Tempe Rugby Club and Red Mountain Rugby are classified as the best teams in Arizona, according to some fans. Historically, Tempe is the established power and Red Mountain is like the new kid on the block.
Seven tries, four injury stoppages, three hours, two yellow cards and one beer on a hot Saturday morning later, the Red Mountain Warthogs' defeated the Tempe Old Devils, 30-24. Red Mountain controlled the first half. Rugby players' positions are classified by their numbers. Their number 12 Fa’aesea Lakatani, number 11 Tui and number 14 Adam Varga-Thompson were menacing, rumbling through the Tempe backs with casual violence. Red Mountain’s two wingers both scored a try in the first half, trampling defenders on their way to the line. Tempe was resilient, scoring a try through a series of pick and goes close to the line. It was their second came through the rolling maul and their third was a penalty try. Red Mountain finished the game with two late tries.
Red Mountain Rugby was established in 1993 when a former Camelback and Scottsdale player, Mike Jones, decided to start a club in Mesa. Red Mountain has not enjoyed as much stability as Tempe in the coaching department; Its current coach, Lomin Agnotukut, or Masi, has been the coach for just two years. However, in that time he has managed to produce a team that plays entertaining rugby.
“They’re a versatile club on the pitch that can hit it up with their big men, but can play a creative and expansive game with a talented backline” Hal Morgan, former Tempe Inside-Center and current Tempe youth team coach, said.
Red Mountain’s wingers and inside center have a combination of size, power and speed that makes tackling them one on one impossible. Red Mountain’s game plan utilizes the physical X-factor of their backs to make breaks and create chances, it's fun to watch but is not always sustainable. If the other team is disciplined they can shut down Red Mountain backs and force them to grind out the game in the forwards. An area where their ability can be questioned. What is clear is that their style has brought success. Red Mountain was National D2 Champions in 2008 after finishing second in 2007 and third in 2006.
Tempe Rugby Club was established in 1980 by ex-ASU rugby players and since the 1990s has had Salty Thompson as a coach. Thompson brings a wealth of professional knowledge, having coached the U.S. Under-20 and Under-19 teams before coaching the USA Eagles 7s team.
“He’s a really good coach with lots of experience. If you play for Salty it’s because you love the way he plays and what he teaches,” former Tempe Hooker Will Prelaza said.
Thompson’s international experience shows in how Tempe plays. Experts say they are happy to let the other team wear themselves out against their defense. In attack, they are not the most creative from open play but are very good from set moves. However, the area where you can tell that there has been professional input is the breakdown. The way that Tempe attacks the breakdown is technically beautiful and is on the knife-edge of legality.
In the most recent Tempe vs Red Mountain game, Tempe had a penalty try awarded against them for illegal work at the breakdown and had another player put in the sin-bin for a cynical breakdown foul on the goal line. What is undeniable is that Tempe is the most successful team in Arizona; they have been to the final four of the national D2 championship 4 times winning in 2016 and finishing runners-up in 1996, 2003 and 2014.
Naturally when there are two successful teams in the same area the obvious step is for them to form a rivalry. The two teams have a grudging respect for one another. “We love Red Mountain because that’s the only team that gives us competition,” Prelaza said. The rivalry does have an edge to it in the 2020 edition of Tempe vs Red Mountain there were four fights and two yellow cards for foul play. “You want to win, you want to beat everyone. When it comes to certain teams you want to play more aggressive and win over them more,” said Red Mountain scrum-half Jordan Reynolds.
Nevertheless, both teams acknowledge the reason they enjoy facing each other is the challenge. Each team’s game plan plays to the other team’s weaknesses, the challenge of playing the other forces them to elevate their game. Which can only mean more growth for Arizona’s premier teams as it now turns its focus to nationals.
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