Temecula Mountain Lions Rugby Club "Old Boys" tie against Huntington Beach Unicorns

The Temecula Mountain Lions Rugby Club played an “Old Boys Game” against the Huntington Beach Unicorns at Vallecitos School, where the Mountain Lions play their home matches, Oct. 11.

The game ended in a 24-24 tie. “The team played well,” said Mountain Lions coach Larry Cusack.

The game consisted of two 40-minute halves. Each team had four five-point tries and made two of the four two-point conversions. The Mountain Lions had three tries in the first half while the Unicorns had two, but the Unicorns outscored the Mountain Lions in the final 40 minutes. “They came back and got us in the end,” Cusack said. “They had a better second half than we did.”

The Temecula Mountain Lions Rugby Club was founded in 2010. Two of the founders formerly played for the Unicorns. Cusack, who had been a Unicorns coach, was invited to coach the Mountain Lions during the club’s first year. The two teams schedule an Old Boys Game against each other on an annual basis.

“It’s just kind of a fun thing,” Cusack said of the games between the Mountain Lions and the Unicorns.

The 2014 match continued that camaraderie. “It was a fun get-together by two teams that like each other a lot,” Cusack said. “This was just a casual game.”

Sean Testar, who normally plays for the Mountain Lions, played for the Unicorns. The Unicorns are a Division 2 club and the Mountain Lions have dropped to Division 4 after three years in Division 3. Testar’s son, a former Mountain Lions youth player, is with the Huntington Beach team. Because the Oct. 11 match was an exhibition, the rule requiring players to be over 35 was waived and Jesse Testar played in the Old Boys Game for the Unicorns. “It was fun to have him play with his dad,” Cusack said.

“That’s been my goal for many years,” Sean Testar said of playing with his son. “To be able to share that with your son is pretty special.”

Jesse Testar, who played wing, is now 18. With less than five minutes remaining he scored the try which tied the game. “It was a special day,” Sean Testar said.

Although first-team players in the senior club squad for ruggers between the ages 21 to 35 did not play, other under-35s participated in the Old Boys Game. “We let a few play,” Cusack said.

Sean Testar had been the Temecula Mountain Lions Rugby Club’s youth coordinator and coach of youth teams when his son was eligible for youth competition. This year the elder Tester will help Cusack coach the men’s clubs.

Old Boys league play starts Jan. 3. “We haven’t even had a practice yet this year,” Cusack said.

The Temecula Mountain Lions Rugby Club donated both a pair of goal posts and the cost of the installation to the Vallecitos School District. The goal post installation was completed Sept. 30, so the Oct. 11 match was the first with the new goal posts. “That was very nice,” Cusack said.

The players from both teams and their families got together for breakfast prior to the game. “It was a special day for everyone,” Sean Testar said.