Week 7 of the WPL season brings more big games, as the playoff race heats up. 

In the West, the Berkeley All Blues look to stay in contention as they host Life West, who dropped their first game of the year last weekend. The Surfers will be keen to get back in the win column after two successive defeats when they welcome winless ORSU to town.

In the East, both games this weekend have huge implications on the standings. The conference-leading Atlanta Harlequins travel north to take on New York, while second place Twin Cities play traveling Beantown. 

Here's the rundown:

Berkeley All Blues vs Life West Gladiatrix

The Gladiatrix outlast the All Blues in the first encounter between the two sides back in Week 3, 36-20 in a back and forth matchup. 

Saturday's meeting is a pivotal one in terms of playoff positioning as we close in on the end of the regular season. The All Blues are in need of a victory after dropping a super close game to Glendale two weeks ago. 

Life West still own the top spot in the standings, despite suffering their first loss of the season a week ago to Glendale. A win will do their confidence some good heading into the final stretch of the campaign. 

This one figures to be close. Berkeley have a wonderful set piece and a suffocating defense, while Life West rely on their uptempo, total-rugby style of play to unlock defenses. The contrasting styles should make for a fun showdown. 

Players to watch

Berkeley can generally count quality performances from hooker Katy Augustyn, flanker Christina Ramos, and center Evan Hoese. One of their other big stars, Bulou Mataitoga, is one to watch this week, as she shifts from her customary role of outside center back to fullback. She has played there for the Eagles, so it won't be an unfamiliar task for her. 

Life West is just about stacked from numbers 1 through 15, with stars like Amy Bonte, Nikki Kenyon, and Sisileti Hingano operating all across the park. This week the player to watch is flanker Bitsy Cairns. The USA Eagle is a menace at the breakdown, and she does well to link up in support offensively. Her battle with Ramos will be a key to the game. 

San Diego Surfers vs ORSU Jesters

The Surfers have experienced a bit of a drop off from their 2018 form, which saw them lift the WPL trophy at season's end. 

2019 has seen San Diego begin 1-3, which has come as a surprise to many. It would be surprising if the Surfers didn't pick up a bonus point win this weekend at home vs the Jesters. They're in need of some momentum down the final stretch, and Saturday's matchup with ORSU should provide them with just that. 

ORSU has been the most disappointing team of 2019. Five games in and they've yet to score more than a single try in a game, and have shipped an average of almost 53 points a game. It would be nice to see them compete for 80 minutes against someone before the season ends, but at this stage it looks unlikely. 

Players to watch

The Surfers have strong talent across the board, with players like halfback Ashlee Byrge, and utility backs Teigan Macdonald and Megan Foster running the show in the backline. However, in the forward pack, the steady hand has been second row/lock Jamie Buescher. She is this week's player to watch. 

For ORSU, flanker Anna Symonds has been a consistent performer all year, but this weekend the player to watch will be center Claire Lundy. She notched an early try in last week's outing vs Berkeley and will be itching to get back on the score sheet again on Saturday. 

New York Rugby Club vs Atlanta Harlequins

The Harlequins have been as good as anyone the last five weeks, as they ride a four-game win streak into this pivotal contest. 

Atlanta has a grasp on first place in the WPL East, but a win by New York throws both teams right back into the mixer with two games remaining. 

The first encounter between both teams was a tough one for New York. They traveled with an under-manned roster and struggled to score points, losing 25-7. 

This time around it's the Quins who make the long trek. It would seem that Atlanta has put to rest their road woes from a year ago. They look for their third straight win away from home on Sunday. 

Players to watch

For New York, this week's player to watch is No. 8 Chloe Jex. She has been a standout ballcarrier for New York this year, and her work from the back of the scrum, offensively and defensively, will be huge for her side. 

For Atlanta, their own No. 8 Cortney Kuehl will be the player to watch. She will match up with Jex, and that battle within the battle will go a long way in determining the outcome of the game. 

Twin Cities Amazons vs Beantown RFC

This game features two teams in the thick of the playoff hunt in the WPL East. Both sides are hungry for a win that could catapult them into a sturdy playoff positition. 

The two teams have been headed in opposite directions. While Twin Cities have really come into a zone offensively, Beantown seem to have forgotten how to score. 

The Amazons lead the WPL East at just under 30 points per game, whereas Beantown has averaged just a tick under 14 a game. 

Twin Cities, playing at home, should be favored. But it's been a topsy turvy WPL season, and an upset is never off the table. 

Players to watch

For the Amazons, winger Danica Mooney-Jones will be one to keep an eye on. She has shown she knows how to score tries, but more important is her work off the kicking tee. A week ago she slotted 8/8 kicks en route to a 21 point performance. 

For Beantown, the player to watch is flyhalf Tatjana Toeldte. She's facing off with USA Eagle Katana Howard, and how she performs will indicate what sort of outing Beantown will have. She is the all important piece to the puzzle, and Beantown will need her to step up.