Final Four preview
Brian Lowe
May 30, 2002

A new USA Rugby national clubs champion will be crowned this weekend when the Final Four tournament is played in Pittsburgh.

Defending champs San Mateo will tackle the Back Bay Sharks, while past champions the Hayward Griffins will face off against the Austin Blacks on Saturday. On Sunday the two winners will play for the national championship.

San Mateo will be without two key players, Vuka Tau and Villiami Tai, as both were suspended until 2004 over an incident that erupted during a game against San Jose in the Northern California regular season. However, according to assistant coach Joe Musich it hasn't affected his side's preparations.

"Our guys are more concerned about upholding the standards we've set for ourselves. We're not a big team physically, although we have a strong forward pack who love to pound it in, but we'll need to use our speed in the backs."

And Musich has dismissed suggestions that San Mateo will be under extra pressure because they're the reigning champions, "We're not approaching this weekend thinking that we have to win because we're the defending champs. We have to prove to people that we're a good team this year too."

This is the first time ever that Back Bay has progressed so far at the national level and the achievement is not lost on club president Ed Burlingham. "I guess we're the Cinderella team and we're ready to compete. Our guys are really excited about this opportunity and will give it their best shot.

"We're feeling pretty good about where we are at this time of year, it's a new experience for us. We're fairly healthy and we're going there to win the championship."

The two other clubs involved in this weekend's action are no strangers to pressure rugby. Hayward last won the national crown in 2000 and Austin is one of the better teams to come out of Texas of late, so there'll be no quarter asked and no quarter given.

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