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The Northeast Allstars reached new heights in Colorado
Back Row:Astridge,Visser,Gerritson,Adams,Phifer,MacCallum,Caruana,Cox,Hayes,Harmon,Hopkins,Bunch,McGuire
Front Row:Tucker,Jocelyn,Leahy,Berkowitz,Chapin,Perruccio,Phillips,Temple,McDowell,Allecia
* selected for the All America team
+ played in probables possibles game
| Jon Bunch | USMA | MetNY | Prop | |
| James Adams | U Buffalo | NYS | Prop/Hooker | + |
| Jim Temple | U Buffalo | NYS | Hooker | |
| Arlen Gerritson | U Massachusetts | NE | Prop | + * |
| John Cox | Buffalo State | NYS | Lock | + * |
| Steve Caruana | LeMoyne | NYS | Lock | |
| Chris Hopkins | U Connecticut | NE | Lock | |
| Tyler Hayes | Canisius | NYS | Flanker/8 | |
| Keith Phifer | Colby | NE | Flanker | |
| Eric Harmon (Capt) | USMA | MetNY | Flanker | + * |
| Warren MacCallum | U Massachusetts | NE | 8 | + |
| Kirk Perruccio | U Connecticut | NE | Scrum half | |
| Brendan Leahy (VCapt) | U Connecticut | NE | Fly half | + * |
| Eric Tucker | U Connecticut | NE | Center | |
| Scott Phillips | Canisius | NYS | Center | + |
| Pere Berkowitz | U Massachusetts | NE | Wing | |
| Brian Chapin | USMA | MetNY | Wing | |
| Doug Jocelyn | Colby | NE | Center/Wing | |
| Brad Allecia | Buffalo State | NYS | Wing | |
| Ed McDowell | Brown | NE | Fullback | + * |
Coach - Ron Astridge ( Canisius, NYS ) email
Manager - Mickey McGuire ( U Buffalo, NYS )
Asst Coach - Jaco Visser ( Albany Knicks, NE )
| West 31 - 15 |
Pacific 16 - 17 |
Southern
Cal 21 - 28 |
|
| 1 | Bunch | Bunch | Bunch (5) |
| 2 | Temple | Adams | Adams |
| 3 | Gerritson (5) | Gerritson | Gerritson |
| 4 | Hopkins | Caruana | Caruana / Hopkins |
| 5 | Cox | Cox | Cox |
| 6 | Hayes (5) | Phifer | Phifer |
| 7 | Harmon | Harmon | Harmon |
| 8 | MacCallum | MacCallum | MacCallum / Hayes |
| 9 | Perruccio | Perruccio | Perruccio |
| 10 | Leahy (22223) | Leahy (3332) | Leahy (2333) |
| 12 | Tucker | Tucker | Tucker |
| 13 | Phillips (5) | Phillips | Jocelyn (5) |
| 11 | Chapin | Chapin (5) | Allecia |
| 14 | Jocelyn (5) | Berkowitz / Allecia | Berkowitz |
| 15 | McDowell | McDowell | McDowell |
Last year the Northeast handled the West easily 18 - 3. This years West team was a much improved version, very strong in the lineouts and at times running succesive forwards attacks off the sides of rucks. Northeast stayed in the game early by capitalizing on West errors. The Northeast plan was to run four offset forwards at a time from rucks, short lineouts and the resulting rucks after set scrum back row plays. The fly half was to take the blindside when he felt the moment was right. Poor lineout throws, knock ons and missed assignments prevented us from getting into our pattern. Finally, after winning a short lineout midway through the half, we were able to run the offset forwards through five phases and 50 meters. Arlen Gerritson put down from 10 meters away. Later a kick behind the wing by fly half Brendan Leahy bounced back to covering outside center Scott Phillips who beat the fullback and back side wing during a 70 meter run putting down under the posts. The West came back however and kept the game close until well into the second half. On a blindside play from a set scrum at midfield, Northeast wing Doug Jocelyn took a pass from fullback Ed McDowell along the sideline, scoring behind the posts. Then wing forward Tyler Hayes made a strong run from an offset position at a ruck 10 meters from the goal line dragging 3 defenders in for a try to put the game well out of reach. Brendan Leahy converted all four tries and added a penalty kick. Wing forward and captain Eric Harmon had a very strong game. His tackling and running from the offest position set the tone for the whole weekend.
Pacific
Having won the title for the last six years, the path to the championship goes through the Pacific. Northeast last year was handled easily by Pacific 22 - 0 but this year was a different story. The miscues and lack of execution from the first game were absent and Northeast's aggressive offset running forced the Pac Coast into many penalties, three of which were converted by fly half Brendan Leahy. Many offset running opportunites were created from feeds to the forwards at ten yards from "moving" three man lineouts won by John Cox. Pacific coast was not able to beat the lead-scape-outside backline defense led by Eric Tucker with Leahy and Phillips. Half time score was Northeast 9 Pacific 3. Pacific scored a converted try and a penalty kick to make the score 9 to 10 early in the half. Northeast came back by moving the ball to wing Brian Chapin after multiple rucking phases. Chapin sliced inside his defending wing dragging the wing and the fullback in the final 5 meters for a score to the left of the posts. Leahy converted for a 16 - 10 lead. Pacific needed to score a converted try to win. With 10 minutes remaining and after relentless straight ahead pressure in front of the posts, a Pac forward picked up a ball from a ruck and dove over for the put down. The conversion made the score 17 - 16. Showing no sign of panic, the Northeast methodically moved themselves into position for an attempt at points. With less than a minute the Northeast got what they wanted. Northeast lineout 15 meters out with an adequate angle for a Leahy drop goal attempt. The ball went into second jumper, bounced off a few hands and fell forever to the Pacific side of the line out, denying Leahy a chance to make rugby history. The whistle blew ending a valiant effort by the Northeast.
Southern California
Midwest beat SoCal in a very close match to send them against Northeast in the 3rd place game. Throughout the game SoCal enjoyed better field position because of their excellent counter attacking and the strong kicking of their fly half. The flyhalf was able to delay his kicks long enough to bring the Northeast wings up, leaving the fullback alone and without good options. Northeast fly half Brendan Leahy made good on a 30 meter drop. However, the points were taken away when the touch judge sited foul play at a ruck preceeding the kick. Still in the first half, the backs received 3rd phase ball about 25 meters out, spun the ball to outside center Doug Jocelyn who after straightening out his run, beat the SoCal backline under the posts. In the second half Jon Bunch scored on a well executed rolling maul initiated at a lineout at 15 meters. SoCal responded with a converted try and a penalty to make the score 15 - 28. Again, as against Pacific, the teamed showed great poise and confidence. With less thatn 15 minutes left Leahy hit a 15 meter penalty. Five minutes later he hit from 25 meters. With five minutes left and finding themselves at their own end of the field the Northeast remained in the pattern of attack which they had executed all week. Offset running, 3 man line outs, back row moves leading to more offset running. A quick ball to the backs caught SoCal offside 15 meters in front of the posts. A short penalty play created another offside at the ruck. With the score 21 - 28 with no time remaining the last short penalty play was run. Arlen Gerritson was high tackled at 10 meters which resulted in a pile up. No call was made, the final whistle was blown.