San Diego Vies For Its First Ever Super League Title

San Diego side OMBAC will be making its first ever appearance in the Super League Championship this weekend when it clashes with Western Conference rivals the Gentlemen of Aspen in Rockford, Illinois.

While the team has quite an impressive array of silverware in its trophy case including various national, Pacific Coast and Southern California club championships, the prestigious Super League title is conspicuous by its absence.

OMBAC is traditionally one of America's powerhouse clubs, although the truth is that in recent years players, officials and fans alike haven't had much to brag about, that is until this year.

OMBAC has enjoyed an outstanding 2001 having already claimed yet another Southern California championship earlier in the season. The club finished in first place in the Super League Western Conference going undefeated through both the regular season and post season to date and it boasts the League's third best for and against points aggregate.

This San Diego team has a solid pack of well-drilled forwards and one of the most exciting backlines in the United States, a combination that has been the undoing of every opponent this season. Indeed, OMBAC is the only team to inflict defeat upon Aspen this year, that coming in the opening round when the Southern Californians triumphed 32-5.

OMBAC is full of playmakers and match winners, none more so than skipper Conrad Hodgson. The native of South Africa has been one of the League's form players. He has a rugby brain, can read an opposition like a book and leads from the front.

Then in the backs there are the likes of halves Kenny Wilson and Alister Steele who are the perfect setup men for the fast finishing wingers Dave DiSorbo and Malakai Delai, along with classy fullback Johan Claasen. In short, there are no weaknesses anywhere on the field.

OMBAC's veteran coach Bing Dawson, who seems to have been around forever, believes his team is every bit as polished as the experienced Gents from Aspen. "We play two completely different games. We match them in the forwards and they're going to be very solid in the backs, but I think we've got maybe more speed in our backs than the (US) Eagles.

"They're the team on form, they're tough and I'm sure they're going to want to get back at us. I rate those guys and I like the way they play."

There are no major injury worries going into this weekend's Championship showdown, although young prop forward Dan Dorsey will most likely be missing from the starting lineup, the result of a red card in last weekend's semi-final victory over Kansas City.

Barring any last minute or unforeseen bumps in the road, OMBAC will be taking its best shot at clinching its first ever Super League crown.