It’s #1 v #3 but not the way you might think.

Right now Goff Rugby Report has Fort Hunt as the #1 HS Club team, and Gonzaga as the #3 single-school team, but really if you look at the history of things, Gonzaga would still have to be favored. Gonzaga has won three straight national championships, while Fort Hunt is still shooting for those lofty heights.

But Gonzaga already lost to Doylestown this season in the new MAPL, and Fort Hunt beat Doylestown this past weekend. So maybe there’s something to this rankings thing.

Gonzaga rebounded as you’d expect they would, and will bring a very big, very powerful forward pack that has the ability to stifle Fort Hunt. 

For the Virginia team, Head Coach Dale Roach said his squad has a lot of depth.

“When someone has an injury or has to miss a game, we don’t have any falloff,” said Roach. “And we’re playing rally fast rugby - front-foot, fast rugby. It’s been a lot of fun.”

Conor McManus burned Doylestown repeatedly for chips over the top and either scored or set up a try. They read the game well and, led by McManus, see opportunities. Against a team like Gonzaga, those opportunities come few and far between, so they have to be exploited.

And then Adam Taylor and Erik Roach at center stopped the Doylestown midfield in impressive fashion. Fort Hunt can play defense, too.

This is the third week of Mid-Atlantic Premier League action. Also this weekend, West End plays Downingtown, and Gonzaga takes on West Shore on Sunday.

Previous MAPL games:

West End 7 Gonzaga 41
Doylestown 43  Gonzaga 31
West Shore 5 Fort Hunt 101
Gonzaga 47 Downingtown 7
West End 49 West Shore United 12
Fort Hunt Warriors 45 Doylestown 31