The Denver Barbarians defeated Buffalo RFC by a score of 62-10 to decisively advance to the Division II Club National Championship. On a steamy hot Saturday afternoon, your Barbos scored 10 tries and 62 unanswered points after surviving a hotly contested first 20 minutes. Buffalo came out steaming, pinning the men in Green & White deep in their own half. A turnover and quick hands saw Buffalo pushing over the first try, converted for a 7-0 lead.

The Barbos continued to underfund their ruck support, and another turnover within their half had Buffalo attempting a penalty. The flyhalf coolly slotted, and the men from New York extended their lead to 10-0. That’s how it remained for the next 10 minutes as both teams duked it out in the heat. Rubber pellets, shoulders, and emotions were flying as both starting squads came out fierce.

The men in Green & White had to make a choice: Was all the work put into the 21-22 season going to get flushed over a slow start? The boys pocketed the loose offloads and the forward pack upped their work at the breakdown to build phase count, chipping into the Buffalo defense. Flyer Malik Bryant finally crossed to put first points and draw the score to 10-5.

Question for the reader: When is the last time you did something extremely physical in extreme heat, continuously on a pile of crushed rubber? It’s not easy. Your mind can play tricks on you, convincing you that the final whistle is near.

The Barbos scored next through fullback Luka Pavlakis (aka Maverick). When Liam Wynne decisively slotted the conversion, the men in Green & White snatched a 12-10 lead, an edge they would never relinquish.

The next try came through the wizardry of flyhalf Noah Pflaum. He attacked the line at an angle, launched a cut out pass to inserting Pavlakis, and Luka put the final touch pass onto Bryant who scored in the corner. Bryant played outstanding all day, especially in defense. He made consistent cover tackles paired with multiple defensive steals.

Before halftime, prop Christian Rubio got in on the scoring as he hammered through two defenders and powered over the line for a try. The halftime score stood at 24-10.

The Barbos opened up the second half with a spark and scored through the hands of #8 Luca “Chicken Leg” Tani. At this point, the Barbos could smell blood in the water as the wounded Buffalo team began to wilt. Center Eric Sykes was next to score, dismantling the defense with a fantastic effort. Sykes’ hot feat and determination to win saw him breaking the gain line all afternoon.

Soon after, hooker Jason Christensen (aka Tubbs) crashed over for a try. His efforts on the day couldn’t be understated, as the converted #8 showed his big body can handle the heat. A successful conversion left the score at 45-10.

Conor O’Brien replaced Carmine Hernandez at scrumhalf, and a collective team effort gave Bryant his third try in the corner. O’Brien was sent to the bin, and the Barbos saw themselves down a man for 10 minutes. Alex Wormer, the Barbo 7s sensation (who once played in the backline) saw himself switching back from flanker to scrum half. Here’s some audio from the multi-faceted Worm.

Tries continued to rain as the Barbos chipped away at Buffalo’s resolve. Lock Mike Lawrenson put in a veteran shift and orchestrated the lineout all afternoon. Dante Brown came on for Eric Sykes and bagged some meat himself in the 55th minute. In the 63rd minute, the Denver bench emptied onto the pitch as the coaching staff looked to preserve some legs for Sunday’s final.

The final score came in the 64th minute through the sniping O’Brien. He darted over the line after the Barbos built up the phase count and ground Buffalo into ground Buffalo. Both teams exhausted, there was no more scoring in the final 15 minutes, and the Barbos stood victorious, 62-10.

As sweet as today’s victory was, all the chips will be pushed in for tomorrow. Sunday Rugby is Finals Rugby. Your Denver Barbarians will face the Charlotte Rugby Club. Founded in 1971, Charlotte RFC has a prestigious history. They will be hungry, well skilled, and looking to add another trophy in the halls of their beautiful clubhouse.

To quote old Boy Jake Humphrey, “There’s nothing like wearing the Green & White hoops on a Sunday Final in Aspen.”

Well, Atlanta ain’t Aspen, but if the Barbos want to raise another title banner, they’ll have to tame the heat and themselves in the final tomorrow. See you all then, and be sure to tune into The Rugby Network.