What to expect when you’re expecting good rugby? Below are previews of the four Pacific Mountain Rugby Conference (PMRC) quarterfinals, which will take place tomorrow at Stanford. The semifinal round, which is the final round, will be held Sunday.

10:30 a.m. Central Washington (8-0) vs. Chico State (1-5)
The Wildcats have the most recognizable roster in the western half of the country, and listing their stars would be a recital of their entire lineup. First-year coaches Mel Denham and assistant Katie Dowty supplemented the existing CWU team with a cadre of Kent graduates, California well-knowns, and a host of All Americans (at all levels), and they worked together to win the DI north in its first season as a DI varsity program. This weekend’s competition will provide some much needed perspective.

Chico State is far from doomed. Playing in the PMRC West is a boon because all of the teams are threats. The season never unfolds without an upset, and Chico State pulled one off against Cal and almost knocked off Stanford in a 12-9 loss. Watch for All American Megan Foster, who is a superb attacking threat and great kicker.

12:30 p.m. UC San Diego (7-1) vs. UC Davis (4-2)
There is no clear favorite in this game, so this might be the game to watch in terms of suspense. UC Davis is young, but the players are aggressive and eager. They have every right to be, as no one pushed Stanford harder than the Aggies during league. The captains – 4^th year fullback Kristin Shum and 3^rd year lock/hooker Caroline Sequeira – lead the team and receive ample support from players like No. 8 Paige Steiding, scrumhalf Lauren Kim Sing, and center Erica Hipp.

UC San Diego was the only team that played with some consistency in the PMRC South, and that goes a long way. The range of results showed that the Tritons can rally from behind, exploit team weaknesses, and win when it matters most. Keep an eye on Monique Grimaldi, Erika Matczenko, Nicole Rodriguez, and Tiffany Zhou represent UCSD’s returning all-stars, and Jaylin Stevenson and Wing Ly have proven reliable try-scorers.

2:30 p.m. Stanford (6-0) vs. UC Santa Barbara (4-3)
The host is the likely winner in this game, but the Cardinal has shown some vulnerability during league. That undefeated record doesn’t reflect the four games that could have easily gone to Stanford’s opponents. But the team has proven resilient, and All American flyhalf Nikki Richardson is at the center of it all. She’s quick-acting, has good field vision and set up her teammates well. The back three – freshman Olivia Bernadel-Huey, Allie McDonald and Chelsea Harris – are adventurous, and the forwards are equally confident with ball in hand – watch for prop Chelsea Sveinnson to impress.

UC Santa Barbara had a similar experience during league, but ended up splitting wins and losses with division mates. It’s the nature of the South league, but UCSB got a boost into playoffs when it broke UC San Diego’s undefeated record 19-17 on the final game of the season. The team is missing the influence of players like Erica Johnson, Anisa Khamvongsa, and Onubulachi Wami, but watch for playmakers Emily Arenchild, Michela Serchia and Bria Shelley to make an impact.

4:30 p.m. Washington State (5-3) vs. Cal (1-5)
California has all of the makings of a great team – great athletes, excellent coaching, and school support – but it just hasn’t come together yet. If the Golden Bears have worked out their kinks in the last couple of weeks, then expect the forwards to follow the expert leadership of prop Abby Vogel and lock Rosie Russell; while the backs glean inspiration from scrumhalf Jess Lewis, Lauren Butler, and finisher extraordinaire CJ Whiteside from fullback.

It took some time for Washington State to hit full pace, but the Cougars ended its season with a much improved outing against Central Washington (31-19 loss). Anne Peterson brings senior Eagle experience to the pitch and it’s used in the right position: flyhalf. Peterson is aided by three other returning PMRC all-stars, and routinely strong performances from outside center Sammie Pedersen and flanker Gaby Drllevich show the rest of the young team what Cougar rugby is all about. Watch for newcomers Maddie Holmes and Alex Denzinger to represent the WSU youth well.

SUNDAY
The winners will play each other Sunday, which means the competition will end at the semifinal round. That ambiguity is intentional, due to the unknown number of national seeds afforded the conference as well as the seeds’ playoffs locations. So that game you were hoping to see – Stanford vs. Central Washington – will just have to wait.