Rowers continue their winning ways

Teams remain undefeated after two major tests--

VRC Nation

The Rowing Club came out on top in two pivotal battles for first place March 10 as both the 1sts and 2nds squads downed their Bayside counterparts out in White Rock. With the wins, both teams take sole possession of first place in their respective leagues. It was a different story for the thirds, as they fell to Abbotsford in a difficult match out in the Fraser Valley.

1sts

The Rowers’ top side started their tilt with the undefeated Bayside Sharks rather sluggishly in the first half, playing on the back foot for forty minutes. The Rowers allowed a strong, experienced Bayside team to take the game to them and Bayside held a 9-point lead after 40 minutes.

Undaunted, the Mighty-Firsts increased their pace in the second half by starting strong and building on that momentum. The team supported each other well at the breakdowns and in open field play. Their tough, unrelenting energy put the squad in a position to win and, with only seconds left, Matty James slotted a penalty goal to give the Rowers a 37-35 victory. James scored 17 points in the contest. Duncan James, Karl Mudzamba and Gareth Brown also played strong games.

The firsts are now alone in top spot with 24 points, while Bayside (securing two bonus points in the loss) fall to second place with 22 points. The rematch, slated for March 24 at the Oval, looks like it could be one of the best matches of the year.

2nds

The Super-Twos also hold down first place in their division after beating another previously undefeated Bayside squad 22-5.

The 2nds started their match strong by playing hard defense and rucking well. The Rowers also kept their turnover count to a minimum. This frustrated the hosts early on, allowing the 2nds to settle into a comfortable rhythm.

Standout flanker Maverick Seed played exceptionally well, especially in lineout play where his squad was near perfect on both sides of the ball. The Rowers were near perfect on defense too, as Bayside were only able to score one try.

With the win, the Super-Twos remain undefeated and are alone in first place with 20 points while Bayside fall to second place with 15 points. The rematch is also March 24 at Brockton.

3rds

It was a different story for the Thirsty-Thirds March 10 as they fell to Abbotsford 29-5. In a game that can only be described as “short,” the Rowers played fairly well for having fewer players on the pitch than Abby.

Attilio Mastrota

After starting the game with 14 men, the squad only allowed one try early in the game and even managed to claw back some points when Attilio Mastrota scored his first every rugby try. (Yes, he shot the boot after at the Abby clubhouse.) At the end of the first half, Abbotsford led two tries to one.

As the second half started, the Thirsty-Thirds lost another man and competed rather well with 13 players. The squad then fell to 12 men for about 10 minutes when Jamie Overgaard went off for orbital repair work halfway through the second frame.

As the game wore on, it was apparent the Rowers weren’t going to claw back any more points and the game ended after Abbotsford ran in two more tries.

Travis Sheppard

Travis Sheppard and Justin Glen both had strong games and made some outstanding tackles.

All three squads face Richmond March 17 at King George Park.

--with files from Braden Maccke.