What an interesting month in rugby October was.

After going 4-0 in my opening weekend of the 18th. I decided against going to All Florida Weekend, and boy am I glad I made that decision. Only six of the 17 men's teams in the state showed up, so I wouldn't have got to do much scouting. And one of those teams was Tallahassee, who are in their first year as members of the FRU! Props to them for making the trip. Pathetic showing if you ask me, and it's clear the union has to do something to get the event back on track. No point in calling it ALL Florida Weekend if less than 50 percent of the men's teams are going to show up.

Then, while the game was technically in November, we had the mass exodus of rugby fans to Chicago starting on Oct. 31st for the USA/All Blacks contest. While the result was a disaster, the weekend was a blast despite the cold, and I hope this leads to more international contests in our country. Only thing I regret was not eating any deep dish or Portillos hot dogs!

On to this Saturday, which features some very tough D3 matchups to pick. If I can go undefeated again, I deserve a raise. Which reminds me, Charlee (this website's owner), I haven't seen a dime from this column yet!

Division 3

Gainesville (1-0) at Sarasota (1-0):  A massive early-season contest here with a rematch of last year's state final, which was won by the Hogs, who were actually one of the few teams to show up in Clermont for AFW. Sarasota will be desperate for revenge, and actually won the regular season matchup last year 30-24. I think the Surge will have enough at home to edge the Hogs, but this one could very easily go the other way. Think of it as Crist vs. Scott. Sarasota 24, Gainesville 20

Tampa (0-1) at Tallahassee (0-0): A big welcome to the Conquistadors! After years of playing in the Deep South, Tally are ready to give things a go in the state they reside in, and start with a home game vs. Tampa, who lost their season opener 38-7 to Palm Beach. Tallahassee went undefeated in the regular season last year and should be a factor in the playoff race this season. I see a statement win here letting the state know what they are all about. Tallahassee 30, Tampa 8

Brevard (0-1) at Bay Area Pelicans (0-1): Certainly not the most interesting matchup of the weekend after both teams lost their first games of the season and aren't likely to compete for a state title. The Pelicans did manage to stick around with Gainesville in the opener though, only losing by 15 points, and you never know how Brevard will travel across the state. Let's go with the home team here. Pelicans 22, Brevard 15

Daytona (1-0) at Indian River (0-1): The Coconuts won their first match since dropping down from D2 when they edged Brevard, while Indian River continued to experience growing pains in their young history as they were routed by Sarasota. Daytona doesn't have a huge squad but did manage to make it to AFW where they almost knocked off D2 Tampa. I think the Coconuts will roll here. Daytona 45, Indian River 5

Last Week: 4-0 (1.000)
Season: 4-0 (1.000)
All-Time: 105-34 (75.5%)

And don't forget to email me at sw@rugbyfl.com if you have any comments, criticisms or acclaim.