The Cincinnati Wolfhounds are in sole possession of first place in the Midwest-Eastern DI Mens’ Club Conference after defeating the visiting Detroit Tradesmen 41-14 Saturday.

Both teams entered the game at 3-1, as did Buffalo, which took on Columbus and won.

But flush with all sorts of bonus points this season, the Wolfhounds had the inside track on first place, and, paced by wing Ryan Grote’s three tries, handed Detroit a rough defeat.

“We’ve won some games, but this was the first time I felt we put in two good halves of rugby back-to-back,” said Cincinnati Head Coach Nick Lauterbach. “The biggest thing was we kept it up. We always expect a tough game from Detroit, and we were prepared for it.”

The rest of the Cincinnati’s scoring was distributed through in the backs and forwards, and Lauterbach said he is beginning to see a more even-handed attack.

Things look good for Cincinnati going forward. They have three games left in the schedule, and while two are on the road, one is close by.

“Playing on the road is tough for everyone,” said Lauterbach. “If you can win on the road that’s a big plus.”

The ‘Hounds host the Chicago Griffins in a non-league game next week, and then take a short trip to Columbus, before visiting the Tradesmen in a rematch. That Detroit game will be a tough one, but they end the season at home against currently winless Indianapolis.

A 2-1 finish could well be good enough to ensure 1^st place in the Midwest-East.