RUGBY: Super League week six preview

A top of the table clash between Life College of Atlanta and Boston is the marquee matchup on Saturday in week six of Super League.

Defending champions Life (4-0) have yet to drop a game this season and sit atop the Eastern Conference points table, while Boston (3-1) lies in second place having lost only once so far in 2001. That defeat came last week to an impressive Chicago Lions. Life also has the League’s equal leading points scorer in fly-half Jason Penaluna (52) ready to add to his personal tally.

The Lions travel to the nation’s capitol to tackle the Washington RFC (1-3) and look odds on favorites to improve their record to 3-1. Chicago is in fourth place on the ladder just a point behind Old Blue New York (2-1-1), but with a game in hand.

This weekend’s round is a split round and Old Blue hosts the Kansas City Blues (1-2) on Sunday. The other matchup in the East sees PAC (1-3) at Philadelphia-Whitemarsh (0-3-1) to take on a disappointing home team.

In the Western Conference, San Diego side OMBAC (5-0) has the chance to increase its lead at the top of the table when it meets Old Blue-Griffens of Oakland in the bay area on Sunday. OMBAC fly-half Alistair Steele is the League’s other leading points scorer (52) and is primed to continue his fine form. OMBAC’s closest rivals, the Gentlemen of Aspen (4-1), have a bye this week.

Elsewhere in the West, third placed Dallas (2-2) travel to Denver to play the Barbarians (1-3). The Harlequins have had a couple of narrow and unlucky losses this year and will be looking to cement their spot in the playoff race. Their cause will be aided by their points scoring pivot Matt Alexander who’s third on the points scorers list with 49.

The other Saturday game is between fourth placed San Francisco Golden Gate (2-1) and Old Puget Sound Beach (1-3) in Seattle. Both teams have similar for and against averages and this game could go either way. The remaining team in the West, Belmont Shore of Los Angeles, has a bye.