Allied Rugby Conference review - March 02

The ARC XVs Championship became a much closer competition on Saturday afternoon when the dust had settled. Series Points have Texas Tech & Oklahoma at 1 & 2, but ladies and gentlemen, this conference has the potential to be won on Points Differential (PD). Craig Coates has the ARC Weekly Wrap-up already in place.

Oklahoma 86-32 Sam Houston - Oklahoma's scoreline isn't telling the real tale here. Sam Houston's is. 32 points? After a weekend of giving up 39 to Texas in a game that was winnable? There are some holes in the Oklahoma defense that Kenny Forehand needs to close before the Sooners roll into Lubbock next Saturday. I've got no problem with Oklahoma's offense, it's a machine. However, defense wins championships, I do not care what sport you play.

ARC Leading Try-Scorers

Texas 27-22 Texas Tech - Grant Murchison's Red Raiders had this one in their sites at some point. However, speed and enthusiasm will only get you so far in a match like this. At the end, you must be fitter than your opponent. That was what the 'Horns brought to the table. Coaches Neuenschwander and Hopps cannot be happy with this type of win, though. Two weeks in a row, the 'Horns victory has been tainted by the bonus point tries and close-losses of their opponents. A "1" in the loss column and this tainting will come back to haunt them.

Texas A&M 82-3 Baylor - The Aggies were clinical. No other way to say it. This team can score from every position. Their entire tight five is composed of beefy blind-side flankers on any other team and their back row makes some of the quickest breakdown decisions you may see at this level. Matt Theodore's delivery from the scrum, the ruck, the maul was brilliant. This gave Conor Mills and his backline all the time in the world they needed to set-up and carve their way through a slow-advancing Baylor backline defense. Baylor's tackling was sure, once they got the arms wrapped on someone. They had A&M's number at more than a few scrums. Baylor even gave their ever-present scrumhalf, Sebastian Medina-Sandoval, plenty of good ball from the breakdown. But the Bears had a bad case of the dropsies. The Aggies made them pay for it, too.

Note: Baylor's fullback, Stormy Weiss, gave A&M some fits a couple of times in this match. This kid is a real stepper. Good under the high ball, too. He'd make a good wing on a team that can get him clean ball quickly. The Senior D1 teams need to find out where this one plans to land. He is a keeper!

Next week's gonna be the near-decider for this Conference. Either Texas or A&M will be vaulted into second place after Friday night. The Tech and Oklahoma match will decide who stays in first and who drops to 3rd. In Huntsville, it will be a battle to stay off of the bottom.

I like this conference! It's exciting!