Barbarians finish their first regular season with a solid 41-20 win over visiting Palmer.

The Milwaukee Barbarians faced long odds in the 2012 Division 1 USA Rugby season.

In addition to the challenges brought by a merger of the players from the Milwaukee Harlequins and Milwaukee RFC, they were delivered a tough schedule with multiple away games against opponents who regularly compete for a National title.

However, after a slow start the Barbarians seemed to find their way around mid-season having won three of their last 4 matches including a comprehensive 61-38 win on the road against Detroit.

On Saturday, the Barbarians hosted Palmer (Davenport, IA) and were the clear underdogs with a 5-36 loss to the visitors just 3 weeks earlier and Rugby Magazine expecting the Barbarians to carry the wooden spoon at the bottom of the D1 table.

But with momentum and determination on their side, the Barbarians fired on all cylinders to rack up a 41-20 upset.

The win gives the Barbarians a 4-4-0 record for the season and a 4-1-0 record since the end of September. For a new club with a tough schedule, the Barbarians have shown that they are more than competitive in D1.

The victory over Palmer puts the Barbarians in 7th place, in the Midwest D1 standings setting up the first game of the D1 playoffs against the Chicago Lions on Saturday, November 3, 2012.

The Lions have a 7-1-0 record going into the match. But given their shock loss to Columbus two weeks ago and the Barbarians momentum in the last 5 weeks, this game will be very close and a real treat to all fans in attendance.