Two Down, Two to Go for Bears

The Cal rugby team might as well purchase a timeshare somewhere near Steuber Rugby Stadium.

After all, the Bears can almost always be found at the site of the annual postseason tournament at this time of year.

But it's far from a vacation.

The pitch at Stanford is where Cal arguably works its hardest, and it's where the team has won four consecutive national titles.

With its fifth straight championship up for grabs this weekend, the top-seeded Bears will face fifth-seeded Saint Mary's in the national semifinal today at 3 p.m. in Palo Alto, Calif.

The winner will play for the championship Saturday at 5 p.m. against the winner of today's match between second-seeded Brigham Young and 11th-seeded Colorado, which upset Utah and Penn State to reach the semifinals.

Three of the four remaining teams-including Cal-hail from the Pacific region.

"By the time you get to the final four, everyone is a good team," coach Jack Clark said. "Everyone has earned their right to take it to the last weekend, and they're all good teams … I'm confident we're ready to play this weekend. We've just gotta find a way to win this game by a point and get ourselves to the next day."

If the Bears' match against the Gaels earlier this season was any indication, winning by one point should be anything but a tough task. On Feb. 16, Cal defeated St. Mary's 78-22 at Witter Rugby Field.

The Gaels' scoring total, however, was the third-highest against the Bears this season.

"I've never been surprised when St. Mary's plays well," senior captain Rikus Pretorius said. "They're a very talented team. They're the type of team that stays in the game. If anything, I'm excited to see them there because it helps keep the rivalry going with St. Mary's over the past couple years. They're our biggest competition in the league, and I think all the guys are really looking forward to getting another shot at them."

Cal (22-1) reached the semifinals with an eye-popping 102-3 victory over Tennessee in the Round of 16 and a 74-6 win against Cal Poly in the Round of 8.

St. Mary's (20-3) defeated Air Force and Kutztown in the first two rounds of the playoffs.

Gaels coach Tim O'Brien, who was named College Coach of the Year by American Rugby News last season, led his team to the national quarterfinals in 2007 before losing to Navy by seven points.

St. Mary's could be a sturdier opponent this time around, especially because the Bears might save some of their best players for the national championship match just 26 hours later.

Indeed, those are the players with all the experience in the finals. But not a single player on the current roster has ever lost a match in the postseason.

"Time on the job-having done those things before, not just knowing that they happen-is an advantage," Clark said. "I'm hopeful that the experience of our team will ring through."

If Cal handles the Gaels, it could meet the Cougars in what would be a repeat of the last two title matches. The Bears ousted Brigham Young by three points in 2006 and by 30 points last year.

Clark said if his team advances to the final, he has no preference with regards to his team's opponent.

"I've got my fingers crossed that our team can play our best rugby of the season this weekend and peak," Clark said. "We played awfully well in the regionals, and I hope we play equally as well, if not better."

Tags: RUGBY NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP