock.

But the running Eagles prevailed thanks to Sullivan’s second try, ensuring they would survive another weekend.

“We made some crucial mistakes in our own half and you can’t afford to do that in play off rugby,” Life University coach Scott Lawrence said.

“It allowed the Lions to get back into the match but we were able to put the foot on the gas again and come away with the result.

“We weren’t overly concerned because we knew if we just got back to our structure there would be opportunities for us. There were some spaces to exploit and we made a few key substitutions which was the difference.

The fresh legs kept our structure and we scored the important last try.”

The atmosphere in Atlanta was a festive one with the Running Eagles enjoying premier rugby success for the first time in nine years.

“It was really exciting being involved in play-off rugby,” Lawrence confirmed.

“It’s been a long wait but everyone enjoyed the day and it’s great that we get to host a semi final here next week.”

LIFE UNIVERSITY 22 (TRIES: Garry Sullivan 2, Steve Petzel; CONVERSIONS: Nolte Coetzee 2; PENALTIES: Nolte Coetzee) d. CHICAGO LIONS 14 (TRIES: Tom Dolan, Matt Kelly; CONVERSIONS: Josh Cocking 2)

The match was in the balance until the final six minutes where the home side pushed out from a 22-15 lead with two late tries to clinch the victory.

Center’s Craig Wells and Peter Sio both grabbed doubles with Wells having an eventful game which included a stint in the sin bin.

The Eagles aspirant has been quite the enigma this season, playing minimal minutes yet causing the opposition all sorts of trouble when taking the field.

His ‘take no prisoners’ style should serve Shore well in the coming weeks, provided he keeps himself out of the referees’ sights.

After Old Blue went ahead 3-0 thanks to an early penalty the aggressive yet skilful centre crossed for the home sides first try to give his team a 7-3 advantage.

But a converted try to Tom Drewe had the boys from New York thinking upset at halftime as they led 10-7.

However the visitors didn’t hold the lead for long as Rob Laird tied things up shortly after the break with a penalty goal before the RSL’s leading try scorer Sio notched his first of the afternoon.

With just over 20 minutes left in the contest Wells crossed for his second and it looked like Belmont would run away with the contest such was the form of their back line.

But if that was the script, someone forgot to tell Old Blue and when Alex MacLennon crossed with 12 left on the clock the match was well and truly alive at 22-15.

The desire for victory after finishing last season as runners up and the benefit of immeasurable play off experience then came to the fore for the home side with late tries to Kaine Elisara and Sio sealing an impressive, yet hard fought result.

The result sets up a mouth-watering clash in Atlanta next weekend between Belmont and Life University, the two sides in the RSL yet to taste defeat this year.

BELMONT SHORE 36 (TRIES: Craig Wells 2, Peter Sio, Caine Elisara; CONVERSIONS: Robert Laird 3, Ata Malifa; PENALTIES: Rob Laird) d. OLD BLUE NEW YORK 15 (TRIES: Tom Drewe, Alex MacLennon; CONVERSIONS: Tom Drewe; PENALTIES: Tom Drewe)

The number one Red Conference team proved too strong from the get go, racing to a 22-3 half time lead and going on with the job in the second stanza.

Dallas refused to give in but reality was they were out-matched and were always going to struggle away from home.

The Golden Gate attacking machine added another seven tries to their tally for the season in a comfortable display.

Milemoto Pulu and Kevin Erskine scored doubles on an exciting afternoon for the club.

“Dallas gave us some trouble early and disrupted our attack a little bit but we were able to manufacture some turn overs and get on top of them,” San Francisco coach Paul Keeler said.

“We are all extremely excited to be hosting a semi-final. We know Denver will be tough but we are pumped up to do well.”

SAN FRANCISCO GOLDEN GATE 48 (TRIES: Milemoto Pulu 2, Kevin Erskine 2, Mose Timoteo, Faimalo Tapui, Jone Naqica; CONVERSIONS: Volney Rouse 5; PENALTIES: Volney Rouse) d. DALLAS HARLEQUINS 13 (TRIES: Vaughn Crowe; CONVERSIONS: Vaughn Crowe; PENALTIES: Vaughn Crowe 2)

The Rugby Super League heads into the Play Offs this weekend with four mammoth sudden death match ups across the nation.

Reputations count for nothing now as the remaining eight teams fight for survival on their way to the RSL title.

Dallas travel to San Francisco, the Chicago Lions travel to Life University, Denver heads to New York Athletic Club and Old Blue New York fly into Belmont Shore for a Saturday afternoon of super rugby.

This is the first time conferences collide so anything could happen and all four matches are worth getting along to.

DALLAS HARLEQUINS (Blue #4) @ SAN FRANCISCO GOLDEN GATE (Red #1) 3pm PST

The Dallas Harlequins face a tough road trip to San Francisco but it is one they are primed for as they look to keep their season alive.

Having clinched a play off berth with a last round win over Potomac Athletic Club, their first away victory of the season, the Harlequins bring some momentum and confidence into the clash very few expect them to win.

They finished the regular season with a 4-3 record with wins over fellow play off teams Old Blue New York and New York Athletic Club plus Boston and PAC to finish fourth in the Blue Conference.

While their record away from home hasn’t been great the boys from Texas will leave nothing on the pitch against a very strong San Francisco Golden Gate team.

The home side qualified as the number one seed in the Red Conference with a 6-1 record, their only loss coming against the second seeded Belmont Shore.

The San Francisco side is an attacking machine which has punished any wayward defending throughout the season.

They were by far the most devastating attacking side in the RSL, scoring a mammoth 317 points in their seven games, or over 45 per match.

Their defence wasn’t so bad either, conceding just 106 points or around 15 per game.

Conversely Dallas averaged just 24 points scored and 21 conceded per match.

San Francisco coach Paul Keeler will be ensuring his side isn’t hit with a bout of complacency in the lead up because without any cross conference match ups before now there is no real gauge as to just how good his side will be against the visitors.

The sensational regular season run will count for nothing if they let the Harlequins get under the guard here.

CHICAGO LIONS (Red #4) @ LIFE UNIVERSITY (Blue #1) 2pm EST

Life University, as the RSL’s newest team, are the only side to have won all of their games heading into this years play offs, but they won’t be taking this game for granted, knowing a loss here spells an end to all the hard work.

The Running Eagles have been ultra impressive throughout the regular season, going 7-0 as a late inclusion into the competition and proving to be a rock solid defensive unit.

They conceded just 82 points in their seven games, which is just over 11 a match, a phenomenal record.

The side wasn’t poor in attack either, piling on 243 points at almost 35 per game making the trip to Atlanta a very tough prospect indeed for the Red Conferences fourth seeded Chicago Lions.

The Lions claimed a place in the play offs with a 4-2-1 record having tied with Belmont Shore and lost only to Denver and San Francisco.

They will fancy themselves a chance of an upset but will need to play at their absolute best, something that has been lacking in recent times.

They finished the regular season by only just beating OMBAC and Santa Monica before falling to SFGG and need to recapture their early season form if they are to trouble Life.

Their attack averages over 25 points a game but they are also conceding 23 points a match, something they’ll need to stiffen up to combat the Running Eagles.

DENVER BARBARIANS (Red #3) @ NEW YORK ATHLETIC CLUB (Blue #2) 2pm EST

Last season’s champions NYAC host the Denver Barbarians looking to take another step towards regaining their title.

The side has faced a number of changes this year but has still done enough to finish the regular season in second place in the Blue Conference with a 5-2 record having lost to Life University and the Dallas Harlequins.

This shapes up us a close battle as both teams have shown a willingness to attack hard and defend stoutly throughout the year.

NYAC have the edge of playing at home where they haven’t been beaten this year while Denver finished the regular season with a 4-3 record, with a 2-2 record when travelling.

The Barbarians suffered losses at the hands of Belmont Shore, Santa Monica and San Francisco during the year but were in every match up to their eyeballs barring the round one loss to SFGG.

The attack of both teams has been solid, scoring up and around the 32 points per game mark and their defence has also been similar with Denver conceding 20 points a match and NYAC 17.

Expect an entertaining yet bruising encounter.

OLD BLUE NEW YORK (Blue #3) @ BELMONT SHORE (Red #2) 1pm PST

Last year’s runners up Belmont Shore host Old Blue New York in what could be a massive battle.

It’s East v West with everything to play for which ensures this is a match worth watching.

Belmont are yet to taste defeat this season and have won six straight matches since playing a draw with the Chicago Lions in the first round giving them plenty of momentum.

They would have been seeded first if not for a league enforced penalty which docked them one point and saw them slip behind San Francisco on the standings.

As such they are favourites to move on against the 4-3 Old Blue who battled hard this year, losing only to the other Blue Conference play off teams in Life University, NYAC and Dallas.

The home side has proven try scorers in the mix with outside backs Peter Sio (eight tries, first in RSL) and Sinipati Uiagalelei (seven tries, equal second in RSL) leading the way.

Their elusiveness has helped Belmont to an average 34 points per game and their steely and sometimes aggressive defence gave up just 16 points a match.

Old Blue on the other hand scored a respectable 26 points per match in the regular season and conceded just fewer than 23 each game.

It will take a huge defensive effort to contain the Belmont backline but they won’t die wondering. If they are to go down, they’ll do so with fight.

Rouse amassed his points through four tries, 30 conversions and nine penalties, an obvious beneficiary of San Francisco’s impressive attacking machine.

Life University’s Nolte Coetzee finished third with 69 points while Denver’s Maximo De Achaval takes fourth spot with 64.

Old Puget Sound Beach captain / Coach Evan Haigh rounds out the top five with 61 points.

For the final list of scorers click here.

YOUR CLUBS TOP SCORER

RED CONFERENCE

San Francisco: 107 Points – Volney Rouse

Belmont Shore: 53 Points – Ata Malifa

Denver Barbarians: 64 Points – Maximo De Achaval

Chicago Lions: 53 Points – Josh Cocking

OMBAC: 60 Points - Sam Gonzales

Chicago Griffins: 38 Points – Trent Garrett

Santa Monica: 46 Points – Matt Sonter

OPSB: 61 Points – Evan Haigh

BLUE CONFERENCE

Life University: 69 Points - Nolte Coetzee

NYAC: 103 Points – Dan Power

Old Blue: 55 Points – Tom Drewe

Dallas: 52 Points – Vaughn Crowe

Charlotte: 23 Points – Jason Zehmke

Boston: 24 Points – Johannes Christian Swanepoel

PAC: 16 Points – Togamau Julius Fanueli

Boston Irish: 28 Points – Shawn Hibbard

San Francisco duo Seta Palamo and Danny La Prevotte plus Chicago Lions forward Nate Ellis all tied with Uiagalelei in second position.

For the final list click here.

YOUR CLUBS TOP TRY SCORER

RED CONFERENCE

San Francisco: 7 Tries - Seta Palamo, Danny La Prevotte

Belmont Shore: 8 Tries - Peter Sio

Denver Barbarians: 5 Tries – David Laidlaw

Chicago Lions: 7 Tries – Nate Ellis

OMBAC: 4 Tries - Riaan Hamilton

Chicago Griffins: 3 Tries – Brendan Brown

Santa Monica: 2 Tries – Jesse Taylor, Kelly Serfoss, Matthew Strangeway

OPSB: 4 Tries – Chris Stone

BLUE CONFERENCE

Life University:  6 Tries – Steve Petzel

NYAC: 5 tries – Mitchell Dow

Old Blue: 5 Tries - Troy Hall

Dallas: 3 Tries – Tim McNeeley

Charlotte: 3 Tries - Jason Foresman, Michael Felts

Boston: 3 Tries – Duran Vota, Daniel Christie

PAC: 3 tries – Daniel Baikie, Greg Suellentrop

Boston Irish: 3 Tries – Ian Flanagan

Dallas has clinched a spot in the Rugby Super League Play Offs with a 29-15 win over Potomac Athletic Club, ending PAC's season.

The visiting Harlequins picked the right time to claim their first away win of the season, guaranteeing themselves a place in the finals with a tough win.

Dallas shot out to a 13-0 lead early before the home side clawed back with two tries to be within striking range at 18-10 at halftime.

A third Potomac try just after the break breathed life into their own slim play off aspirations with the score back at 18-15 however the Harlequins regrouped with winger Frank Muchugia’s second try and two penalties to Vaughn Crowe.  

DALLAS HARLEQUINS 29 (TRIES: Frank Muchugia 2, Tim McNeeley; CONVERSIONS: Vaughn Crowe; PENALTIES: Vaughn Crowe 4) d. POTOMAC ATHLETIC CLUB 15 (TRIES: Al Martinez, Matthew Grinney, Guy Justin Prud’homme)

CHARLOTTE @ OLD BLUE NEW YORK

Old Blue has clinched third place in the Blue Conference with a 32-14 home win over Charlotte, ending Charlotte’s season.

The visitors led 8-7 in the first half and 14-10 early in the second half but lapsed for a brief period midway through the second half, allowing Old Blue to score back-to-back tries within minutes of each other to take a 22-14 lead.

A further penalty and then a late try to the home side was enough to clinch a spot in the play offs.

The boys from New York will now travel to the number two seed from the Red Conference for the first week of finals.

OLD BLUE NEW YORK 32 (TRIES: Troy Hall 2, Alex MacLennon, Euan Sadden; CONVERSIONS: Tom Drewe 3; PENALTIES: Tom Drewe 2) d. CHARLOTTE 14 (TRIES: Jacko Ah Hoy; PENALTIES: Jason Zehmke 3)

LIFE UNIVERSITY @ BOSTON

Life University have finished the regular season without a loss thanks to a 54-14 hammering of Boston, knocking the Boston boys out of the title race in the process.

Despite having first place in the Blue Conference wrapped up before the round begun, Life University showed no mercy as they tuned up for the business end of the year.

Antoine Blanchett and Brendan Thompson scored doubles as the Running Eagles piled on eight tries to finish well clear of their rivals.

Boston now finishes the season with a 2-5 record, in sixth place in the Blue Conference while Life will host the Red Conference number four seed in the first week of the play offs.

LIFE UNIVERSITY 54 (TRIES: Antoine Blanchett 2, Brendan Thompson 2, Andrew Osborne, Steve Petzel, Kyle Grossheider, Mark Aylor; CONVERSIONS: Nathan Rogers 4; PENALTIES: Nathan Rogers 2) d. BOSTON 14

NEW YORK ATHLETIC CLUB @ BOSTON IRISH WOLFHOUNDS

Last year’s RSL champions have warmed up for this season’s play offs with a comfortable 31-5 win over the Boston Irish Wolfhounds.

NYAC were already guaranteed second place in the Blue Conference before the match kicked off and continued their good form to take down the Wolfhounds, who were handed last place in the conference with the defeat.

Dan Power claimed 16 points of his own to help ensure NYAC finished the regular season with a 5-2 record while the Wolfhounds finish with a 1-6 record.

NYAC will host the Red Conference number three seed in the first week of the play offs.

NEW YORK ATHLETIC CLUB 31 (TRIES: Justin Hundley, Mike Petri, Dan Power, Mitchell Dow; CONVERSIONS: Dan Power; PENALTIES: Dan Power 3) d. BOSTON IRISH WOLFHOUNDS 5 (TRIES: Stuart Abbott)

CHICAGO LIONS @ SAN FRANCISCO GOLDEN GATE

San Francisco has clinched top spot in the Red Conference and relegated the Chicago Lions to fourth with a 44-20 win in San Francisco today.

Forward Daniel La Prevotte was outstanding on his way to three tries, setting up a finals berth against Dallas in two weeks time.

They end the regular season with a 6-1 record, with their only loss coming against Belmont Shore, and are clearly the most prolific attacking team in the league, scoring over 300 points in seven games.

The Lions will now travel to Life University, the top team in the Blue Conference, for their finals match.

SAN FRANCISCO 44 (TRIES: Danny Le Prevotte 3, Kevin Erskine, Milemoto Pulu; CONVERSIONS: Volney Rouse 5; PENALTIES: Volney Rouse 3) d. CHICAGO LIONS 20(TRIES: Nate Ellis, Tom Dolan, Jeremy Nash; CONVERSIONS: Josh Cocking; PENALTIES: Josh Cocking)

BELMONT SHORE @ CHICAGO GRIFFINS

Belmont Shore clinched a home final with an impressive 53-3 disposal of the Chicago Griffins, who battled hard despite having winger Ron Stone sent off after just 20 minutes.

San Francisco’s bonus point win kept Belmont in second place but with the top two sides earning home finals the Shore boys are looking good for an assault on the title they lost to NYAC last year.

Centers Peter Sio and Craig Wells scored five tries between them in the nine try rout, with Sio grabbing a treble and Wells crossing twice.

Belmont finishes the regular season without a loss, six wins and a tie and will host Old Blue in the first week of the finals.

The Griffins finish in sixth with a 2-5 record.

BELMONT SHORE 53 (TRIES: Peter Sio 3, Craig Wells 2, Ian Carpenter, Tony Fratangelo, Jacob Grubbs, William Panter;  CONVERSIONS: Ata Malifa 4) d. CHICAGO GRIFFINS 3 (PENALTIES: Trent Garrett)

DENVER BARBARIANS @ OLD PUGET SOUND BEACH

Denver confined OPSB to last place in the Red Conference and leapfrogged the Chicago Lions into third place with a 49-10 win in Seattle.

While the Barbarians and Lions finished equal on 22 points, Denver claim third thanks to a victory over the Lions earlier in the season.

Sam Gilliam contributed two tries while Maximo De Achaval helped himself to 19 individual points thanks to a try, four conversions, a penalty and a drop goal against OPSB.

The result improved their record to 4-3 and sees them set to travel to New York Athletic Club for the finals.

OPSB may have finished in last position with a 1-6 record but they did fight hard each week, even when obviously outmatched.

Their lone win against Santa Monica was an impressive one and with the addition of a new home field late in the year they have plenty to build on in the future.

DENVER BARBARIANS 49 (TRIES: Sam Gilliam 2, Maximo De Achaval, Jake Humphrey, Nic Johnson, David Laidlaw, Travis Meidinger; CONVERSIONS: Maximo De Achaval 4; PENALTIES: Maximo De Achaval; DROP GOALS: Maximo De Achaval) d. OLD PUGET SOUND BEACH 10 (TRIES: Evan Haigh; CONVERSIONS: Evan Haigh; PENALTIES: Evan Haigh)

OMBAC @ SANTA MONICA

OMBAC has finished the season on a high with a 38-21 win over Santa Monica, moving them up to fifth place in the conference and relegating the Dolphins to a seventh place finish.

In an entertaining and tough encounter both sides had chances to win but it was OMBAC who made the most of the opportunities.

With the refereeing producing plenty of interesting calls and a penalty try to each team, tensions were high.

A handful of yellow cards did little to quell the intensity but at the end of the day OMBAC finished off the contest with a late try to Garrett Hawley.

They finish the year with a 2-5 record, with the benefit of four bonus points, to push them to fifth. The turning point for the side was close losses to Belmont and the Chicago Lions, had they jagged those games they may have still been alive.

Santa Monica battled on all season long, despite injuries disrupting their roster, and will have to be content with seventh spot and a 2-5 record.

Their last minute win over Denver was a massive highlight for the side who lament a loss against OPSB early in the season as the killer blow.

OMBAC 38 (TRIES: Riaan Hamilton, Zach Pangelinan, Troy Donoghue, Garrett Hawley, penalty try; CONVERSIONS: Samuel Gonzales 5; PENALTIES: Samuel Gonzales) d. SANTA MONICA 21 (TRIES: penalty try, Dominic Riebli, Matthew Strangeway; CONVERSIONS: David Hughes 3)

There is plenty to play for in the final round of Rugby Super League action as play off places go on the line in the Blue Conference while play off seeding is the focus over in the Red Conference.

With Life University and New York Athletic Club already guaranteed the top two seeds in the Blue Conference, five other clubs will battle it out for the remaining two spots in a massive weekend of rugby.

In the Red Conference the four teams heading to the playoffs are decided but their seeding is far from settled which means home finals are on the line.
History shows home finals are crucial in this competition so there will be plenty of tough footy showcased.

BLUE CONFERENCE

CHARLOTTE (4TH) @ OLD BLUE NEW YORK (3RD)

This is probably the most critical game in the Blue Conference as the winner will cement a place in the post season while the loser is every chance of being bundled out of the top four.

The best either Old Blue or Charlotte can manage is a third place finish however should they lose and other results go against them they could crash as low as sixth in the standings, finishing their challenge for the 2009 RSL title.

If Charlotte loses without a bonus point they would need PAC to beat Dallas, without obtaining a bonus point and Boston to lose to Life University to have any chance of holding on to fourth place.

Both teams must regroup from heavy defeats. Old Blue fell 38-5 to NYAC last weekend while Charlotte was shut out 41-0 at Life University.

With a much stronger attack and defence Old Blue is favoured to clinch third spot with a win here but if they are at all complacent Charlotte will pounce.

Old Blue has scored an average 25.2 points a game and conceded 24.2 while Charlotte are only managing to post 17 points a game while conceding 26.3.

LIFE UNIVERSITY RUNNING EAGLES (1ST) @ BOSTON (6TH)

Boston face mission almost impossible if they are to be involved in the finals.

Not only do they have to beat the currently undefeated Life University Running Eagles but they also need Charlotte and Dallas to lose so they can leapfrog them into the finals zone.

First things first for Boston though. How do they find a way to crack the Life Uni defence which has been phenomenal this season?

Last weekend the Running Eagles clinched top spot in the conference with a shut out 41-0 win over Charlotte while Boston fell 28-7 to Dallas to put their season on the brink.

Life now boasts an offence which is scoring 31.5 points a game and the RSL’s best defence which is conceding just 11.3 points a match.

Boston on the other hand are scoring just 20.2 points and giving up 24.3.

There is some light at the end of the tunnel for Boston and their fans. With Life already assured top spot coach Scott Lawrence may opt to rest players with niggling injuries.

Should this prove the case, the door will be unlocked and the home side will have a better chance to find a way through it.

DALLAS HARLEQUINS (5TH) @ POTOMAC ATHLETIC CLUB (7TH)

This is another massive match up with both sides needing victory to feature in the finals.

Dallas can clinch a spot in the post-season with a win and can finish as high as third should other results go their way while PAC can clinch a spot in the finals with a bonus point win as long as Boston is beaten and Charlotte lose without gaining a bonus point.

Dallas come into the match on the back of a hard fought 28-7 win over Boston while PAC put away the Boston Irish Wolfhounds 26-10 to stay in contention.

While Dallas (3-3) boast the superior record over PAC (2-4) they have failed to play well away from home losing both of their away matches so far this season.

It’s a psychological barrier they must overcome as even if they manage to sneak into the finals with a win, they’ll be playing away against a top Red Conference team.

With just 77 points scored this season PAC needs to find a way to lift its offence to gain a bonus point for four tries but with the knowledge there is no tomorrow you can be sure they’ll chance their arm.

Dallas must focus on the basics of rugby, take their opportunities as they come or face finals oblivion.

NEW YORK ATHLETIC CLUB (2ND) @ BOSTON IRISH WOLFHOUNDS (8TH)

The final match in the Blue Conference has no bearing on the make up of the finals with NYAC guaranteed to finish second regardless of the result here.

Boston Irish can not make the play offs but it is conceivable they could offloads last place in the Conference to PAC should they manufacture a bonus point win and PAC fail to take anything from their match.

It will be interesting to see how NYAC approach the game. Will they rest players before the finals or will they look to tune up their attack and defence before the play offs begin?

RED CONFERENCE

CHICAGO LIONS (3RD) @ SAN FRANCISCO GOLDEN GATE (1st)

The match of the round in the Red Conference is most certainly this one between the Lions and San Francisco.

A home final goes on the line here with the winner guaranteed a place in the top two while the loser is almost certain to miss out on the chance to host a Blue conference side in the first week of play-offs.

Chicago can actually finish anywhere from first to fourth depending on results while the home side could fall as low as third although they are in the box seat as a bonus point win would clinch top spot in the conference.

San Francisco enter the match after four blistering wins over the Chicago Griffins, OMBAC Santa Monica and OPSB, the combined total being a massive 216-51, showing just how deadly they can be.

The Lions have won their last two matches but have been a little scratchy, gaining their wins over OMBAC and Santa Monica in the dying moments.

BELMONT SHORE (2nd) @ CHICAGO GRIFFINS (5TH)

Belmont Shore can clinch a home final with victory over the Chicago Griffins and possibly move up to top spot should San Francisco lose or should Belmont gain a bonus point win and San Francisco win without the bonus point.

For the Griffins, the game is about pride on their home turf as they look to finish the year strongly.

The Griffins rocketed up to fifth spot with an impressive 30-17 win over OMBAC in San Diego and can maintain the respectable position with a win here while a loss could see them slip back to sixth.

Belmont has won five straight games after a tie in the opening round to be the only undefeated side in the Red Conference, their last win a last minute 17-16 result over Denver in Denver.

DENVER BARBARIANS (4TH) @ OLD PUGET SOUND BEACH (8TH)

Denver can’t be usurped in the finals but they can strive to move up to third if they can muster a bonus point win over the last placed OPSB in Seattle.

Should the Lions fail to earn any points against San Francisco and the Barbarians take maximum points the teams will tie on 22 points however Denver would clinch third thanks to a 28-6 victory over their rivals earlier this year.

With this in mind you can be sure the visitors will be looking to play attacking rugby at OPSB’s fantastic new rugby venue.

The home side officially opened the pitch last week against SFGG and while the heavy 73-25 score line against them seems massive, it belies the effort put in by the home side against a red hot San Francisco.

If the Barbarians think they are facing an easy task, they should think again as OPSB is full of pride and will fight to the death knowing they can rid themselves of last place with a win.

OLD MISSION BEACH ATHLETIC CLUB (7TH) @ SANTA MONICA (6TH)

While neither side here can feature in the play-offs this southern Californian match up always turns out to be a cracking game of rugby.

Injuries have cruelled both side in 2009 but they will muster their squads for one last assault to guarantee they don’t finish on the bottom of the Red Conference standings.

Santa Monica come into the match having suffered a heartbreaking injury time loss to the Chicago Lions while OMBAC fell to the other team from the windy city, the Griffins, last weekend.

Both clubs have tremendous pride and will give 100percent to the final whistle.