Saturday, April 23
Berkeley, CA
1:00 PM
California
vs
West Region National Semifinals vs Saint Mary's (California)
Photo by: Guy Warren Photography
4/22/2022 10:26 AM | Rugby
Cal Hosts Saint Mary’s At Witter Rugby Field This Saturday
BERKELEY – California rugby hosts Saint Mary's this Saturday, April 23 for the West Region National Semifinals. Kickoff is set for 1pm in Strawberry Canyon. Saturday's winner will advance to the National 15s Collegiate Championships in Houston, Texas on April 30.
The Bears advance to the Semifinals following their win over Central Washington on April 16. They defeated the Wildcats 43-26 in an intense matchup at Witter Rugby Field. Senior Marcus Shankland returned to action after being out with an injury for several weeks. Shankland collected four tries in the match, including a pair of back-to-back tries within two minutes. Senior Jack Manzo also pushed his way across the try line twice during the match. Despite some challenging play in the second half, the Bears maintained their lead throughout the contest and secured their spot in the next round of the playoffs.
The Bears starting lineup for the Semifinals will once again feature a mix of underclassmen and seasoned veterans. The sophomore prop duo of Emilio Shea and Charlie Walsh will take the field in the front row, alongside experienced hooker Manzo. Senior Max Murphy will return to the pitch for his first appearance in the 2022 postseason, teaming up with senior captain and Rudy Scholz Award finalist, Sam Golla, to bolster the forwards. Luke Freeman will take the field as the No. 8, flanked by seniors Jake Broekhuizen and Nathan Zylstra.
Scrumhalf Henry Poon will be a key actor connecting the forwards and the backs for the Bears, in addition to flyhalf Nate Salter who has logged 31 successful conversions this spring. The Blue & Gold backs will feature a change to this week's starters, with senior Nick Bloom taking the field in the inside center spot and Max Clark joining the backs in the number 14 jersey. Both Shankland brothers will once again compete for the Bears, joined by junior fullback Max Schumacher to round out the first fifteen.
Cal and Saint Mary's also competed in the last West Region Semifinals in Moraga back in 2019. There was no 15s postseason in 2020 or 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the 2019 contest, the Bears claimed a 28-24 victory over the Gaels thanks to a last-minute try by winger Sam Cusano.
The Gaels come to Strawberry Canyon following their win over BYU in the West Region Quarterfinals on April 16. It was a close game between the Gaels and Cougars, with both sides trading tries back-and-forth throughout the match. Ultimately, the Gaels pulled ahead in the last few minutes to clinch a 24-22 victory.
The match this Saturday will be the second time Saint Mary's and Cal go head-to-head this spring. In their last matchup on March 26, the Bears handed the Gaels their only loss of the 15s season as they claimed victory over SMC with a final score of 31-24. This time around, a spot in the National Championships is on the line. The winners of the match will advance to the National Championships in Houston on April 30.
The gates at Witter Rugby Field will open at 12 pm on Saturday, with kickoff set for 1 pm. Tickets for the match can be purchased here. Fans unable to attend in person can also watch the contest live on The Rugby Network and via Cal Live Stream-4.
For complete coverage of Cal rugby, follow the Bears on Twitter (@CalVarsityRugby), Instagram (@CalVarsityRugby) and Facebook (/CalVarsityRugby/).
The Bears advance to the Semifinals following their win over Central Washington on April 16. They defeated the Wildcats 43-26 in an intense matchup at Witter Rugby Field. Senior Marcus Shankland returned to action after being out with an injury for several weeks. Shankland collected four tries in the match, including a pair of back-to-back tries within two minutes. Senior Jack Manzo also pushed his way across the try line twice during the match. Despite some challenging play in the second half, the Bears maintained their lead throughout the contest and secured their spot in the next round of the playoffs.
The Bears starting lineup for the Semifinals will once again feature a mix of underclassmen and seasoned veterans. The sophomore prop duo of Emilio Shea and Charlie Walsh will take the field in the front row, alongside experienced hooker Manzo. Senior Max Murphy will return to the pitch for his first appearance in the 2022 postseason, teaming up with senior captain and Rudy Scholz Award finalist, Sam Golla, to bolster the forwards. Luke Freeman will take the field as the No. 8, flanked by seniors Jake Broekhuizen and Nathan Zylstra.
Scrumhalf Henry Poon will be a key actor connecting the forwards and the backs for the Bears, in addition to flyhalf Nate Salter who has logged 31 successful conversions this spring. The Blue & Gold backs will feature a change to this week's starters, with senior Nick Bloom taking the field in the inside center spot and Max Clark joining the backs in the number 14 jersey. Both Shankland brothers will once again compete for the Bears, joined by junior fullback Max Schumacher to round out the first fifteen.
Cal and Saint Mary's also competed in the last West Region Semifinals in Moraga back in 2019. There was no 15s postseason in 2020 or 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the 2019 contest, the Bears claimed a 28-24 victory over the Gaels thanks to a last-minute try by winger Sam Cusano.
The Gaels come to Strawberry Canyon following their win over BYU in the West Region Quarterfinals on April 16. It was a close game between the Gaels and Cougars, with both sides trading tries back-and-forth throughout the match. Ultimately, the Gaels pulled ahead in the last few minutes to clinch a 24-22 victory.
The match this Saturday will be the second time Saint Mary's and Cal go head-to-head this spring. In their last matchup on March 26, the Bears handed the Gaels their only loss of the 15s season as they claimed victory over SMC with a final score of 31-24. This time around, a spot in the National Championships is on the line. The winners of the match will advance to the National Championships in Houston on April 30.
The gates at Witter Rugby Field will open at 12 pm on Saturday, with kickoff set for 1 pm. Tickets for the match can be purchased here. Fans unable to attend in person can also watch the contest live on The Rugby Network and via Cal Live Stream-4.
For complete coverage of Cal rugby, follow the Bears on Twitter (@CalVarsityRugby), Instagram (@CalVarsityRugby) and Facebook (/CalVarsityRugby/).
Players Mentioned
Wing
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Lock/Flanker
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Scrumhalf/Wing
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No. 8/Flanker
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Lock/Flanker
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Hooker
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Lock
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Scrumhalf
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Flyhalf
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Fullback
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Wing
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Prop/Hooker
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Prop
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Hooker
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