The Goff Rugby Report rankings are generally pretty accurate, but sometimes they don’t hold true on major matchups.

Why? Often that’s because a team that had a couple of setbacks early in the season and those losses are still on the team’s record, but now, with injured players back or the team simply improving, they might be a better opponent.

Sometimes it’s because teams match up differently - so Team A might be Team B, and Team B might beat Team C, but it could be that Team C has the formula to beat Team A. We’ve seen it happen.

So, all with that in mind, and with the rankings in mind, here’s our look at the Boys HS Rugby National Championships, and where those teams are currently ranked:

Single-School (rankings listed in parentheses):

Penn (#1) v Greenwich (#9)

ND La Salette (#15) v Jesuit (#3)

In this bracket, Penn is ranked #1 in a rankings that are very tenuous - we've seen several different #1 teams this year, and Penn is there now, but could be unseated relatively easily. Last year, we saw a couple of games go down to the wire with teams that seemingly weren't so even. Well, we might see that again. Greenwich has an approach to the game that might mesh nicely with Penn, you never know. But Penn is very physical, and has an explosiveness that combines nicely with the platform the forwards set up, and they have been playing very well against good teams. 

Jesuit has the skill and the experience to win at the national level. We like Jesuit in this game. So, Penn and Jesuit.

St. Edward (#4) v Xavier (#8)

Mira Costa (#6) v Gonzaga (#2)

These are two really exciting matchups. St. Edward has been playing extremely well this season, but might be criticized for not being able to adjust on the fly when their game plan isn't quite firing. That's a tough criticism for a team that beat Gonzaga, but still, it's there. Xavier could be physically steamrolled by St. Edward, or could outstrip Ed's tactically. Xavier looked impressive in a win over Pelham recently, and could be the upset special.

Mira Costa is a team that no one in this tournament has seen, and a team that hasn't seen anyone in this tournament. Gonzaga could be surprised by the athleticism and explosiveness of Mira Costa, and if that's the case, you wonder if they could be unseated. But, Gonzaga has tons of poise, and opponents need the ball to score against them, and that's tough to get. Both of these games are, in our opinion, pick 'em games. But ... pin us down and we'd say Xavier over St. Edward and Gonzaga over Mira Costa. But we also think it will be close.

Club (rankings listed in parentheses):

Royal Irish (#2) v Doylestown (#18)

United (#14) v Phoenix (#27)

Doylestown should be ranked higher than #18, and had we updated the rankings this week, they would be. They are really, really good. But Royal Irish has been through a really tough series of games, and done pretty well. They know how to win this tournament, and it's really, really hard to pick against them.

United is the same as Royal Irish - tested and experienced. United also, at their best - should be ranked higher. Phoenix is a good team, and has some imposing players, but United is deeper, bigger, more physical, and very athletic.

We pick Royal Irish and United.

Highlanders (#26) v Granite Bay (#3)

KC Jr. Blues (#8) v South Greenville (#11)

The Chapel Hill Highlanders have played well in North Carolina, but there's something to be said for the level of play in a league, and Northern California's Varsity Premier is as tough as they come. And also, take a look at the photo accompanying this article - Granite Bay trained jointly with Jesuit this past week, which is a pretty nice thing to be able to do. Granite Bay is an excellent, dynamic team, and should win.

KC Jr. Blues v. South Greenville is a little more tough to pick. We'll take the Blues, but it could be a close one.

Tier II (rankings in parentheses)

Union County (MS43) v Brownsburg (SS18)

South Doyle v Pelham (SS22)

Brownsburg plays at this level every year, and won't be fazed by playing at Nationals. They are very strong in the pack and if they dominate possession, they should win.

South Doyle has been up and down this season, while Pelham looks to be on a mostly upward trajectory. Pelham has the skills and field generalship to be able to control the flow of the game. We like Brownsburg and Pelham.

St. Thomas Aquinas (SS19) v West End (MS47) 

North Bay  v Charlotte Catholic (SS20)

This seems pretty straightforward to us. While North Bay is an athletic and aggressive team that won't back down from anyone, Charlotte Catholic is too poised to lose here. St. Thomas is on a roll, while West End started strong this year but has had some consistency issues. We'll take STA and Charlotte Catholic.

Of course, we could be wrong.