It's kind of a pause before the storm this week in Men's D2 college rugby.

The NCR playoffs start with play-in games before the Round of 16 next week. One of those games won't happen. After playing the MARC semifinal and final last week, Bucknell just had too many injuries. They lost three starters in the semifinal and further injuries meant they can't play Virginia this weekend. For Bucknell, it's a rough ending to a pretty special season, and for Virginia it's a frustrating beginning to the playoffs as too many of their opponents have forfeited this fall. And it's also perhaps a message on how tough two-game weekends, especially Saturday-Sunday, are.

St. Louis University takes on Marquette in an all-Catholic university clash. You wonder what the feeling is when the method of qualifying are so different. After winning a semifinal, SLU achieved the #2 spot in the Gateway by losing 50-5 to Principia. Marquette got to be the #3 Great Midwest team by losing their semifinal to Illinois State (who ultimately won the conference), and then by beating Wisconsin-Whitewater 54-22. Is Marquette coming in on more of a high? Certainly they've had a tougher fall schedule and in the end lost only once.

Central Michigan were glad to get a #2 seed out of the Great Lakes, not something that was a guarantee, but then get a varsity program in Marian to face. Marian, which was in trouble with the referee from the jump in their conference final with Thomas More, will need to be disciplined in thier game.

And Vermont, which lost only to GRR's #1-ranked Norwich (twice), plays a Tri-State Conference champion Marist that has been consistently strong, but is coming from a conference that, historically, has had trouble getting deep into the playoffs. Marist beating Vermont would be a pretty big upset, but it's not out of the realm of possibility.

We also have the Southern Conference final. Both UNC-Charlotte and and UNC-Wilmington have qualified for the national Round of 16, so this is just to figure out who goes where.

For Charlotte, beating UNC-Chapel Hill two weeks ago was the result of a superb defensive effort in which they allowed just the one try, and that on an interception. Blindside flanker Jackson North made 25 tackles in that game while outside center Matt Keough, tighthead prop Eli Leeworthy, and openside flanker Cameren Mckinnon all were into double figures in tackles. No. 8 David Grant and his brother Stephen on the wing combined for a nice try.

A week later UNC-Wilmington beat Furman 36-10. Wing Daylon Whitley, captain Jeffrey Palmer, and wing Kaiya Bolden all scored tries as the Wilmington backline started to fire in the first half. Flanker Sam Kusnitz, Whitley again, and center Michael Barney all scored. Mathieu Thullier at flyhalf directed it all very nicely and was their kicker as well.

So it's an offense working well for Wilmington against a really strong defense for Charlotte.

Also on tap are the semis in the SCRC. The winner will be decided a week later and the SCRC champion plays Rocky Mountain Conference champion Montana State at the CRAA championship weekend in the Charlotte area December 4. Georgia Tech vs Auburn is a good one as they tied in their first meeting. Memphis is favored over Ole Miss.

Check back for scores.