The California Conference and the list of which teams will make the DIA playoffs are both decided this weekend as St. Mary’s faces Santa Clara and Cal Poly takes on San Diego State.

St. Mary’s should beat Santa Clara and will then finish conference play 4-0. Really they don’t even need to win to clinch the conference, but the victory is what the Gaels are shooting for.

After a tough, windy win over Army at West Point, the Gaels are still smarting from a close loss to Cal that they thought they could have won. Poor decisions right in front of the posts, bad luck, and not taking care of the ball at key moments hurt them. St. Mary’s expects to be better in those areas against Santa Clara and going ahead in the DIA playoffs.

Head Coach Tim O’Brien is expected to make a few lineup changes for the game against Santa Clara, with some players being rested, and Kingsley McGowan, who has normally played center or wing for St. Mary’s, will possibly line up at flyhalf on Saturday. This will give McGowan, who is a dynamic player who has had an up-and-down season, more touches of the ball, and could also give O’Brien some options should Cooper Maloney - injured against Army - not be able to get healthy.

Meanwhile, it’s up to the San Diego State at Cal Poly game to finalize the DIA playoff field. 

Cal Poly returned from break to beat Grand Canyon 59-21 last week. Coach James Tesoriero had his players in a spring break camp, and they came out of that ready to show off what they’d been working on. 

The Mustangs controlled possession well against GCU, with Chris Codding and Max Tackett playing well in the backs. Mark Grzanich scored three tries in the first half.

But it’s now down to this game against the Aztecs.

“We have some talented seniors,” said Aztecs Coach Alex Lichtig. “We’ve been working hard to develop more of the team. You have to have a strong 1 through 30 if you want a sustainable program, so we’ve been working on adding to our experienced players. Those players have made it easier for the freshmen coming in to develop. So we’re excited about this game because it means something for us. It’s good for the conference and for San Diego State rugby and for Cal Poly too.”

Flyhalf Kalei Konrad is a real talent, but San Diego State needs more, and Lichtig has seen several players emerge this season, such as scrumhalf/flyhalf Austin Switzer, flanker Esmat Wardak, and front-rower Adahir Aguilera.

“I think it’s going to be a very tight, intense match,” said Lichtig of the game against Cal Poly. 

And it’s coming down to the wire. It’s highly likely that the winner of Cal Poly v San Diego State will be in the DIA playoffs, and the loser will not. So basically it’s a playoff game right now.