California Cup Round 1 Lineups

Three matches at SFGG’s Ray Sheeran Field on Treasure Island will kick-start the new California Cup competition on Saturday. Newcomers Life West face off with Belmont Shore in the curtain raiser, Olympic test their mettle against the ominous Old Mission Beach, and hosts Golden Gate welcome Old Aztecs to the bigtime in the main event.

 

ROUND 1 LINEUPS

 

LIFE WEST vs BELMONT SHORE
Sat, Dec 3, 11:15, Ray Sheeran Field, Treasure Island

A number of PRO players have not been released to Life West, a strange situation given that other clubs seem to have their best players available. West have been fortunate to pick up Sacramento Express lock Rich Knight and San Francisco Rush loose forward Siupeli Sakalia to bolster the pack. Colomiers Academy halfback Guillaume Cazenave has arrived from France, while USA 7s triallist Naima Fuala’au takes up an impact sub role on the bench.

Shore have USA Select XV prop Mason Pedersen in the front row and New Zealander Hilton Mexted – son of former All Blacks no8 Murray – ready to run the show at flyhalf. Junior All-Americans graduate Sione Masoe is selected at openside flank and former Wyoming captain Timothy Mendoza at no8. With San Diego Breakers head coach Ray Egan in charge they should be very competitive.

LIFE WEST
1 Tone Ngaluafe, 2 Iakopa Vatuvei, 3 Holo Mo’ungaloa, 4 Zack Tannous, 5 Rich Knight, 6 Siupeli Sakalia, 7 Naibuka Tawake, 8 Akuila Uaisele (capt.), 9 Tyler Harrison, 10 Guillaume Cazenave, 11 Manu Volavola, 12 Nua Vete, 13 Siokatame Falatau, 14 Calvin Nell, 15 Pelepesite Toelupe-Tuisila

16 Sione Fifita, 17 Kalafitoni Pole, 18 Ben Fano, 19 Alex Pedjase, 20 Francis Save-Mahoni, 21 Naima Fuala’au, 22 Anthony Cook, 23 Tevita Tonga

Head Coach: Adriaan Ferris
Assistant Coach: Alex Houser
Assistant Coach: Chris O’Brien
Manager: Brandon Mason
Trainer: Will Raines
Team Doctor: Dr. Sean Drake

BELMONT SHORE
1 Mason Pedersen, 2 JP Palaita, 3 Mafi Seanoa, 4 Sam Lilley, 5 Keni Nasoqeqe, 6 Cameron Reed, 7 Sione Masoe, 8 Timothy Mendoza, 9 John Gray (capt.), 10 Hilton Mexted, 11 Andy Jackson, 12 Ed Pitts, 13 Kimo Muse, 14 Greg Daniels, 15 Adam Channel

16 Damien Kamu, 17 Brice Schilling, 18 Daniel Va’afuti, 19 Blake Rowerdink, 20 Greg Justyn, 21 Peter Nifo, 22 Roland Blackiston, 23 Rob Newcomb

Director of Rugby: Ray Egan
Head Coach: Peter Sio
Manager: Nicky Nieto
Trainer: Alex Burke

 

OLYMPIC vs OMBAC
Sat, Dec 3, 13:15, Ray Sheeran Field, Treasure Island

Olympic will have to make do without four key players as flanker Alec Gletzer is on Eagles 7s duty in Dubai, flyhalf Keegan Engelbrecht and center Mike Haley are unavailable, and outside back Colin Hawley will miss the entire competition with injury. Former Eagles prop Ray Lehner coaches the side with ARC and PRO rep Jake Anderson asked to fill the gap at no10.

OMBAC, on the other hand, are stocked with talent including three Eagles in Brian Doyle, Zach Pangelinan, and skipper Tai Tuisamoa. Versatile Breakers squad member Kalei Konrad will play in the midfield and a trio of Australians with professional experience in Jed Gillespie, Ben Batger, and John Grant are in the side. On paper they are title contenders.

OLYMPIC
1 Alex Drake, 2 Travis Moscone, 3 Stephan Salimi, 4 Zack Purdy, 5 Jack Seymour, 6 Tanner Mohr (capt.), 7 Josh Gold, 8 Matt Frederickson, 9 Paul Deneys, 10 Jake Anderson, 11 John Gallo, 12 Jared Braun, 13 Ben Cunningham, 14 Josh Tucker, 15 Ricky Boebel

16 Josh Galant, 17 Tom Bernardi, 18 Mark Shughart, 19 Peter Rogers, 20 Nick Jones, 21 Ryan Cook, 22 Will Johnston, 23 Landis Nasser

Head Coach: Ray Lehner
Manager: Andrew King

OMBAC
1 Josh Bart, 2 Jed Gillespie, 3 Ethan Willis, 4 Jay Harman, 5 Brian Doyle, 6 Josh Vainikolo, 7 Shane Moise, 8 Tai Tuisamoa (capt.), 9 Ian Cassidy, 10 Ben Batger, 11 Ian Denham, 12 Kalei Konrad, 13 John Grant, 14 Mila Setefane, 15 Zach Pangelinan

16 Tai Te’o, 17 Nick Zajda, 18 Jason Wood, 19 Bryce Baker, 20 Gregor Hartman, 21 Jamie Purcell, 22 Andy Early, 23 Matt Long

Head Coach: Jason Wood
Assistant Coach: Phil Green
Assistant Coach: Dane Roman
Manager: Kim Bush
Trainer: Kevin Ng

 

SFGG vs OLD AZTECS
Sat, Dec 3, 15:00, Ray Sheeran Field, Treasure Island

If OMBAC are contenders, perennial powerhouse SFGG must be early favorites to lift the California Cup. Headlined by San Francisco Rush stars Brendan Daly and Volney Rouse, the side also features deadly outside backs in Pila Huihui and former USA 7s rep Jack Halalilo. Rush second row Nick Grass must wait his turn on the bench with former Junior All-American Brendan Hardiman pairing with Daly in a very useful engine room.

Entering the shark-infested waters for the first time are Old Aztecs, who will rely on hearty club ethos rather than star power to make their mark. They have managed to recruit current Eagles squad member Pat Blair who continues his conversion from the back row to hooker, and there are suggestions that others might join the cause in the second half of the competition. Sharks Academy prop Tristan Pickering and giant Samoan Tasi Toilolo combine with Blair in what is a formidable front row.

SFGG
1 Jacob Nelson, 2 Neil Barrett, 3 Saimone Laulaupea’alu, 4 Brendan Hardiman, 5 Brendan Daly (capt.), 6 Opeti Okusi, 7 Manu Laqai, 8 Ricky Reynolds, 9 Colby Stevens, 10 Volney Rouse, 11 Pila Huihui, 12 Eae Okusi, 13 Tevita Okusi, 14 Vitale Cuzzie-Bro, 15 Jack Halalilo

16 Grant Hyjer, 17 Sam Tofi, 18 Joe Fukofuka, 19 Nick Grass, 20 Tom Rooke, 21 Drew Hyjer, 22 Jesse Fuller, 23 Hector Quilles

Head Coach: Neil Footy
Assistant Coach: Grant Wells
Assistant Coach: Paula Fukofuka
Manager: Jone Naqica

OLD AZTECS
1 Tristan Pickering, 2 Pat Blair, 3 Tasi Toilolo, 4 Joe Ramonas, 5 Lucas Edwards (capt.), 6 Leon Hayward, 7 Bryan Barnard, 8 Jeff Diggs, 9 Robert Stortz, 10 Mike Deel, 11 Cleeandre Ross, 12 Tim Howard, 13 Connor Mariani, 14 Jose Lugo, 15 Jon Prickett

16 John Guerrero, 17 Chris Gonzales, 18 Joe Wesolek, 19 Des Wellington, 20 Robert Laulualo, 21 David Persson, 22 Donell Washington, 23 Boomer Roller

Head Coach: Jaco Breytenbach
Assistant Coach: Grant Ford
Assistant Coach: Nick Robinson
Manager: Dave Salzer