Week 9 in Men's Midwest Division 1 USA Rugby had some exciting matches on the ticket with both Chicago teams looking to build on their Week 8 victories.
The Blues we're on the road against the Lions and the hosts looked good from the start, scoring early and maintaining a 17-12 halftime lead. But Kansas City had other plans and continued their momentum from the end of the first half into the second. After 2 consecutive penalties, the visitors were up 18-17 with a full 30 minutes still on the scoreboard.
The lead changed 3 more times in the second half ending in a dramatic finish with the Lions squeaking out the bonus-point 27-26 win with a penalty kick at the final whistle.
In Columbus, Scioto Valley hosted the Griffins in a high-scoring affair that showcased the offense skills of both sides. The home-side and second-place team in the league held on for a 38-34 win leaving the Griffins to head home with just a 2-point consolation prize for the narrow loss and 4+ tries.
The Barbarians hosted Cincinnati in Milwaukee with excellent rugby weather and a large home crowd out for the last home match before the winter break.
With the crowd at their backs, the locals scored early and often, including 2 tries and 14 points in the first 10 minutes. Cincinnati surged at the end of each half and came away with 1 try each time, but the Milwaukee backs dominated the day.
At the whistle, the Barbarians reaped a 5-point win with a 52-14 victory. With five consecutive wins, the Milwaukee Rugby team moves to third place with a 3-point margin over the Blues who drop to 4th.
In the final match of the day, Metropolis were on the road in Iowa and rebounded from their week 8 loss with a comprehensive 51-12 victory over Palmer.
| Team (Rank Change) | Win | Loss | Draw | Streak | PF | PA | +/- | Bonus Try* | Bonus Loss** | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metropolis (Minneapolis, MN) | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1W | 350 | 126 | 224 | 7 | 1 | 40 |
| Scioto Valley (Columbus, OH) | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1W | 296 | 250 | 46 | 7 | 1 | 32 |
Barbarians (Milwaukee, WI) ( +1) |
6 | 3 | 0 | 5W | 230 | 192 | 38 | 4 | 1 | 29 |
Blues (Kansas City, MO) ( -1) |
5 | 3 | 0 | 1L | 223 | 210 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 26 |
| Lions (Chicago, IL) | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2W | 240 | 268 | -28 | 7 | 3 | 24 |
| Griffins (Chicago, IL) | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1L | 190 | 246 | -56 | 3 | 2 | 19 |
| Palmer (Davenport, IA) | 3 | 5 | 0 | 3L | 161 | 232 | -71 | 3 | 1 | 16 |
| Wolfhounds (Cincinatti, OH) | 0 | 8 | 0 | 8L | 139 | 305 | -166 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
* A bonus point is awarded for each match in which the team scores 4 tries or more.
** A bonus point is awarded for each match in which the team loses by 7 or less.
Fixtures, Week 10
- Metropolis at Scioto Valley
- Griffins at Blues
- Barbarians at Lions
- Palmer at Cincinnati
Scores, Week 9
- Metropolis 51 - 12 Palmer
- Lions 27 - 26 Blues
- Barbarians 52 - 14 Cincinnati
- Scioto Valley 38 - 34 Griffins
Scores, Week 8
- Metropolis 19 - 21 Griffins
- Scioto Valley 28 - 43 Lions
- Blues 26 - 24 Wolfhounds
- Barbarians 29 - 18 Palmer
Scores, Week 7
- Metropolis 33 - 10 Griffins
- Scioto Valley 35 - 32 Lions
- Blues 43 - 28 Wolfhounds
- Barbarians 29 - 5 Palmer
