Boston looking to square up against Rebellion
Round 1 surprised many but it not in a way the Boston team could have possibly imagined.
Ask any Boston fan who saw them play in the 2012 final and they would have told you “Book your tickets for Philadelphia come August.” That quest hit a snag over the weekend when a fired up Rebellion team tore apart an understrength Boston outfit that was missing many of their key players including a number of imports. Outgunned and overwhelmed by the Rebellion onslaught, matters got worse when a crucial penalty saw 13s player Patrick Canty given his marching orders quickly followed by Patrick Arthur who left the field with a bad ankle sprain.
Round 2 and a different looking Boston outfit will be headed south on Saturday to settle the score against a determined Rhode Island team that already have USARL fans taking notice. 13s coach Robin Peers has been busy preparing his players for what has already become an important clash so early in the season. Coach Peers commented, “"We certainly didn't do ourselves or our fans justice with the performance we put in last week. This week we will have some of our 2012 roster back and are looking at putting in a much improved performance.”
Another familiar face joining them will be former NRL (Australia) player Dustin Cooper who is fresh off a Championship for Pia Donkeys in the French Elite One Championship Rugby League. An anxious Cooper is keen to put Round 1 behind them and focus on moving up the results ladder with eyes set on some tough games ahead.
While most eyes will be watching the Fight vs Axemen outcome, the result from up north will tell us which team may be the dark horse for this year’s competition.
Rhode Island Rebellion vs Boston 13s: Sat, Jun 08 7:30 pm at Classical High School, RI