Boston Rugby Club imposed their game plan on Denver Barbarians, overcoming a red card at 20 minutes in route to a 28 – 0 domination in Denver. 

The Rugby Super League quarter-final was held Saturday at Denver East High School’s turf field due to torrential rains that ruled out several other venues. 

Denver threatened at the beginning of both halves, but failed to capitalize on the pressure with points and spent the balance of the day being pinned in their own end by Boston kicks, succumbing to penalties at the breakdowns, and being punished from those infractions by the consistent boot of Beantown’s David Delcourt.

Denver played hard, but seemed to have little structure, consistency, or exhibit a cohesive plan.  Boston, on the other hand, stuck to a game plan of kicking behind the Barbarians, rock-solid defensive pressure, and conservative play that left them in good field position to capitalize when opportunity came knocking.

Denver had the first shot at points after 8 minutes of sustained pressure following the opening kick-off.  However, center Mike Graham’s 35-meter penalty kick floated wide left.  Boston sent the ball deep into Denver territory on the 22-meter restart and, after defensive pressure and a penalty, Delcourt sent home the first of his 3 penalty kicks.  Boston 3, Barbarians 0 at 10 minutes. 

Following Denver’s kick-off, Boston regained possession and sent the ball to their backs left, for the Boston’s only structured backline attack of the day.  Outside center Dan Christie broke the Denver defense and took the ball to near the line, where it was recycled and prop Anthony Purpura scored to the left of the try zone.  Delcourt’s conversion failed.    At 16 minutes, Boston 8, Barbarians 0.

Shortly after this score, from the Barbarian 10-meter line, an off-the-ball incident occurred.  Several players from both teams were on the deck, when Boston prop Stephen Shell regained his feet and threw a vicious haymaker that just passed over a ducking Barbarian.  The touch judge cited the action and the referee red-carded Snell after conferring with both touch judges. Boston played a man short for the remaining approximately 60 minutes.

The match seesawed back and forth, with neither team adjusting well to the referee’s interpretation at the breakdown.  Late in the half Boston had another shot at a long penalty kick into the north wind.  His kick fell short and Barbarians’ fullback Phil Bolton elected to run the ball from his own end zone.  The Boston defense swarmed on Bolton inside the 22-meter line and Denver recycled the ball to inside center Maximo De Achaval, whose attempted clearance kick was blocked.  Boston’s hooker Hugh Galligan fell on the ball in the try zone.  Delcourt hammered the conversion through.   At half-time Boston 15, Barbarians 0. 

Delcourt slotted two more penalty kicks in the early part of the second stanza.  Boston 21, Barbarians 0.

The Barbarians had a number of breakouts that they could not finish.  Boston’s fierce counter-rucking and poaching consistently produced turnovers prevented Denver from sustaining their attacks.

The final score came at 65 minutes to Boston.  Boston again kicked deep to touch and the Barbarians had a 5-meter lineout.  Boston stole the lineout and drove #8 Robert Calhoun in for a try.  Delcourt’s conversion was true again, this time from a difficult angle.  Final score: Boston 25, Barbarians 0.

It is a tribute to Boston’s game plan and execution that kept the Barbarians pinned in their end so effectively that Denver did not even attempt another penalty after Graham’s errant attempt at 8 minutes.  Boston plays New York Athletic Club next Saturday in New York City.

DENVER BARBARIANS:  1 Chris Moreno, 2 Andy Post (R. Moreno in second half), 3 Josh Masek, 4 Adam Drury (Schnake in second half), 5 Mike Mangan (Hewitt in second half), 6 Rob Moreno (O’Kane in first half), 7 Garrett Peterson, 8 Nic Johnson (Captain), 9 Matt Trenary (Legge in second half), 10 Taylor Howden, 11  Ben Haapapuro, 12 Maximo De Achaval, 13 Mike Graham, 14 Jake Humphrey (Kramer in second half), 15 Phil Bolton, 16 Dan O’Kane, 17 Adam Ulrich (in during C. Moreno yellow card), 18 Ben Schnake, 19 Tom Hewitt, 20 Ross Kantor, 21 Jody Kramer, 22 Andrew Legge.

Scoring:  none

Red cards: none, Yellow cards:  Chris Moreno

BOSTON RUGBY:   1 Anthony Purpura, 2 Hugh Galligan (Captain), 3 Stephen Snell, 4 Will Haydock, 5 Tyler Williams, 6 Nathan Craig Terrazone, 7 Michael Bunce, 8 Robert Calhoun, 9 Brian White, 10 David Delcourt, 11 Kyle Marshall, 12 Marcus Ross McAllister, 13 Dan Christie, 14 Duran Vota, 15 Glynn MacKenzie, 16 Craig MacKenzie, 17 Jason Levesque, 18 David Prell, 19 Brennan Moore, 20 Justin Goonan, 21 Derrick Wavomba-Isoka, 22 Terry Quick.

Scoring:

Tries: Purpura, Galligan, Calhoun
Conversions:  Delcourt 2
Penalties:  Delcourt 3

Red cards:  Stephen Snell, Yellow cards:  Michael Bunce