Toulon Gets Castres-ated in French Final

Like a lot of people, I thought that the French Final would come down to Toulon against Clermont Auvergne. They finished one-two in the regular season standing for the Top 14 and they played out an epic final for the Heineken Cup two weeks ago in Dublin, where Johnny Wilkinson and his merry band of mercenaries in red and black prevailed over Vern Cotter's(who just became the coach for Scotland) men.

Olympique Castres: Shock winner's of Le Bouclier de Brennus, the holy grail of French Rugby

Somebody forgot to show Olympique de Castres the script. They smoked Montpellier-a H-Cup quarterfinalist in the first round playoff. Then they shocked Clermont Auvergne in the semi-finals in Nantes. So much for a rematch between Toulon and Clermont Auvergne.

 Castres as last lifted Le Bouclier de Brennus in 1993. It had been even longer for Toulon, who were last the champs of France in 1987.  Most people, myself included, thought that Bernard Laporte's band of internationals would smoke Castres at the Stade de France today. Castre's 19-14 upset today in Saint-Denis showed why sport can be such an unpredictable and amazing thing.

Toulon had a lot of early ball possession, and French inside center Mathieu Bastareaud was running hard and making life tough for the men from Languedoc. Johnny Wilkinson just missed on a 40 yard drop goal attempt and came a couple of yards short on a 51 yard penalty attempt.

It looked like it was going to be tied at half-time, when Freddie Michalak muffed a kick for a knock-on, which gave Castres a nice attacking scrum in Toulon Territory. Most people thought that Castres would  go for the drop goal-but then South African-born fly half Rory Kockott did an amazing little bit of slight of hand, broke a tackle, and planted under the posts for a try, which visibly shocked the team from the Var.

In the second half, Wilkinson was able to get Toulon to within a point, 9-10, when Tale was able to hit a couple of nice drop goals for Castres, and Kockott added a penalty to put the game out of reach, meaning that Delon Armitrage's( who was whistled every time he touched a ball in the final by the Castres faithful.) try in the 80th minute was mere consolation for Toulon, as Castres shocked the European champs, 19-14, to lift le Bouclier de Brennus for the fourth time in team history.

It was a nice way to walk off in the sunset for Castres Coaches Laurent Travers and Laurent Labit, who will be taking over at Racing Metro 92 in Paris for the 2013-14 season.

Toulon and Clermont Auvergne: High Drama in Dublin.

Toulon and Clermont Auvergne have not just been the two best teams in the French Top 14, but they have looked to be the two best club sides in Europe throughout this 2012-13 Heineken Cup season.

Vern Cotter's high flying Michelen Men have been racking up points at a dizzying rate all year. Toulon's band of expensive team have played some very good rugby throughout the season. Both teams were trying to win their first Heineken Cup title. Toulon has had a run of bad luck in finals from the last 20 years. In spite of the money shelled out, they have yet to win any hardware. Clermont Auvergne have only recently removed a gorilla-sized monkey from their yellow and blue backs three years ago, when they finally hoisted Le Bouclier de Brennus, the grail of the French Top 14.

In the end, Toulon came from behind to win a 16-15 nail-biter. In spite of all of the possession that Clermont had, Johnny Wilkinson and his mates held their discipline and did not concede a penalty that Clermont could have cashed in for the winning points. Johnny Wilkinson was a key player for Toulon, scoring 3 penalty goals and a conversion off Delon Armitage's tongue and finger wagging try that was set up beautifully off turnover ball provided by Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe.

Early in the second half, the two tries that Clermont scored from Nalaga-in a nice bit of keeping his feet in-bounds in spite of going at great pace; and Brock James cashed in off some nice work from Rougerie, would be enough to see the Michelen men through.

Wilkinson's boot kept Toulon around. He also would play a key role late in the game when he and Bastareaud would charge down a late drop goal attempt by David Skrela to help seal the Toulon win. For a man whose moment in the sun has been his iconic drop goal for England against Australia in the 2003 RWC final, the addition of the Heineken Cup was the fruition of the Resurrection of his career on the south coast of France.

As good as this final was, there is the strong possibility that these two teams can be playing each other in a couple of weeks-if they can win their semi-finals against Castres and Toulouse, who were both able to rest their aching bodies this past weekend. One thing for sure, a lot of fans would love to see Toulon and Clermont throw it down again with Le Bouclier de Brennus on the line. I will say, it was one of the best Heineken Cup finals I have seen in awhile. It was too bad that somebody had to lose, but I think a lot of people-particularly in England-were pulling for Johnny Wilkinson and his mates in Red and Black.

Catching up on Rugby News for Metropolis and Pasadena.

Wow, I have been really remiss in posting. So much for my New Years Resolution. I started OK, but after mid-March, I kept finding something else to do.

The two club sides in the USA that are the closest to my heart, Metropolis RFC in Minnesota and the Pasadena RFC out in California both had impressive play in the past month to qualify for Nationals: Metropolis won the Midwest Division I title in simply dominant fashion, by smoking long time rivals-and a fellow national semi-finalist from last year, Palmer College 74-5. That is not a typo. It surely has to be the greatest margin of victory Metropolis had against a team that is one of the powers in Midwest rugby. Metropolis gets Middlesex in the Sweet 16 in Norfolk, Virginia. Here is the rest of the Division I  Bracket:http://rugbymag.com/men's-di-clubs/7872-mens-di-club-bracket-updated.html

Pasadena had to overcome a serious upset bid from San Fernando Valley in the Southern Cal Semifinals

Pasadena had a slightly rockier road in the Southern California DII playoffs. The number two seed had a much tougher match than anticipated against San Fernando Valley, coming from behind to win in dramatic fashion, 25-10. In the other semifinal, Las Vegas, the number one side, was dumped 11-10 by South Bay-a team that was riding an emotional roller coaster after losing their fullback in a car accident.  The team, made up of players of mostly Pacific Island origin came into the final with their hard-hitting style. Again, Pasadena had to come from behind to pull off the emotional win in a very, very tense game, 27-15, that was much closer than the score would indicate. Pasadena's reward is a Sweet 16 match against the local Frisco Griffins, in Dallas.
http://rugbymag.com/men's-dii-clubs/7880-dii-mens-club-bracket-update.html

Pasadena will hope to ride the strong back of Little Ray...

All in all, a great couple of weeks for the two clubs that are near and dear to my heart. My rugby past and present has put a spring in this old prop's step this.

Oh, one more thing. Both clubs are just loaded with great people. I think rugby people are the nicest people anywhere, but I feel doubly lucky to have been involved with both of these winning, classy clubs.

6 Nations: Truth is Stranger Than Fiction...

After the November Internationals, a lot of people picked France as the favorite to win the Six Nations. Wales looked to be a Wooden Spoon candidate. That belief that Wales was sinking like the SS Minnow gained momentum when Wales had a horrible first half in their fist game against Ireland. Wales mounted a furious comeback in the second half, but came up short against Brian O'Driscoll and his mates.

France, who had played so well in November, would lose their first match against Italy in Rome. Phillipe St. André and his men ended up winning the dreaded wooden spoon, in spite of their close win against Scotland at the Stade de France.

England looked all set to win their first grand slam since 2003. After looking great against Scotland in the opening game, England would have a harder and harder time as the tournament progressed. They did not score a try in their last two games against Italy and Wales. Stuart Lancaster's men ran into a buzz-saw in Cardiff, getting blitzed by the Welsh 30-3, meaning that Wales won the Six Nations.

Wales, if not for their horrible opening 45 minutes against the Irish, very well could have won another grand slam. As it is, putting a serious beat-down on England 30-3 in front of a delirious home crowd in Cardiff signaled that they managed to turn things around after a dreadful November.

You have to give the Welsh credit for playing with a great deal of intensity and purpose. Halfpenny and  Warburton had monster games. The Welsh front row gave England fits.

2013 ended up being a good vintage for Welsh Rugby.

Wales the champs, France with the "Cuilliere en Bois"-their first since 1957. Who would have thought of THAT back in November.

Las Vegas Sevens: The World Comes to Las Vegas...and a Strange World It Is...

Kenya always brings a lot of fans to Las Vegas

With a Samoan Fan

I Just got back from the Las Vegas Sevens. A lot to talk about, but since it's almost Midnight, and I need to get to work in the morning, I thought I would share some pics I took over the weekend of fans from all over the world who descended upon Sin City for Rugby and fun....

Add capWho Knew Miss Canada was in the House?

New Zealand Fans....

Aussie Fans...

Fiji Fans were plentiful

Captain Americas-with Three blind mice...

The Spanish Inquisition

Fiji Fans

England was in the House...

My Friend Tom Daniels found some other Scotland Fans..

A young South African Fan...

A young Samoan Fan with his mother....

Two Weeks Until the IRB Las Vegas Sevens

I have been to two IRB Rugby World Cups, but I have yet to catch any of the IRB Sevens Series. That is about to change, as in two weeks from today, my friend Tom Daniels and I will be soaking in the rugby and the social seen in the stands that make up the series. http://www.usasevens.com/las-vegas/

We got tickets for the Saturday and Sunday sessions. I work until 4:30 PM on Friday. My wife will have to pick me up at work, then we need to do our 4 hour drive from LA to Las Vegas. Well, it's normally a 4 hour drive, but traffic can be very heavy on Friday afternoons on the I-15 heading to Vegas. There is nothing more surreal than being in the middle of the desert, but stuck in a massive traffic jam as if you were on the Santa Monica Freeway.

Tom's wife could care a toss about the rugby-so while Tom and I are watching rugby, his wife Linda and my wife can shop or do spa treatments.

I had always been curious to stay at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, so we were able to reserve rooms in a place more people remember from the Rat Pack's hangout... and where Motorcycle jumper Evel Kneivel bit asphalt back in 1967. It's a big of old Vegas that is still around on the strip.

Really looking forward to watching rugby, meeting fans from all over the world-and just plain having a good time. If you are going to be in Las Vegas during that weekend of February 8-10, drop me a line. I have been lucky enough to meet some other rugby bloggers in Europe and New Zealand, and would be happy to meet more rugby fans from the blogosphere.

A Full Saturday:Pasadena's Win, USA Rugby's Summit, and Catching Up with Friends...

It was quite a rugby weekend here in my neck of the woods in Southern California.

My new rugby home, Pasadena hosted the South Bay Rugby Club. The Rhino's roster is loaded with players of Pacific Island origin.  It would be a contrast of their size and physicality against the speed and fitness of Pasadena.  Pasadena would score an early try...

The only try Pasadena would score-but it was enough

Pasadena attempts to steal a South Bay throw in.

Pasadena's kicking game did a good job of keeping the Rhino's pinned in their own half, as well as scoring 6 points off of penalties. It was a very nervy and tactical game in the second half. South Bay was able to score a try to make it 13-5. South Bay had one man sin-binned for dangerous play(and really should have had a second player yellow carded for a dangerous tackle)

Another Rhino infraction penalized...

In the end, Pasadena's fitness and discipline in avoiding needless penalties was enough to hold onto the hard fought 13-5 win in a match that was played in simply pristine, 70+ degree, windless conditions in Pasadena.

USA Rugby had it's National Development Summit in Costa Mesa, California down in Orange County. It's a conference that touched on a myriad of subjects, from coaching, to player safety, and getting the sport out to younger kids in the USA. It also gave vendors a chance to showcase their wares, like some of these scrum sleds...

I had a little old home time by running into Chris Babiash. I first met Chris 7 years ago, during my first year with the Metropolis RFC back home in Minneapolis. I played with him back at the Aspen Ruggerfest in 2010, and two years ago in Minneapolis, when the Old Laurentians came to Minnesota, and we had an Old Boys game. He is a very busy man working for Rugby Athletic http://www.rugbyathletic.com and working hand in hand with USA Rugby. He has a young family, but his work is keeping him on the road quite a bit this year: L.A, Houston and Las Vegas in the early part of this year. It was great to talk with Chris and catch up with news about his family, Metropolis, Rugby Athletic and USA Rugby. In spite of him being a die-hard Green Bay Packer fan, he's a good guy. I admire what he did while president of Metropolis RFC(he was part of the group that suggested Metropolis start fielding two full time teams), and just being very a supportive to a 45 year old guy wanting to play rugby when I first joined Metropolis 7 years ago.

 It was just great to catch up friends like Timaris Montano, who along with her husband Chee, are preaching the gospel of the Oval Ball to kids in Gallup, New Mexico. http://propnurse.blogspot.com/2012/03/chee-spreads-gospel-of-rugby-to-native.html Along with being active parents of their own kids, they reach and help an awful lot of young people that goes beyond teaching scrum and rucking skills. (Her family still wonders what ever became of the white guy who got his car stuck in the ditch trying to find her daughter's Kinaalda Ceremony, signaling her arrival to Navajo womanhood)

Timaris Montano, Rugby Apostle in Gallup, New Mexico.

Timaris, my wife (AKA 'Da Redhead') and I had fine late evening talking about our families and what is going on getting kids playing rugby in western New Mexico.  Timaris and her Husband Chee are just  wonderful people-like a lot of people involved with rugby.

I started my Saturday watching some hard-fought rugby, while getting to know some very nice people with my new club, and ended my Saturday still talking rugby with some first-class people. All in all, it was a Saturday well-spent.