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OMBAC DEFEATS NYAC IN HIGH SCORING CONTEST: Clinch Blue Division title with come from behind win
(New York, NY) 27 April 2003 -- At the beginning of each season, OMBAC management sits down and jots down team goals for the season ahead. The team achieved two of those goals on Sunday with the 41-35 victory over the New York Athletic Club – win the Blue Division title and secure home field up to the championship match. The win also kept OMBAC’s unblemished 2003 Rugby Super League record intact at 6-0. The loss drops NYAC to 1-5 for the season. Due to over-use on its regular pitch, Sunday’s match was played on a narrow, rock-strewn patch of land that had no business hosting a rugby match of any kind, let alone a Super League match. The narrow pitch did favor the host team, as the ball was never very far from the big set of New York forwards. Seven minutes into the match, NYAC’s #8 picked up from a five-meter scrum and with some help from his fellow packies, plowed over for the game’s first score. OMBAC eightman, Henry Schaaf, showed his pace in tying up the match. The Henry Schaaf Show continued moments later as he took a quick tap penalty and rambled in for another try. Another five-meter scrum and another driving maul ahead by the NYAC forwards tied it up. Winger Tim Omi grabbed the lead back for OMBAC as he ran in a lost NYAC possession close to their line. But the New Yorkers kept coming and closed the gap with a penalty kick just before halftime. OMBAC got on the board first in the second half as scrumhalf Ghian Snyman dove in from a close in maul to make it 28-17. A knifing run by NYAC center Ali Newmarch lifted the New Yorkers spirits and their score as his try ate into the OMBAC lead, before Rocky Matatumua got three back for OMBAC with a long penalty kick. With OMBAC clinging to a 31-25 lead, hooker Matt Wyatt was sent to the sin-bin for a professional foul, forcing the San Diegans to play a man down for the next 10 minutes. NYAC wasted little time in taking advantage of the extra attacker as a converted try gave them back the lead. With 15 minutes left in the contest, New York increased the lead as another penalty kick split the uprights. Matatumua cut the difference to one with another penalty with ten minutes left to play. With just moments left in the match, OMBAC strung together a long passage of possession that was finally taken over the line by the nuggety Snyman. Matatumua added the extras to give OMBAC the final 41-35 margin of victory. “The pitch suited New York,” said OMBAC coach Joe Leota. “Their forwards were big but they were also useful. Someone came up to me at the end and said that we were lucky to win. I said, ‘Not really. A sign of a good team is to play to the end.’ And that’s what we did today. I’ll take a road win any day.” OMBAC closes out its Super League regular season on Saturday, May 3 at the Little Q as Boston, still hunting for a playoff spot at 4-2, comes to town. Kickoff is at 3:00 p.m. In other Super League action, Dallas tied the defending champions Gentlemen of Aspen 21-21; Belmont Shore remained the only other undefeated team as they clobbered the Denver Barbarians 55-14; PAC defeated Kansas City 18-15; the Chicago Lions edged out Old Blue NY 35-33; San Francisco Golden Gate spanked Philly-Whitemarsh 62-0; and Boston won at home against the Olympic Club Blues 15-11.
Source: OMBACRugby.com
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