The Grand Rapids Gazelles and Austin Blacks will face off this Sunday for the Men's D3 National Club Championship, and the final will be live on FloRugby.

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Grand Rapids had to work for it to make the national final, weathering two very close games.

After running out to a 17-0 lead in the quarterfinals, the Gazelles saw the Savannah Shamrocks storm back to make it 17-16 with about 2 minutes to go.

But prop Jonathan Weber’s second try of the day provided a much-needed cushion, and Bryce Gryppen made sure when Savannah inched closer again.

In the semis, Grand Rapids faced a formidable Northeast Philadelphia team that had held off Long Island 22-17. 

Once again Grand Rapids ran out to an early lead, and this time held it as ten minutes into the second half the Gazelles led 20-5. 

But Northeast Philly put Brian Corrigan and Leroy Sibanda over to make it 20-17 with just over ten minutes to go. But center Dominick Lamancua, who had kept the scoreboard ticking over with some key early kicks, added a try to his repertoire, and converted to secure the 27-22 victory.

East Quarterfinals :

Grand Rapids Gazelles 29
Tries: Weber 2, Bailey, Gruppen
Convs: Lamancusa 2, Zomberg
Pens: Dewes-Taylor

Savannah 21
Tries: Mendiola, Other
Convs: Globensky
Pens: Globensky 3

Northeast Philadelphia 22
Tries: Voce, Angellella, Bell
Convs: Rea 2
Pens: Rea

Long Island 17
Tries: Deland, Rea
Convs: Witowski 2
Pens: Witowski

East Semifinal:

Grand Rapids 27
Tries: May, English, Lamancusa
Convs: Lamancusa 3
Pens: Lamancusa 2

Northeast Philadelphia 22
Tries: McKee, Corrigan, Sibanda, Rea
Convs: Rea

The Austin Blacks rumbled through their two playoff games with relative ease, hitting hard and early in both the quarters and the semis. 

In the West quarterfinals, the Blacks ran out to a commanding 38-3 lead over Queen City with center Edrique Visser causing all sorts of issues. Final score was 48-15.

In the semifinal, the Blacks took control early once more. With the forwards putting a stranglehold on Kern County, and Justin Boyd, Visser, and Charles Davidson running in tries, the Blacks built a 22-0 lead 27 minutes in. Take Jericevich, who coaches the D1 club and plays flyhallf in D3, so he was a busy man, added the kicking points. Jericevich was on the bench on Saturday, as his first job was handling the D1 side that also made the national final. Freed up from his coaching duties he was able to start on Sunday.

It wasn’t until ten minutes into the second half that Kern County scored, and by then it was basically a done deal. 

“We’re ready to go back and bring it home,” said Austin prop Sam Rooke, who got on the scoreboard in the quarters. “Everyone’s playing for each other. We just want to win it for each other.”

West Quarterfinals:

Austin Blacks D3 48
Tries: Walker, Visser 3, Taylor, Boyd, Rooke, Smith
Convs: Davidson 4

Queen City 15
Tries: Williams, Addis
Convs: Keener
Pens: Keener

Keys County 27
Tries: Hendrick, White, Van Horne
Convs: Hendrick, Bruce 2
Pens: Hendrick 2

Napa Valley 19
Tries: Polit, Harris, Farhangdoost
Convs: Hughes 2

West Semifinal:

Austin Blacks D3 41
Tries: Boyd, Visser, Davidson, Hernandez, Walker, Smith
Convs: Jericevich 4
Pens: Jericevich

Grand Rapids 12
Tries: Adams, Cooper
Convs: White