Life West men’s rugby got back in the win column in Pacific Rugby Premiership play Saturday. The squad defeated Old Mission Beach Athletic to prevail 29-21 at Bodnar Field, located on the Cal Maritime campus in Vallejo, California.
The first half was contentious, where both teams appeared evenly matched. Life West scored first with a try from Zach Bonte at the 10-minute mark, then took a 12-10 lead following another try from Meiohihifo Kuli. Old Mission Beach responded with a successful kick just before halftime, putting Life West behind 13-12 at the break.
A rematch with the Glendale Merlins is up next for Life West.
Life West returned ready to go in the second half. Life West reeled off a 17-3 run, thanks to tries from Daniel Shepherd, Kalafitoni Pole and Maka Tameilau, turning a 13-12 deficit into a 29-16 lead with less than 10 minutes to play. Old Mission Beach cut into the margin with a try at the 72-minute mark, but that wasn’t enough to stop a victory for Life West.
With this win, the Life West men’s team moves to 2-1 in PRP play, sitting atop the league standings at the midway point of the season. The unit returns to the field on Saturday, March 14, with a road game against the Glendale Merlins. Life West defeated Glendale 35-26 to open the season, although the defending PRP champions were one man down for nearly 60 minutes of play.
Life West’s D2 and D3 men’s teams were also victorious on Saturday. They swept Google Rugby by scores of 85-5 and 54-19, respectively. The D2 team, which has now won three in a row, will host Olympic Club Rugby on March 14, while the D3 squad will welcome the Sacramento Capitals for a home game on Saturday, March 7.
The Life West women, meanwhile, came up short despite a frenetic rally in a 44-39 defeat against the Sacramento Amazons. Life West scored all of its points in the second half, and the defense held Sacramento to just a single try in that 40-minute stretch. The women will return to action on March 14 at home against San Francisco Golden Gate in a rematch of a Jan. 25 tilt, where Golden Gate prevailed 25-15.
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