Elite Cup Preview: San Francisco Golden Gate

San Francisco Golden Gate has been one of the top clubs in the country over the last decade. In just the last few years the team has two Super League titles to its name and has appeared in two more finals. The team has also turned out its fair share of international players during that time as well. Samu Manoa, Chris Biller, Mose Timoteo, and Volney Rouse are just a few of the names to pass through the club during that span.

Yet for all those accomplishment’s SFGG appear to be heading into the Elite Cup with a sense of unfinished business. Last year the team failed to meet its own lofty expectations by failing to make it to the championship game. Instead they were beaten by Old Puget Sound Beach during the regular season and in the West finals. The West has always seen its fair share of good teams, but after Belmont Shore self-relegated SFGG by and large had the run of things until OPSB reloaded. Even with OPSB’s resurgence SFGG maintained the upper hand, until last year that is. So now that these two teams have moved their rivalry to the Elite Cup, SFGG will once again be looking to show that they are the team to be contended with in the West.

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Few teams enter the Elite Cup with as much momentum as San Francisco Golden Gate. The team has stormed through NorCal picking up eight straight wins and a berth in the DI playoffs. In those eight matches SFGG has scored a total of 527 points while only giving up 71. Their closest match of the season was a 35-7 victory over OPSB back in very early January. The most points the team has given up actually came not in one of the eight NorCal matches but in a friendly against St. Mary’s in which they only gave up 17 points. That match was also the only time they failed to score 50 points other than in the match against OPSB.

The most notable of all those victories has to be the win over OPSB. True, both teams were still getting over the holiday season and several players for both teams were not available, but after losing to the OPSB in the West finals last year, the victory was a positive mental boost for SFGG. They will need that mental edge as they have to travel up to Seattle to take on OPSB this weekend in their first match.

As was mentioned earlier, SFGG is known for their overall level of talent and this year is no exception. Leading the way are a pair of very experienced international players in captain Mose Timoteo and Chris Biller. Timoteo has been a stalwart on the side of many years now and his strong play even earned him a recall to the Eagles last summer. Biller returns to the club after overseas experience with both Bath and Northampton. He has been playing some flanker for SFGG but returned to hooker this last weekend. The team has also brought in flanker Tevita Kolomatangi from the Tasman Makos.

Of course there are also players like Volney Rouse, Henie McFarland, Danny LaPrevotte, and Mile Pulu. Playing alongside Timoteo, Rouse is part of one of the best halfback combinations in the competition with arguably only NYAC able to match them. Mile Pulu provides plenty of experience at center is one of the most underrated players in the country. Overall the whole team should be balanced with both the backline and forwards able to hold their own and excel.

With atonement on their minds, the club’s goal is simply to win. SFGG are favorites to beat both Glendale, who they’ll play at home, and Denver, who they play on the road. That means that SFGG’s season will likely come down to a pair of matches against OPSB. The first is this weekend at OPSB and the last will come in the West final. Because the highest regular season winner hosts the match a win in Seattle will go a long way to boosting SFGG’s chances of making the title match. But that is easier said than done as OPSB have an extremely formidable team and have had the better of the rivalry over the last two years.

Key Players: Chris Biller, Volney Rouse, Mose Timoteo Tevita Kolomatangi, and Mile Pulu

Matches: 3/23 @OPSB; 4/6 @. Denver; 4/13 vs. Denver