At a very cold 8am, El Azul dropped their first game 17-5 to a perennial favorite Denver 7s team made up predominantly of players from the Denver Barbarians Rugby Club. Throughout the match, Austin Hun and Texas State Alumni Pete Kanicki displayed an effective work rate by making multiple tackles and challenging often at the break down.
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| Azul v Okanagan Heat |
On day two's last pool match, El Azul came up against a large and athletic Palmer College of Chiropractic. The game proved fast and fierce with some heavy-hitting by Chicago-native-in-Texas “Grubber” Garbis. The faster Azul squad, led by South 7s Selects standout and pure finisher Mu Cabbell (Georgia Southern), won beating Palmer with swarming defense and unmatched speed around the edges. Former Texas Collegiate Selects player and current Austin Hun, Matt Radzavich was a standout in this match providing two big try-saving tackles from the sweeper position and finishing speed kept just inside touch. El Azul also enjoyed solid play from youngster Trevor Marunde, also of Principia College, coming in for the injured Australian Blaine Miller at fly half. With Miller's great speed, ball skills, and vision absent, Marunde had big shoes to fill. He provided outstanding defense and combined with Alex Liles and Mu Cabbell in the back line to create two late tries. El Azul edged Palmer, 17-14.
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| Back: Tate, Cox, Hosseinmardi, Radzavich, Marunde, Landry - Front: Cerqueira, Garbis, Scheidler, Liles, Kanicki, Burns, Cabbell - Not Pictured: Miller, Keane, Napier |
After the dust settled El Azul ended pool play 2-1, earning a trip to the Cup Quarterfinals to take on the well-known Chicago Lions. the 2011 winners of the Aces division and it's $5,000 purse.
The Lions started the match with great defensive structure, stringing together 5 or 6 phases moving the ball steadily down the field producing 2 tries and leaving Azul fatigued. Former Atlantis member Will Burns provided Azul's much-needed wake-up call by leading a swarming defense that capitalized on the Lion's rare mistakes to run back two tries for El Azul to end the half with a 14-10 lead.
El Azul came out in the second half with tightened defensive splits. Again they swarmed the ball producing several turnovers and eliminating off loads. Alex Liles sealed the game win with El Azul’s fourth try from a turn-over. El Azul bearded the Lions, 26-15. Strong play off the bench came from former Maryland Exile and Bath rugger David Cerqueira, who gained hard meters and secured possession in the critical final minutes of the match.
This hard-fought QF win advanced Azul to the Cup Semi-Finals on Day 3. Azul matched up against a balanced Northeast Legends squad. A brilliant run and try by 7s specialist Matt Radzavich was not enough to match the Legends who ended the first half up by a converted try. The second half saw the Legends take control and winning convincingly, 26-7.
Paul Holmes' Tiger Cubs did not to take on Azul for the consolation match (3rd/4th) giving Azul a very impressive 3rd place finish in the 2013 Las Vegas Invitational Tournament.
Honorable mention in this tournament goes to Shawn Cox, who came in at the scrum half position after a week in Southern California. Cox was notably selected to the 2013 USA Maccabi Rugby Team where he will play alongside former Austin Huns coach and player Dallen Stanford in the 19th Maccabi Games on July 17-30, 2013.
1. Northeast Legends
2. OUA Barbarians
3. El Azul
4. Tiger Cubs
5. Chicago Lions
6. Denver 7s
7. Laie Lions
8. University of Victoria
9. Austin Blacks
10. Palmer
11. Nesian Tribe
12. Oceanside
13. Austin Blacks B
14. Ft. Worth Bonobos
15 Okanagan Heat
16. US Army Cannibals
Story and photos courtesy of Ty Landry.