And the winner is…

ESRFC logo

On Saturday December 3, 2011 the Cleveland ESRFC family descended upon Claddagh Irish Pub in Lyndhurst’s ever-classy Legacy Village for its annual awards banquet.

The restaurant and bar played host to over 50 East side players, family and general supporters who all but took over two entire sections of the venue.

Those in attendance socialized and were treated to a slideshow that featured shots from games that had taken place earlier in the year, including the Rock n Roll 7s Tournament. Photos were graciously provided by Hannah Derrickson and Harry Visser. A video is available as well. Claddagh provided those gathered with food and spirits – Guinness on tap and tickets for just about anything behind the bar – for the night. When everybody decided to calm down and sit down the business of the night began.

President, Mike Ciccolini, Vice President George Jeney and Mark Match Secretary Viviani presented the winners with their awards, as voted by their teammates:

• Rookie of the Year – Gary Springer
• Most Improved – John Bowens
• Most Valuable Member – Mark Derrickson (for the 10th time)
• Most Valuable Player – Billy Regam

The team is proud to have these people as members of our club and honored to know and play with them – and all our members past and present.

Thank you to Claddagh and the all our supporters. We look forward to seeing you all out during our coming year.

 

Green Horde comes up trumps against Rovers, short against Erie

ESRFC logo

Last week the Eastern Suburbs Rugby Football Club played, arguably, one of the most important games of the season outside of Midwest. They took on their cross-town rivals, the Cleveland Rovers. All week, emotions ran high and supporters came out in force to support the starting 15. With the practice field filling up the days leading up to practice, the Green Horde was able to put together a game plan to all but assure a victory.

When Saturday rolled around the Green horde family showed in force, crowding the sidelines of the field constructed in Forest Hills Park in Cleveland Heights. Not to be outdone in the realm of sideline support, the Rovers brought out the best the West side had to offer to support their side.

The game went back and forth for the entire 80 minutes. Both teams took shots at the other’s defenses, trying anything and everything they could to put up points. Despite the Green Horde’s kicker having a rough day and the referee letting the Rovers turn a bad take on a penalty and a knocked ball into a try, the Green Horde brought home a 20 – 17 victory. The  complete write-up can be seen here.

The Green Horde was spurred on to victory against the Rovers, carrie don the back of inspired plays by Mark Viviani, Billy Regan and the team’s Captain Mike Belanich. Unfortunately, the flashes of brilliance brought on by these men wasn’t enough to propel the Green Horde to victory as they headed across state lines to attempt a clean sweep of  their Pennsylvania competition.

The best word to describe the bulk of play from the Cleveland side is: uncharacteristic. Normally spot-on tacklers were running high and getting palmed off like rank amateurs. Cool heads erupted as trash talk from the opposition squad came to a head with cheap play outlandish calls made by the referee.

Still, the usual flashes of brilliance were there as the East side squad’s heroes came to the team’s rescue only to have Mike Belianich’s try not be counted because the referee was out of position. At the end of the day the ESRFC suffered a controversial and crushing loss that resulted in them surrendering first place to Akron, who toppled th Rovers that same weekend.

This weekend’s match against newcomers Steel Valley will be the true measure of how greatly the loss to Erie has affected the Green Horde. If they are intent upon rebounding, it will show in their play and most likely result in an unpleasant Saturday for the Youngstown team. Should they come out with lack-luster play and their heads hung low, the result could be very different.

The game kicks off at 1:00pm at Forest Hill Park in Cleveland Heights.

 

ESRFC Puts Hurt on Two PA Squads

South Pitt Hooligans logo

ESRFC logo

The Green Horde faced, and successfully put down, two tough Pennsylvania teams in the past two weeks – and as always they did so in dominating fashion.

First, the ESRFC crossed the border – and a bridge or two – into enemy territory to tak on the South Pitt Hooligans. The two teams faced off against one another at the home pitch of the Pittsburgh Harlequins, the city’s only Division I mens rugby club.

The two teams were competitive against one another the entire match. When one side would score the other would fire back. There were a number of occasions where the South Pitt squad would show flashes of brilliance against their out-of-town competitors and force the Green Horde to stay on their toes. The two team’s packs bashed into each other, trying to wear each other and make breaks for most of the game but once the Green horde moved its more mobile pack members into the back line the tide turned decisively in the favor of the Cleveland side. From that point forward if Cleveland’s centers weren’t doing damage to the South Pitt line it was one of the wing forwards or their squirrely hooker, Mark Viviani.

Final score: ESRFC – 32, South Pitt – 18

Note: Thanks to the Pitt City guys for allowing some of the Green Horde members to stay at their social after stumbling upon Rugger’s Bar uninvited.

 The story when the Green Horde hosted the Westmoreland Highlanders on Sept. 24. This game was one of goods and bads.

GOODS:

1. The Green Horde got to play on an actual good field. Due to lingering field issues, the ESRFC hosted the Highlanders at GaReat Sports Complex out in Geneva. Fortunately, the visitors were not shaken by the last-minute and constant changes to the day’s venue. Even for those who are too delicate to play on turf, it was nice to play on a field that had the proper dimensions to field two full rugby sides and was actually level.
2. The Green Horde notched up a ridiculous score of 102 – 7. Technically, since George Jeney - who was on loan to the Highlanders – scored the opponent’s only try, the Green Horde socked away a total of 107 points on the day. The huge score line ensured that almost everybody was able to get in on the act of scoring. Mike Ciccolini and newcomer Pat Barrett got hat tricks on the day, breaking the Westmoreland line at will. Mike Belanich led off the scoring for the Cleveland pack on the ground while Adam Wheaton took kicks, only missing two the entire day.
3. Everybody got a chance to play. Sometimes getting rookies and dedicated elders playing time is difficult. This day that was not an issue. Some – George Jeney, Thiago Borges, Steve Anthony, Harry Visser to name a few – split time for the bad guys to help fill in their side. Every rookie in attendance got significant time on the clock and their contributions were greatly appreciated.
4. The Highlanders played and partied well. Despite the day not going their way on the field and having a far drive, the Highlanders made the drive to Downtown Willoughby and had some refreshments with the Green Horde following the game. The social was a win for everybody involved.

BAD:

1. The ESRFC only got the points for the forfeit. Unfortunately, the Highlanders came with such depleted numbers that they did not meet minimum requirements to field a team do they had to forfeit.

 

 

Eastern Suburbs Found Lacking in Akron Opener

ESRFC logo

When the dust settled in Akron on Sept. 10, 2011 the Cleveland Eastern Suburbs Rugby Football Club was on top of Akron 33 – 27. While this result puts an early win in the scorecard of the Green Horde, the victory was far from a clean one and a far cry from the kind of wins the East Side team has put together in recent competitions.

In recent meetings between the two clubs, Cleveland had trounced Akron by incredible margins. Last week’s close score could be credited to a number of factors. Speculators will suggest whether Akron have gotten that good or if Cleveland is on the down swing. What si for sure, though, is that the Green Horde seemed somewhat unprepared and undisciplined for a tough team and an imperfect referee.

Akron pushed the physical pace of the game as they always did, bringing hard hits at every breakdown and phase of the match. This aggression allowed Akron to do something that few teams had even been able to do: challenge, and in some cases, shut down the Green Horde at the set pieces. Mike Belanich did his best in the line-outs and did what he does best, making getting the ball difficult for Akron. It was not the easy dominating job that is usually was, though. Rather than merely foiling their plans in the air, many times it came down to doing the hard dirty work on the ground to ensure that Akron did not score. Akron also made times difficult for the ESRFC in the scrums. Though the Green Horde’s big men wheeled and pushed Akron’s pack at will, it was Akron’s scrumhalf that made life difficult for the Green Horde on the offensive side of the ball. His tenacity made sure that getting the ball from srumhalf John Bowens to flyhalf Billy Regan would not be an easy task. On a number of occasions 8 man Justin Rutledge had to make get the ball to his no. 9 so he could make a clear pass. The story was much the same in the rucks, except for the fact that Akron was able to contest and turnover ball. Needless to say, this wore down the ESRFC’s men a great deal.

The trouble with Akron’s aggression came when the southern side’s flyhalf continually performed illegal and dangerous tackles. The dangerous play coupled with the Cleveland side’s fatigue led to unnecessary penalties and scoring opportunities for the opposition. Two of these penalties were compounded when members of the Cleveland side yelled at the referee for his decision-making and his apparent inability to make proper penalizing calls against the home team. The Green Horde was also assessed a penalty, which could have easily been a card,  for stamping late in the game. This came after the team had fought their way deep into Akron’s territory and been awarded two penalty advantages. The decision to step on the opposing player killing the ball cost the Green Horde at least five points and could have put a man in the bin.

The good guys – the ESRFC - came out on top, though; and they left Akron with a victory and the knowledge that this season is not going to go as easily as past seasons. Aside from the more physical aspects of the game, the ESRFC realized they needed work on fitness and discipline as well. They take on South Pitt on Sept. 17. Video highlights of that game will be available along with the match coverage.

The B side put on a good showing against Akron, though their hosts came up trumps against them on this occasion. The meeting between the two sides was still a positive one for the Green Horde, though. It got rookies Ted Kozlov, a former Marine and absolute newcomer to rugby, and Sebastian DiRienzo, who has played for a year and is being looked at by national coaches, a chance to get some touches on the ball. Both men ran straight and true breaking tackles, securing scrums and demolishing rucks. Thanks go out to Mark Derrickson, Mike Ciccolini, Goerge Jeney, Rich Day and the other players who took the field with the B side and our rookies to show Akron the toughness they will have to deal with in the future.

The score so far:

The Score So Far - Week One of 2011 Fall

 

Rock n Roll 7s taken by storm

ESRFC logo

The day was hot and sunny, and the ground was hard as pavement – perfect conditions for the fastest tournament in Cleveland to take place. This year’s Rock n Roll 7s tournament took place at Kreuger Park in Mentor, Ohio; and with over 30 teams entered throughout a number of brackets there would be no shortage of competition.

The Green Horde’s competitive side landed in what some might see as a disappoint fourth place finish. People from the outside looking in might be wondering how a team who is hosting a tournament could come in so unprepared and only finish in fourth. What those same onlookers do not realize is that the ESRFC squad pulled itself together with little more than two solid weeks of practice and, with that little time to play together and get into shape, pushed 1823′s second side to the limit twice, beat a college side out of Michigan composed of younger players with more chemistry and put down one of the Midwest‘s best rugby schools – Bowling Green State University – in convincing fashion.

Throughout the entire tournament, the ESRFC’s squad never looked like they were out of any game. While communication and execution on defense was lacking in some scenarios, the Green Horde played with near perfect execution on offense. Mike Ciccolini and Al Caserta ran took explosive runs with the ball, either taking on defenders or passing them by with ease. Newcomers Alex Carter and Gary Springer ensured that the opposite wingers and pack members were on their toes and ensured that their side retained possession. Billy Regan was the catalyst for a large number of the team’s tries, setting up teammates for scoring opportunities or putting defenders to shame on his own.

With that being said, the question to be asked is not one of the squad’s limited achievement. The question to come out of the day is: “Why isn’t the team more active in the summer?” With such dynamic and decisive play after a few weeks of practice, a well-oiled 7s side could at the very least be competitive with the top teams in the region.

When the final game had been played, the focus was on 1823′s A side, which had taken top honors in the Men’s Qualifier bracket. This netted the Columbus squad some crucial points to go towards their Midwest tournament ambitions. 1823′s coach stirred the pot a bit when he complained toe RugbyMag.com about the lack of competition in this year’s tournament. If competition was the issue, why didn’t 1823 take their squad to the Lakefront 7s tournament? With teams like the Chicago Griffins, Chicago Lions and Indianapolis Impalas - to name a few – there would have been no shortage of competition to be had, that is if competition was really what the team was after.

When all is said and done the winners have already been crowned and, after looking at the results and considering all the facts, 1823 wasn’t even the biggest winner at the tournament. This isn’t because 1823 only had to face their B side and the Wolfhounds after receiving a BYE in the first round or that they barely pulled out their victory in the finals.

This is because the women from Lakewood made a huge, if somewhat unrecognized, statement by taking home top prize in not one but two brackets of the tournament this year. First, a team of Lakewood High School alumni came together, having little to no preparation time before the tournament to successfully take down their competition from Dayton and Scioto Valley. The younger contingent, not happy to let the older women take all the glory, shut down Mayfield’s girls in grand fashion and staved off an aggressive Parma team to secure the U-19 title.

When people think rugby powerhouses in Cleveland, Lakewood may not be the first name that comes up in that conversation. if the Lakewood women have their say that won’t be the case for long.

 

ESRFC vs Wootton Bassett: An International Incident

ESRFC logo

Water, water, everywhere and not a drop to drink.

This has become a way of life for the Eastern Suburbs Rugby Football Club since the Rapture started, which made playing the touring Wootton Bassett RFC almost impossible. Days of rain soaked the team’s home pitch at the Cuyahoga County Airport; and when the airport staff mowed the grass the water seeped out and filled the deep grooves left by the tractor’s tires. Suffice it to say, the field could not be used. Fortunately, after some quick thinking, it was decided that the team’s alternate pitch in the Chagrin River Reservation of the Metro Parks. Quick action by Mark Derrickson, Randy Viviani, Drew Roberts and a number of other club members saw to it that information regarding the venue change was disseminated to the Green Horde supporters as quickly as possible. With the paint barely dry, flags in the ground and everybody in attendance – Frank Black still managed to get the British side there late – the game commenced. The only thing missing at the start of the game: goal posts.

The slick conditions slowed down both teams’ games’ tremendously. Knock-ons from mishandled passes and pick-ups made life difficult for each team’s pack. Every scrum was a stalemate. Though the  Wootton Bassett forwards were strong, they were not able to best the Green Horde’s big men. The quick foot of the British hooker delivered the ball safely to the back of the scrum each time. Eric Nutter and Aaron Zone traded off and took hooker duties for the Green Horde, keeping Cleveland’s ball safely on their side of the scrum.

The conditions made line-outs difficult for both sides. The slick ball was difficult to catch for the jumpers at times and slippery legs made getting the proper height difficult in some instances. Both teams were successful in securing their own ball in the set pieces and taking advantage of overthrown balls. Mark Viviani and other forwards in the line routinely came up with errant throws. There was a bit of confusion in the Cleveland line as substitutions were made during the second half, but the Green Horde was able to sort out the issues and continue on.

Wootton Bassett RFC USA Tour Crest

The English side was very mobile group, not letting a man out of place or a foiled attempt at offense slow them down. The continuous motion of the Wootton Bassett team put the Green Horde’s fitness and defensive skills to the test. The Cleveland side answered with strong tackles and pressure after the break downs. This forced the British boys to continually kick away the ball when it was deep in their territory. The Cleveland defense wasn’t perfect, though, and the visiting side broke through – rather around – to score three times.

The Green Horde made the best use of their surroundings, opting to keep play relatively tight and conservative in the wet conditions. While they didn’t always gain an immense amount of yards, the Cleveland running put the British side on its heels and pushed the players back slowly but surely. Unfortunately, the ruck defense towards the end of the second half faltered, causing them to lose critical possessions following huge amounts of progress. Despite some missed opportunities, the Green Horde still managed to cross over the try line three times. Adam Wheaton dove over in the corner after receiving a pass while on the weak side of a ruck.

The game ended in a stalemate, a testament to how evenly matched these teams were. Frank Black, who played for both teams, received the Man of the Match award for both teams at the social. Gifts were exchanged as the Cleveland side hosted the Brits at Mullarkey’s to a packed house.

The British side departed that Friday.

 

Suburbs snag top prize at Mad Anthony tournament

ESRFC logo

The weekend of May 7 marked the 16th annual Mad Anthony’s Ale Tournament.

Erie hosted three other teams – South Pitt Hooligans, Harrisburg and the ESRFC – for a day of rugby. The ESRFC truly was the visiting squad, being the only squad crossing state lines to participate in the competition.

Not only did the Cleveland team have to drive almost two hours to the tournament, but their ranks appeared to be greatly depleted since a number of starters and familiar faces were absent from the line-up. Despite the fact that they traveled relatively lightly, the Green Horde did the best with the personnel they had and placed each player where he would be the best fit. Those careful placements helped the Green Horde secure the three victories they needed to take the tournament.

Miles Papas, Richard Day and Matt “Kangas” Capp  helped solidify the pack. Papas jumped into the line-outs – literally – and scrums as a solid jumper and lock. Papas grabbed almost every ball thrown in and stood firm in the scrums. Capp and Day were forces in open play as well as in the rucks.

Steve Anthony, Alex Carter and Brian Rankin took turns at the wing position, each adding his own touch to the position. Carter’s speed and agility made tackling him a difficult task for opposing defenders. Rather than evading would-be tacklers, Rankin and Anthony took more direct routes when running their lines.

South Pitt Hooligans logo

The familiar faces in the line-ups did their parts as usual as well.

Mark Viviani kept every opposing pack player on his toes when he wasn’t keeping the refs honest. George Jeney made penetrating runs at center and set up his partner Mike Ciccolini for a number of long runs and even a score or two.

Every victory was a team effort, but the Cleveland squad owes its 9 -7 victory to the excellent kicking job done by flyhalf Adam Friedermann who, literally, kicked the team to its narrow victory. Though he was three for four on the game, he made the kicks when they counted.

The final game pitted the Cleveland team against Harrisburg. Unlike the previous two games, this competition seemed to be an offensive shoot-out, with one team scoring only to have the other answer back with another quick score. The ESRFC managed to obtain the lead late in the game, but the margin was narrowed in the dying moments as they put in a last–ditch try. Fortunately, the ESRFC had managed to get a large enough lead to hold off the Pennsylvania team. When the final whistle blew the ESRFC was ahead.

All in all the day consisted of three hard-fought victories for the ESRFC. Every player who traveled contributed in his own way to the success – even Micah Stein who battled through an injury he sustained earlier in the week to man the neon yellow flag and be touch judge in the hot Pennsylvania sun. He truly is a hero.

Final scores:

• ESRFC – 10, South Pitt – 0
• ESRFC – 9, Erie – 7
• ESRFC – 33, Harrisburg – 29

 

ESRFC wins dirty, slippery victory over Rochester

ESRFC logo

The scene was something out of a special effects-driven disaster flick. Earlier in the day menacing clouds and rain poured down over all of Cleveland. For anybody who had been outside, it might have seemed that the weather was going to be too much for the Green Horde to take the field against the Rochester Aardvarks. Fortunately, about an hour before the game, the clouds parted. Blue skies and sunshine shone forth.

Then, the game started; and somebody somewhere must’ve said “Man this is a perfect day” because then the clouds came back and dumped all sorts of hell on the entirety of the city of Cleveland. The rain came first, then the hail, then more rain with hail and, finally the weather broke again – just in time for the game to end. Wind and the occasional thunder made the experience that much more exciting.

The horrid weather didn’t stop the Green Horde and the visiting Aardvarks from taking the field at 1:00pm that Saturday and turning it into a mud pit. Rochester left with some bumps, bruises and muddy wet jerseys. The Green Horde left with that and a victory. They took the game by a margin of 31 – 5.

The pack members started off the scoring for the Cleveland squad. Dustin Passalacqua touched down for the first try in the far corner after a heads-up play at a ruck. Passalacqua bolted down the far sideline and dove for the corner. A penalty try was awarded when the final defender failed to attempt to use his arms when trying to make a try-saving tackle. Justin Rutledge and some other pack representatives crossed over for the next scores. Not to be left out of the scoring festivities, scrumhalf John Bowens scored late in the second half, ensuring that the game was out of reach for the visiting Rochester side.

The wet and stormy conditions caused the Green Horde to change their style of play slightly and alter their pathway to their victory. With the torrential downpour, the game-ready field was turned into a pit of slick mud. This made line-outs and scrums very difficult. At points, the Cleveland players were losing footing in scrums and slipping their grip in line-outs. Scrums were reset on “better ground” by the sir, but the Green Horde had to make the tough decision not to lift in defensive line-outs. Rucks were sloppy at best, with players “falling over the ball” while trying to contest for the ball.

Once the clouds parted and the crowd emerged from under the tent on the sidelines, the second half started and the Green Horde began to change out its players to get some fresh legs on the pitch. While the new players added spark to the offense, fresh legs and slick conditions led to the Green Horde playing with 14 men. “Cheap-shot” Critter Regan came in to help out the pack only to be sent to the sin bin for illegal play around the rucks. While it was not nearly the fastest binning in ESRFC history, it was a fast send-off. Fortunately, his teammates were able to hold the line and keep Rochester to the five points they scored earlier.

Overall, it was a hard game between two good teams. There didn’t seem to be any bad blood between the teams at the game’s conclusion. The only blemish on the day – aside from the weather trying to put the kibosh on the game – was the John Carroll squad backing out at the last minute, leaving with a few Cleveland players with nothing to show for the day other than wet cleats and a cold.

The Green Horde travels to Bowling Green next. They face the no. 1-rated team in Div. I, the BGSU Falcons.

Detailed Weather Forecast for Game Day

 

Suburbs stopped short by Scioto Valley

ESRFC logo

On April 9, the Green Horde made the long trip down I-271 to Columbus to face off against the Columbus-based Scioto Valley. Based on size alone, it the game was to be a David-and-Goliathtype face-off. Take into account that Scioto Valley would be fielding their Division I squad, and that notion gets kicked into second gear.

The Green Horde was far from fazed or afraid, though. Taking inspiration from their recent victory over Erie, past defeats of the Columbus Rugby crew and the fact that Scioto Valley was writing them off as an automatic victory, the Cleveland side felt more than ready for action.

The line-ups looked like a reunion of sorts with both sides carrying a number of notable alumni of Bowling Green State University‘s rugby club. Scioto Valley had Ryan Deal and Rich Hines ar lock and 8 man, respectively, as well as Nick and Boomer Brandenstein guiding the back line. The Green Horde had Mark Viviani, Justin Rutledge and newcomer Eric Nutter filling in the pack.

Despite the personnel on the field, the match was a shoot-out from the first kick-off. Scioto Valley’s forwards would retain ball in open field play, securing rucks successfully and taking hard crashes straight at the Green Horde’s defenses. Then they would swing the ball out wide to their backs, who ran lines with speed and purpose, only to have their wing forced out-of-bounds or one of their other speed demons make a misstep due to the pressure from the Cleveland  defensive line.

The Green Horde made Scioto Valley earn every inch they took, coming up on defense and meeting the attacking forces head on. Tackles were strong and firm. Resets were straight and true, daring opposing defenders to get in the way. Unfortunately, ball retention was lacking against the poaching prowess of the Columbus squad. Lone runners and late support cost the Green Horde valuable real estate on a number of occasions.

Line-out against Scioto Valley

Scioto Valley drew first blood when they were out hustled on defense. A line-out shortly after would put Dustin Pasalasqua across the try line for Cleveland and put their kicker in position to draw his team ahead by two points. A poached ball and a strong run from Scioto Valley put them back in front at the end of the first half.

The second half saw the scoring sway squarely in the favor of Scioto Valley. The Green Horde was more than a match for them in line-out, but faltered a bit in open play and scrums as the game wore on. Fresh legs supplemented the East Side’s offense but were to do avail in the long run. Scioto Valley managed to barely stay ahead of their Cleveland opponents who scored late in the proceedings.

Final score: ESRFC – 17, Scioto Valley – 29

 

Cleveland closes out Erie again

 

ESRFC logo

“They are who we thought they were.” Those words were spoken by Dennis Green, then-coach of the Arizona Cardinals. He said this after a loss to the Chicago Bears in 2006, a team they had played previously.

 

Well, this past weekend was a similar situation for the Green Horde but the outcome was markedly different.

The situation was as expected. Erie came out strong. They battled the entire game, taking advantage of every mistake made by the Green Horde. Early on in the match, the teams played the game fighting back and forth between each other’s five-meter line with neither team able to cross the try line for the first score.

The two sides ran at each other, testing which would break first. The two packs tested each other in open play as well as the set pieces. The Green Horde was solid in line-outs and scrums. Erie’s pack was far from irrelevant, though. Their line-outs were as solid as the visiting side’s and they made a mess of a number of the break-downs.

Both teams played tough, but Erie broke first. First their prop was injured after a collision with Cleveland lock, Justin Rutledge. Then the Green Horde got into the try zone to put the first points on the board. Erie’s efforts were far from deterred, taking advantage of a botched kickoff reception to score a few phases after the ensuing scrum. Cleveland’s successful conversion kept space between the two teams’ scores. From then on the scoring was all for Cleveland, but Erie kept fighting until the final whistle blew.

Final score: Eastern Suburbs Rugby Football Club – 31, Erie – 5

Once the A sides finished playing the B sides faced off. Erie’s team, comprised mostly of rookies, made a lot of mistakes but ran straight and hard throughout. They faltered at the breakdowns and set pieces, but they didn’t lack any intensity. The experience of the Green Horde’s B side put them over the edge against Erie’s squad, though. Richard Day and “Pick-and-Go” Greg Raptis led the charge against Erie. Their efforts secured a second victory for the Cleveland squad on the day.

Final score: Eastern Suburbs Rugby Football Club B – 31, Erie B – 0