Metropolitan New York
Rugby Football Union Est. 1967
"Come Play the Game"

METNY U19 Finish 5^th in Baltimore

            A week after returning from Colorado, the METNY U19 select side traveled to Baltimore to defend their 2005 title at the Potomac Rugby Foundation’s LAU Tournament.  While playing well, the team stumbled in their second round match and had to settle for a 5^th place finish with a 3-1 record.  The team traveled with only 18 players because of injuries and unavailability but still played quality rugby in all their matches.

            The team opened the tournament with a comprehensive 49-19 win over South Florida.  Tyler Maccubbin started the scoring for METNY with a try after a nice overlapping run.  Maccubbin converted the try to give the METNY side a 7-0 lead.  Despite the initial lead, METNY played had a typical “slow start” and soon fell behind as South Florida ran in two trys, one of which was converted.  This seemed to wake up the METNY side as Frank Gianchetta and Matt Novitzky scored trys and Maccubbin tacked on a penalty kick to give METNY a 20-12 lead at the half.  In the second half it was all METNY with Steve Annunziato, Eddie Cullen, Sammy Bridge, Bobby Mroz, and Novitzky scoring trys.  Maccubbin converted two of these and final score read 49-19 after South Florida scored a late try.  In the second round the competition was much stronger as METNY faced a formidable Texas side that featured many USA U19 players.  Texas had narrowly beaten METNY in Colorado in 2005 and the METNY side was looking to revenge that loss.  Unfortunately, Texas provided too strong and beat METNY 24-5 with the only METNY points coming from a first half try by Maccubbin.  METNY had to wait for several hours to find out if they were seeded 4^th or 5^th for the Sunday games.  At the end of the first day, EPRU nosed out METNY by three points for the 4^th place seed and moved to the championship bracket with METNY heading to the consolation bracket.

            On Sunday, the METNY team regained their form to win two matches and the 5^th place consolation title.  The team had a “players only” meeting on Saturday evening and must have concluded that winning two games on Sunday would be the only way to leave Baltimore.  In the first Sunday match versus New England, played in a steady downpour, METNY jumped to a first half lead on a try, conversion, and penalty kick by Maccubbin.  In the second half, Marvin Jean Baptise and Chris Reilly scored trys as METNY dominated the play.  A late second half try by New England kept them from being shutout as METNY won 20-7.  With 5^th place on the line, the METNY side defeated the Potomac Rugby Union, 26-5, in another dominating win.  METNY had trys from Mroz, Novitzky, Gianchetta, and Glenn Fox.  Ryan Sutherland took over the kicking chores and converted 3 of 4 trys.

            As the 2006 select side ended, nearly half of the squad played their last match for the METNY U19s.  In only its second year, the select side program continues to do well and provide a national showcase for the younger players in METNY.  The overall two year record in four major U19 tournaments is 11-5.  Once again a number of METNY U19 players were recognized by the USA U19 selectors and were invited to the USA Developmental camp in Indiana this July.  The squad gratefully acknowledges the support from the METNY RFU, Velocity, and several individuals.  The program is still growing and with the continued support and exposure should become one the premier U19 select side programs in the USA.

 For more information on the METNYRFU U19 Program please contact Lex Maccubbin at lexmaccubbin@yahoo.com.

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Metropolitan New York
Rugby Football Union, Inc.
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