Taking a break from SoCal Rugby Conference play, the men's rugby team will host rugby power New Mexico this Saturday at home.

Even though the Lobos (10-2) beat the Wildcats (4-3, 1-1) last year, it is not really a case where Arizona is looking for revenge, head coach Dave Sitton said.

"We don't have a nasty rivalry with New Mexico, we don't play for anything other than getting our teams ready," Sitton said. "We just like to have good games and they're hard games. We want to win at all times."

Last year the Lobos topped Arizona 28-17, though the Wildcats lead the all-time series 6-2. The teams meet up again this Saturday at Estevan Park at North Main Street and East Speedway Boulevard.

Sitton is friends with New Mexico coach Shannon Robinson, a New Mexico state senator. The Lobos are coming to help the Wildcats prepare for the rest of the conference season. Conference play continues for Arizona next week against San Diego State and San Diego.

"Generally speaking, we go over them in the fall, because they're in the Mountain Conference. Their schedule is slightly different. We try to play each other to help each other out," Sitton said.

Arizona was supposed to play California, but they had to make up a game with the University of British Columbia and didn't want to take two weeks off, Sitton said.

"We have the Lobos, it'd be a good test for us coming off two conference games and a week off," Sitton said.

Arizona is currently ranked second in the SoCal Conference, behind Cal Poly, by Rugby Magazine. The Lobos are ranked second in the west.

"We need to have good ground ball retention and make sure we get out wide," said senior center Joe Schmitt

New Mexico lost to Utah, which beat UA a few weeks ago 36-22, and to Cal, which was in the Final Four last year. UNM is also one of the few schools to offer rugby scholarships.

"They're a well-financed team," Sitton said. "They bring in players from overseas. Uruguay and Paraguay come to mind the most, where the sport is readily available to young athletes."

Sitton said the Lobos play an aggressive running style and are going to run the ball right at the Wildcats.

"They don't finesse you at all," Sitton said.

Last week's bye was welcomed, since the team needed the rest, Sitton said. He added that Arizona and ASU are the only teams that consistently play two rugby games per weekend, which is the equivalent of back-to-back football games.

"We plan our program around playing two games, but it is very, very hard when you're a student athlete to play Friday and then come back Sunday," Sitton said. "In that regard it is very similar to if Lute Olson had to plan for two football games a week as opposed to just two basketball games."

Schmitt's mom, dad, girlfriend and sister, "among others" are coming for the weekend's festivities.

Not just the varsity team will be in action, as the Wildcats will have four teams playing on Saturday and one on Sunday to celebrate parents' day.

First, at 10:30 a.m., Arizona's freshmen team will face off against the Tucson under-21 team, followed by their JV team playing Arizona union rival Old Pueblo. The two teams' B squads play at 1:30 p.m. while the varsity team takes on New Mexico at 3 p.m. On Sunday the JV team takes on the Los Angeles Cougars, an All-Star under-19 team, at 11:30 a.m.