The 2016 regular season comes to a close this weekend with a playoff spot still on the line. With their win over Glendale on Tuesday the SFGG Rhinos became the first team to book a spot in the Grand Final. They have this weekend off while both Glendale and OMBAC are left fighting for the last spot.
Denver Barbarians vs. Glendale Raptors (3:00 p.m. MT; Infinity Park; Live on Infinity Park Match Player)
The Glendale Raptors are in the driver’s seat for the final spot in the Grand Final. Against SFGG all they had to was pick up a bonus point. They weren’t able to have that happen but they came close. Now they have a reinforced line-up with several key players for the Denver PRO Rugby team available. Zach Fenoglio, Christian Wiessing, Casey Rock, Peter Dahl, Mose Timoteo, and Martin Knoetze have all seen time with Denver and should help bolster the team.
The Barbarians likewise have their PRO Rugby players back. The Barbarians have really missed their depth over the last few weeks as they haven’t been able to pile in the wins. Max De Achaval, Logan Colling, Michael Al-Jiboori, and Soane Leger are all available. It’s a rivalry so the Barbarians and the Raptors both have a chance but the odds of the Raptors picking up a bonus point are high.
Belmont Shore vs. OMBAC (3:00 p.m. PT; Little Q)
OMBAC are still alive for the Grand Final but they need a full five point win over Belmont Shore and for Glendale to get shut out. Even then they are going to need to put up a big score against Belmont Shore. That won’t be easy to do. Belmont Shore have been #teamchaos this year with some major upsets. OMBAC should be favored in the match although they are missing their PRO Rugby players. However, relying on the kicking and play of Kieron Rollinson Belmont Shore have had weapons.
Olympic Club vs. Santa Monica (3:00 p.m. PT; Treasure Island)
This one is for bragging rights. Santa Monica currently hold a three point lead over Olympic Club for the wooden spoon. In their previous meeting last month Santa Monica prevailed with a 16-15 win. That was at home, however, and this weekend Olympic Club will have the advantage. While neither team has played extremely well this year they have played good rugby.
