former Littleton Eagles RFC halfback, Kurt Werner, is tearing it up on the east coast!

Rocky Mountain Regional Rugby

Report A collaborative effort by Rugby Scribes: writers and imagers 11.22.13

In This Issue:

Colorado Crusaders – Last Call December 14th

Tables and tableaus: Men’s D2, NSCRO

2014 Women’s Rugby world Cup

IRB’s Autumn Test Series

Colorado Crusaders are awesome!!!

D-2 Men's Roundup: yippee-yi-yo-etc. - L.T.

- compiled from information provided by the ERRFU union and its Referee Society

They say Haggis is good... right now it is perfect! Image: vande

After 5 matches played, the union Men's Division-2 Table is as follows: Club (MPts) Won Lost Drawn MPts Park City Haggis (25) 5 0 0 25 Glendale Raptors (20) 4 1 0 20 Denver Highlanders (15) 3 2 0 15 Denver Harlequins (12) 2 3 0 12 Colorado Springs (6) 1 4 0 6 Northern Colorado (1) 0 5 0 1 Each club has completed five matches. Each has five left. It is anyone's feast yet if you run numbers (or even if you don't):

Park City Haggis be the news at 5-0-0 with all possible points taken just now; Second-placed Raptors were soundly beaten by the Utahans on the trot in PC, 53-12, though they'll

look at responding emphatically to that favor at the return engagement in Colorado come spring; Highlanders have lost in Utah to Haggis and at the StoveTop to Raptors. They'll host both clubs

(that are) ahead of them on the chart after the frost. Bonus point wins for the Hillmen in those matches will mix up things nicely: scratch-scratch, furrow-furrow;

Harlequins are only three MPts adrift those Highlanders (whom they'll host in the competitive cycle's continuation), and they'll be at home in The Cooker for their fixture v Raptors as well. It would be unwise to discount the Jesters as they've new players onboard who were only working their way into coach Mark Price's estimable system in the fall and, depending on their rugby uptake over the course of the break, could prove instrumental in the confoundation of those clubs ahead of them at table;

CS Grizzlies showed well in their match at Glendale's StoveTop this season… darn near won the second stanza with a minus one player count. Springs centers are capably exciting and their pack will only improve with the addition of Dan Mechtly in its front row at the re-start;

NC Flamingos will see positive player numbers in the spring. Those waterbirds are well-capable of running away with their last five contests. Hurry Spring!

One thing is certain from the fall competition: If you don't eat Haggis, it will surely eat you - Robbie Burns' birthday = January 25… there will be Haggis!!!

NSCRO Men's Roundup: aye-yi-yi-etc. - compiled from information on University of Denver Pioneer RFC's website (standings) and our union site (schedule)

The clubs have either 6 or 7 league matches completed. Table looks like this: Club w-l-d MPts

New Mexico Highlands Vatos 7-0-0 35 University of Denver Pioneers 6-0-0 30 University of Northern Colorado Bears 4-2-0 22 Colorado School of Mines Orediggers 4-2-0 20 Colorado Mesa University Mavericks 3-3-0 18 Western State Colorado University Mountaineers 3-4-0 18 Regis University Rangers 3-4-0 17 CU - Colorado Springs Lions 2-5-0 10 Red Rocks Red Fox 1-6-0 7

#s 1 and 2 at table go on to the Cowboy Cup and initial stage of NSCRO playoffs. That victor goes to NSCRO regional and onward, one would hope.

The Vatos of New Mexico Highlands University and University of Denver's Pioneers are undefeated, though the Frontiersmen have a game in hand regards the Dudes. Both have accumulated all bonus points as they repair to the winter break for rehabilitations and strategic reconsiderations. Coaches Allan Wilson (DU) and PJ Trujillo (NMHU) will have their charges rugby-preparatorially involved over the interval, one should think, in anticipation of spring's thaw and the resumption of play and on to NSCRO playoffs, where the table gets smaller yet higher:

Vatos have fixtures at DU, 3.1.13 and the following Saturday, 3.8.13, with Regis - wins enable Highlands to close out their campaign undefeated and ensure top seed in the Cowboy Cup in Texas v the top two Texas NSCRO sides - that winner advances to the regional semis. A loss to DU puts Vatos second on the table and if they drop their match v UNC, they risk letting the Bears (possibly the Orediggers, too!) back into the race for the NSCRO Playoffs and onto Championships;

Pioneers have three matches left: at home v UNC, 2.22.13; with Highlands, 3.1.13 and at Red Rocks, 3.8.13; should DU win out, they'll take the number one seed to Texas for the Cowboy

Cup; two or more losses, and they risk a finished season March 8th;

The third through seventh slots at this rugby festival are occupied by clubs that are within a happy weekend's result of one another;

Bears must win out and trust to an unproductive spring by DU and/or Highlands to extend their season; with matches at DU, 2.22.13 and Mines 3.8.13, on either side of a home fixture with CU-Springs. Things could work themselves into a jolly ursine spring, but it will take some doing, of which UNC are well-capable;

Mines have a shot yet, though it's from a distance; winning out is critical to the lengthening of their season into the playoffs; Orediggers are at Regis, 2.22.13, and home for fixtures v Western, 3.1.13 and UNC, 3.8.13;

Remaining clubs' matches v the aforementioned top four sides will be their championship series, though three of the quintet have not been mathematically eliminated just yet.

National Small College Rugby Organization - NSCRO - hotsteps by cool customers: do… you… gettit?

Danger Black Ice image: vande

Reckon we might see a bit a’ this upcomin'? image: Trotski

2014 Women's Rugby World Cup

The pools have been drawn for RWC 2014, which will take place in the environs of metropolitan Paris kicking August 1 with pool play in the outskirts of the French capitol. RWC 2014 will conclude in Paris on 17th August with the championship finals.

USA are in Pool B with New Zealand, Ireland and Kazakhstan; New Zealand holds the world title.

Pool A = 2010 runners-up England (US loss at Greeley in August), along with Canada (W at Greeley in August), Samoa and Spain.

Pool C = hosts France (we were 1-2 v the French in California this past June), Australia, South Africa (2 Wins - one at Greeley in July at the start of 2013 Women's Nations Cup play, one at Kettle in August - for 3rd place at WNC) and Wales.

Top team in each pool along with the best 2nd-place go to semifinals. Fixtures and kicks at a later date. It would be easy for the Eagles to look past the Irish and Kazakhstanis to focus on the Black Ferns, but consider this: the dozen national sides in competition at RWC represent the very best each nation has on offer and no side will be in contest merely for the trip to Paris. So the fundamentals must be attended to: openfield tackling, low tackling, comprehensive support at the tackling, aggressive grappling following that stoppage, maintaining possession, enabling the turnover (for us!), etc. The Eagle coaching staff have their work cut out for them to prepare their charges for the highest level rugby on the planet come summer. Eagles player pool is deep and capable. Coaches are competent and confident. It will be interesting to see how well the instruction-action, coach-player link works. We'll find out in a bit more than eight months.

International Rugby Board's Autumn Test Series - Lonnie Trotski

US Eagles dramatic, 25-23, comeback victory over host Georgia is the top story emerging from last

weekend's round of examination: a sublime closure of the highest merit. Eagles did it with a penalty

struck truly off the toe of flyhalf Adam Siddall at the death from the vicinity of the Lelos ten meter line

yet off center by a good bit. Just prior to that fine finish Georgia's flyhalf, supposing time had run out,

punted a wobbler to touch, but the referee reckoned that time enough was aclock to allow one final

lineout, and then noted subsequent fractious behavior by Georgia, which resulted in Siddall's heroics,

the US obtaining the win and the levelling of the Eagles fall record at 1-1. Upcomer v Russia in North

London at the Saracens home grounds, Allianz Park, will be crucial to a happy holiday season for us all!

Canada was not so fortunate as their XV dropped a one-pointer to Romania in Bucharest, 20-21.

Canada will finish this season's series in Lisbon with a Test v the Portuguese national side, Os Lobos.

New Zealand All Blacks continue on the perfect side of good at 13-0 for their 2013 Test campaign with

the result past England, 30-22. Next victim…err, opponent = Ireland on the Sunday.

South Africa had four trys, all converted by standoff Pat Lambie and the 28-nil win, while Scotland had

a poor kicking day all around between them what shoulda gone to touch and didna and them what

shouldna yet did. Brave and valiant the defense of the Scots, deliberate and decisive that of the

Springboks. Very much enjoyed the commentary of Scotland great, Gavin Hastings, on 5 Live Sports

Extra BBC online radio gets you there for Wales v Tonga this upcoming Friday and Scotland v Australia

on Saturday, both live broadcasts. One may be required to drop the BBC radio app onto their device,

but with earplugs, whatever you're doing instantly gets that much better.

Next up for the 'Boks is a Channel leap and Test v France in Paris. That'll be the conflagration on

the eastern horizon Saturday! While Scotland look to foil Australia's thus far 2-1 (double-yous at

Ireland and Italy, loss to England) Northern Hemisphere run at Murrayfield on the day.

IRB

Australia spanked Ireland smartly, 32-15, at Lansdowne Road on the weekend and will pop across the

Irish Sea for to visit the aforementioned Murrayfield on the upcomer. Where's the Third, Gordon?

Wales play host to winless Tonga at Millennium Stadium and want to close this Autumn series with a

winning record after topping punchless Argentina, 40-6, last Saturday. Tonga would relish victory as

the alternative is an unhappy autumn record unloved and undigestible of the Ikale Tahi diet. Could get

physical in Cardiff on the day, maybe.

Italy triumphed over desperately wilful Fiji (five lemon notes from the sir and a playing complement of

11 at one stage), 37-31, and the Azzurri look to close out the fall with a winning record v Argentina in

Rome.

Friday, 11.22.13

Wales v Tonga: A measure of attrition will be evident afield on this Fractious Friday, maychance?

Better get your padded caps ready boys and girls for this will be a bangety-banger. Wales coach

Warren Gatland has made 11 changes to the side that whupped Argentina. Yet still with Leigh

Halfpenny, George North and James Hook in the three-quartersline, Ryan Jones captaining the squad

from the backrow and Sam Warburton, Dan Lydiate and Rhys Priestland on standby, it does not mean

that the wizened Welsh pilot has chosen a rookie XXIII. If the Ikale Tahi can keep their XV, XV at all

times at this Friday afternoon Fracas (FaF?), it'll be a go, otherwise it'll be a goner for the Southern

Hemiphereans - we're calling it for the home team in any case - Wales 35, Tonga 20;

Saturday, 11.23.13

USA v Russia: Russia were well-beaten by Japan last time out, while the Eagles claimed famous victory

in the Transcaucasian nation of Georgia; even better result for the US this day - USA 35, Russia 16;

Portugal v Canada: Portugal absolutely hammered Brasil, 68-nil, in Lisbon at a festive (for the home

side one should think) frolic last time out, while Canada are 0-2 and should not like to finish up this

fall's international fixture list unwon. Our northern neighbors will not - Portugal 23, Canada 28;

Italy v Argentina: Many Pumas have played, or are playing, in the Italian League. Each side well-knows

the other, but that is not meant to infer a cosy familiarity… more like knowledge of the locations of

Achillean heels and such. Boom-boom-boom… boom! In the Italian capitol - Italy 26, Argentina 28;

Scotland v Australia: Wallabies have sailed along thus far on their North American tour, but could it be

that demon rum has reared its big old unlovely cowhead in the down-underites camp for to unravel

the Wallabies? Yes, and I'll drink to that. If the Aussies set their sights solely on Murrayfield, eschewing

the panoramic and historic distillery scenic-and-sup divert, they'll bring home an unblemished up-and-

over Test record; if Scotland can keep ball in hand and be patient with the pill, perhaps the GreenCats

get a hairball. Any case, gonna be a blinder - Scotland 32, Australia 30;

Ireland v New Zealand: Jonathan Sexton was questionable earlier in the week, which means that even

if he's granted the go, he most likely won't be at the top of his arc. But here's the thing: All Blacks be

unstoppable… the word juggernaut comes to mind. Kiwis'll close out the year unbeaten - Ireland 18,

New Zealand 32;

France v South Africa: The only thing certain in France these days is that Toulon owner, Mourad

Boudjellal, remains the signal force in rugby today - most rugbyheads cannot even spell as far as that

man thinks forward. But I digress. Both sides looked form last week, but the SA boys were a tad former

and did not appear to have reached their peak just yet. So if the mercurial Les Bleus, who seem ever

ready to flip or fly, take off… they'll still be a good number of tallies behind the South African rugby

machine at the end of this lively day - France 30, South Africa 36;

Georgia v Samoa: Each side is smarting from losses on the weekend. The Lelos Autumn Tests have

been, to phrase it obscurely, fractively physical. (If you) Figure this one to being anything but, you're in

for a surprise. Georgia should like to finish out this season with a winning result and record, Samoa will

absolutely not want to complete the autumn winless. One wag at the Cellar Betting Counter is

reported to have wanted to wager on the total number of infractive tickets issued and further is

reported to have called it in the double-digits… hein? End of the day, Georgia ain't small, but neither is

Samoa. This will be an exciting piece of work - Georgia 27, Samoa 30