The Kansas City Junior Blues edged St. Thomas Aquinas 31-24 over the weekend in a game that’s not part of any league, but is usually considered the battle for Kansas City rugby supremacy.

It might well be, although the Kansas City Cougars are still trying to make it three’s a crowd.

For the Blues, it was a good bounce back after losing in the final of the Heart of America tournament to Union out of Oklahoma. Certainly the players were eager to finish the game off - perhaps too eager.

“We would have done better if we didn’t give up about 50 penalties,” said Jr. Blues Coach Eddie Cummings. “We spent more time being offsides than anything else. When we had the ball, we scored. We just kept committing penalties.”

The clash with STA is always a tight contest, and this game was no different, but the win gives a boost to KC as they look for tougher competition outside of their conference (where they are winning comfortably). 

The Jr. Blues moved the ball well, but were stung by the Aquinas ability to maul the ball over. No. 8 Dan Simon has been a handful and causes havoc in the breakdown. He’s not a typical No. 8, in that he’s not especially tall, but he roams the field looking for work.

“He’s a ground hog,” said Cummings. “He digs for the ball and is a great poacher.”

Simon’s 40meter gallop late in the game helped set up the winning try.

The game was part of the Mid-America Rugby Showcase, which featured two HS games, and two college games (including a key Heart of American league game between Arkansas and Truman State), plus two men’s club games.

Following on, Wednesday night saw the Kansas City Cougars defeat St. Thomas Aquinas 20-15. The Cougars have only lost one full-length game this season, to the Jr. Blues, and that was by ten pints. It seems clear that the Cougars are establishing themselves as a third elite team in a region that needs elite teams.

The Cougars, when healthy (and they’re not deep), are tough, and now move to 2-0 in the Kansas HS league, while STA drops to 3-1. The Jr. Blues are looking for tougher competition, as are a lot of elite clubs, and found out their proposed trip to Colorado Springs for April 17-19 has been called off. They are currently looking for a game or two for that weekend, and, said Cummings, they’re willing to travel.

(Seriously, they’re not kidding. Contact them here http://www.jrbluesrugby.com/?page_id=25)