Eastman Warriors to face Wasps in home semi-final
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The Eastman Warriors should be well-rested as the Mantioba Rugby premier division playoffs kick off Sept. 7.
The top-seeded Warriors are taking on the win-less Wasps with a trip to the finals on the line in A.D. Penner Park at 4 p.m.
In the most recent meeting between the teams, Eastman won in blowout fashion 69-7. The Warriors also hold a 400 point advantage in point difference this year.
Eastman was set to play the Wombats in what looked to be a finals preview Sept. 2 but the game was cancelled as all placements in the four-team standings were set in stone. The result went into the books as a Warriors forfiet.
It would have been Eastman’s third game in 10 days. The Warriors locked up first place after defeating the Assassins 53-44 at the Maple Grove Rugby Park Aug. 29.
No matter what the result is, the semi-finals will be the final rugby action in A.D. Penner Park for the season, as the league finals are hosted at Maple Grove.
The other premier division semi-final will see the Wombats take on the Assassins. The Assassins managed to defeat the perennial champion Wombats this season, winning 27-7 in a July 11 match-up.
The Wombats and Warriors have owned the premier division over the last two seasons, facing off in the final each time, with Eastman finally winning last year. It was the first time a team based outside of Winnipeg had won the top division of rugby in Manitoba in the 100-plus year history of the sport in this province.