Witter Rugby Field

Thanks to a second-half surge, the blue and gold sealed the win over the Cougars 55-31 and advanced to play Navy in the championship game.

The Bears and Cougars will face off for a chance to play in the finals.

Cal took the lead at the 59-minute mark when Kealan O’Connell surprised the Saint Mary’s defense and crossed the whitewash. The lead change would be the first and the last of the game.

There is no better game than a quarterfinal to take down your best enemies and open the way to the championship.

Cal faced the Mustangs in a full-time XVs game for the first time in nearly 4 years. And, much like the performance of those Bears from back in 2019, the home team dominated. 

Saturday’s game between the Bears and the Mustangs is considered a play-in game, with the winner earning the right to travel to Moraga to face St. Mary’s.

The large gap on the score sheet raises questions about the depth of the Cal rugby program and the ability of its substitutes to impact games in the postseason.

The Bears suffer their first home loss of the season to Bay Area rivals.

Nothing is more fitting than to say that Saturday’s game will determine if Cal has the capacity to navigate the road to the national championship.

A large crowd – including the Cal band – packed Witter Rugby Field’s stands to see the Bears defeat the reigning D1A champions in Army.