After a rough day against New Mexico last week, the men's rugby team rebounded to blowout San Diego State and the University of San Diego in two matches vital to its quest to earn an automatic berth to the national tournament.

Arizona (6-4, 3-1) scored 12 trys during weekend wins over San Diego on Sunday, 48-26, and San Diego State on Friday, 37-0, moving them to the tournament, with four league matches remaining.

"We have taken a giant step toward the post season," said head coach Dave Sitton.

After going up 34-7 against San Diego at the half, Arizona's weekend sweep appeared to be in jeopardy after the Torreros started to comeback, but the Wildcats put San Diego away in the last 10 minutes.

"It was really two different games," Sitton said. "We didn't play any where as well in the second half, but did play great in the last 10 minutes."

Of the Wildcat's seven trys on Sunday, junior wing Mike McCartney and senior center Wailele Sallas each scored two. Sitton said he felt the whole team - which doesn't really depend on stars - played well over the weekend.

"Paul Rouff plays on the boil all the time, doing yeoman's work all day," Sitton said. "Mike McCartney, the centers, the halfs, everybody played well pretty much."

The Wildcats started the weekend routing SoCal Conference rugby power San Diego State. Last year the Aztecs would have been conference champions, but the title was stripped from them for using ineligible players.

The shutout against the Aztecs was the Wildcats' first over SDSU since 1987, when Arizona snapped San Diego State's 28 match winning streak.

"To shut out San Diego State, who is always a high powered school, is great," Sitton said.

With just one loss in the conference, Arizona is in control of its own destiny.

"By winning those two games, we are in perfect position," Sitton said. "We don't have to worry about anyone else."

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the team in first place in the SoCal Conference and who beat UA 41-3, has been dropping 50 points on opponents all season, so Sitton does not see the Mustangs losing two matches. Finishing second would earn the Wildcats a berth in the tournament, which is made up of 32 teams and the top two SoCal Conference teams get automatic berths into the Sweet 16.

This week the Wildcats face another San Diego team, UCSD at home, Friday afternoon.