Aside from OMBAC remaining undefeated, Round 6 of the Pacific Rugby Premiership witnessed a handful of surprises Saturday, including Santa Monica's first victory and the season's first drop goal and tied result.
OMBAC Improves To 6-0
Old Mission Beach Athletic Club rolled to 46-10 win over Olympic Club.
O-Club took an early 5-0 lead on a try from hooker Travis Moscone, who picked up and touched down after a series of forward drives to the line. But OMBAC replied with a drop goal by scrumhalf Charlie Purdon.
After working the phases with a penalty advantage and not really getting anywhere, Purdon just stepped to the side and popped over the kick. It was the first drop goal of the season for anyone in the league. A Michael Dillon penalty gave OMBAC the lead, and then Tai Tuisamoa added to his league-leading try total with a thundering run up the middle to push his team's advantage to 13-5.
Charlie Purdon Kicks PRP's First Drop Goal Of 2018:
After winning a scrum against the head, Olympic Club replied by getting a break from center Josh Tucker to set up a score for wing Bubba Jones, cutting OMBAC's lead to 13-10.
However, Olympic Club wouldn't come any closer. After a first half in which O-Cub probably had the run of play, OMBAC started to exert control. Ian Denham capped off a good team try in the corner and in the second half the San Diego team pulled away.
Santa Monica Wins First Game
After FloRugby questioned whether Santa Monica would win a game all season, the team ran out and beat a big, powerful Life West squad 20-17.
The Dolphins scored four unconverted tries, while Life scored three tries, one converted. Sam McGuffee scored two early tries for Life West, with Martial Chaput scoring for Santa Monica. At 30 minutes, Life captain Tawake Naibula's try, converted by Devereaux Ferris, gave the Gladiators a 17-5 lead.
But Santa Monica finished the stronger. Second-half tries from backs Allan Corruth, Steve Stagg, and Quinn Perry—the last with four minutes to go—completed the comeback for the Dolphins.
Close Teams Tie
Both SFGG and Belmont Shore went into this week's meeting tied in the standings with a 3-2 record and 16 standings points. They came out tied, too, with a 36-36 decision that solved virtually nothing and left them deadlocked in second place behind OMBAC.
Belmont Shore actually led much of this game. SFGG rode a Brendan Hardiman try to a 7-0 lead until about 16 minutes in, when Max Paronelli's try helped tie it up. After that, Shore pushed its lead to 36-17 behind some excellent kicking from scrumhalf Daniel Thomas, another try from Paronelli, and tries from Keni Nasoqeqe and Robert Newcomb.
But in the final 15 minutes, Brendan Daly, Akuila Uaisele, and Matangi Tonga, with Colby Stevens converting two, salvaged a tie for Golden Gate.
In the season standings, OMBAC leads by eight points, but the chase for a spot in the final is tight, with SFGG and Belmont Shore separated only by a one-point head-to-head decision by Shore from Week 1. Life West suffered a blow to its hopes of making the championship game with its loss to Santa Monica.