The Rugby Texas North/Central Conference may well come down to this week as Lake Travis and Rocky Rugby meet up Thursday to basically decide who will finish 2nd.

Westlake has already beaten both of these teams, albeit by razor-thin scores of 12-7 and 15-12.

Westlake Head Coach Jason Spodick said both Lake Travis and Rock are excellent. Rock’s backline is impressive, while the Lake Travis forwards are scary. As Rocky center Jose Lugo goes, so Rock goes. He is a beat of an outside center and breaks through move defensive lines. 

Lake Travis has enjoyed a good combination of physical and smart rugby, with their own midfield of Aidan Estrada and Patrick Medina playing pretty well. 

It will be an intriguing game in part because the teams are relatively different.

Whatever the outcome, Westlake seems settled in 1st place.

“This team is coming together,” said Spodick. “Being two-time defending champs, we have a target on our backs in every game. But with player turnover we’ve got kids who have never played in those championship games, and now are having to deal with the pressure of being a defending champion. At the same time, a lot of them are having to learn how to play the game. They are figuring it out, and doing pretty well.”

Ryan Rees at scrumhalf has been a leader for Westlake, while center Thomas Talbert is one of those players relatively new to the game who has started to figure it out.

“He is reading the game more and getting into better positions in support,” said Spodick.

In the South, St. Thomas leads with a 4-1 record, but the team that beat them, The Woodlands, is 2-0 and has four big games left. They aren’t gimmes, as Katy (3-0-1) could easily upend them. It does seem like the race for a semifinal place will come down to St. Thomas, Katy, and Woodlands. (Worth noting, Westlake played Woodlands early in the season, and won, but only 26-25.)

Next up in Texas:

March 23

Strake Jesuit v St. Pius

Katy v Lamar

March 24

Rock Rugby v Lake Travis

March 31

Woodlands v Memorial