Washington sweep Michelob Atlantic
Cup
(Washington DC) 25th August, 2003.
Washington Rugby Football Club continued their bright start to the new season by beating all competitors in the Premier Club Division of the Michelob Atlantic Cup, over the weekend August 23-24, 2003.
The tournament, played over two days, with many teams travelling from throughout the United States to compete in a 15’s tournament which doubles as an excellent preseason warmup to the serious league play to follow. The divisions are based on the social and club divisions, with the Rugby Superleague Clubs and 1st Division USA Rugby Clubs battling out supremacy in the Premiere Division.
Played in the Henlopen State Park, three excellently prepared fields hosted Washington in all of their matches starting with a showdown with Rugby Superleague rivals Philadelphia- Whitemarsh. The game was marked by a real contrast in styles as Washington countered Philly’s forward oriented game with an excellent scrum and then used National Finalist backs to complete the win 15-0.
To complete the first day’s play Washington took on a 1st Division club from the Mid Atlantic Union, Schuykill River RFC. Schuykill, like their neighbours Philadelphia – Whitemarsh could not match the potent forward play and the enterprising backline of Washington. The final score showed 6 tries scored by Washington, 4 by winger / center Rick Dortone, who had finished the day with 5 tries. Washington had finished the first day scoring 47 points and conceding none.
Sunday’s play began with the St Louis Hornets rugby club that had made the trip to the beach side tournament and were something of an unknown. After taking an early lead of 12-0, Washington conceded their first try of the match and then ground out the final minutes of the match against another determined forward pack. The depth of the Washington squad was tested with several of the younger players earning their time in the sun during this game.
The last game of the day was to be the decider in the round-robin tournament, as Washington faced a team from Frederick that had also amassed great scores throughout the tournament. Frederick RFC had beaten Schuykill and St Louis by large margins and had finished off Philadelplia on the first day.
Frederick’s pack was much taller and the Washington lineout was under some pressure, although Eric Brand and Larry Jannes in the second row sured up the set piece with crucial grabs throughout the game. Frederick essentially played a 10 man game – although it could have been mistaken for a 9 man game, at most. Washington’s defence and discipline held for the most part despite conceding their second try of the tournament.