OMBAC will face Belmont Shore in the final of the Pacific Rugby Premiership next week after both teams won bonus-point victories Saturday in the final week of action.

Those two teams, plus San Francisco Golden Gate, were in a race for those two spots in the final. But SFGG needed one of the teams to fail to get a bonus point for four tries. It didn’t happen. All three won and scored four tries, and the tie-breakers fell for OMBAC (1st) and Belmont Shore (2nd).

PRP Finals Day LIVE on FloRugby May 5

In the end, the difference was the first game of the year, when Belmont Shore beat SFGG 30-29 in the final play of the game. 

“I told the boys that the final five minutes of our first game was the difference,” said Belmont Shore head coach Ray Egan. “If we don’t come back and win that game, we’re not in the final. It kind of reemphasized the team and the culture and playing for each other until the end is what makes a good club.”

Led by veterans Ian Carpenter in the forwards and Ed Pitts in the backs, Shore defeated Life West 34-19.

“We did just about enough,” said Egan. “It was a tough gig. Nerves and everything played a part, but we’re delighted. We haven’t been in a final for a few years.”

Shore took an early lead but missed some opportunities to really put the game away late in the first half when the club opted to go for the try rather than the three points with a penalty inside the Life West 22.

“I’ll take the hit for that decision,” said Egan. “We just needed to keep the scoreboard ticking over. Still, we did what we were supposed to do.”

SFGG hammered Olympic Club 53-14, and OMBAC beat Santa Monica 26-7. OMBAC just barely got the four tries, and had that not materialized, the San Diego club would have dropped from 1st to 3rd.

May 5, LIVE on FloRugby, Belmont Shore plays OMBAC for the championship, and a place in the national semifinal against the Red River champion.

SFGG will play Life West for 3rd, and Olympic Club plays Santa Monica for 5th.

All games will be shown live on FloRugby.