The Rowers Third Division turned in a convincing 24-11 win this past Saturday against the Capilanos at Klahanie. Short numbers all week, and without the benefit of having drilled together, the Thirds leaned on experience. They ran the ball in space and remained physically dominant in tackles and at the breakdown. Centre back Evan Hughes had a great game, featuring a few good long runs and two tries. Hughes’ speed and a talent for tackling make him the type of standout that the Thirds risk losing to a higher division. Brian Andrerson’s Rowers resurgence continued as he scored a try off of a between-the-legs feed from Godfather Steve MacGillivary. Anderson was also carded (yellow) for a high tackle, which put him an injury short of the “Patty O’Gorman Hattrick”.
Brian Anderson - File Photo
MacGillivary Executes a more conventional pass File Photo
Fullback John O’Brian, who suffered a bad concussion the last time he played at Klahanie, played with great class, hitting 2 of 4 conversions. Eighth man Will Andreucetti scored a beautiful try picking from the base after a hard charge by 2nd Row Brett Illing, who had a characteristically strong, physical game. The try capped a drive that went the length of the pitch, and began with a quick jackal by an opportunistic Brian Andrews while the Rowers were backed up against their own goal line.
The Rowers Firsts (Library Square Division) lost a very physical game to the Caps by a score of 29-20, but it wasn’t for a lack of effort. The Rowers showed tremendous defense against a physical and hard running Caps team, and declined to sink to retribution in a decidedly dirty game. Outside center Adrian Meiring filled the score sheet for a second straight week, tallying a try on a beautiful give and go with inside centre Luke Baker, two conversions and two penalty kicks. Baker had several punishing tackles that may have been audible from the top of Grouse Mountain. Club newcomer, flyhalf Rory McClennan, set up the third try with a lightning quick pass to the blind side from the base of the ruck. Young Brendan Balon, playing his first game at fullback, took the pass at pace and continued on through to the end-goal. Captain Brendan Fagan praised his squad after the game for showing emotional and physical toughness on the road against a team that out-weighed them considerably. This Firsts team is showing a lot of talent and a lot of guts. The Ruck Muck predicts that the success will come as experience playing together stitches them tighter as a unit.
The Rowers Premier Team (Mainland Cup Division) lost yet another heartbreaker to a very physical and talented Capilanos Team by a score of 32-30 in the last minute. Irish hooker Jason Carton scored 2 great tries in an excellent effort and spearheaded a technically proficient scrum that performed very well against a Caps pack that had a distinct weight advantage. Caleb Hansen scored a try off the wing from a beautiful inside feed by fullback Ben Harris. Centre Brian Durham played a phenomenal game, converting all three tries, adding three successful penalties for good measure and having what would have been a sure try off of turnover ball called back for being offsides, which he clearly was not.
Coach Jeremy Sabell will be expecting the Prems to be more physical and defend better than they have been this coming Saturday at home against the Maralomas. Despite losing key individuals to injury, this squad is playing good rugby and has been a solid contender in every game they’ve played so far.
All three teams are at home at Brockton against the Maralomas this coming Saturday. Come on out and show your support!
The Rowing Club “Super 2s” first division side gutted out a
well-earned 21-15 win Saturday against UBC behind a standout performance by
center back Adriaan Meiring and a solid effort from all players and
substitutes. Meiring scored the first 3 of the Rowers’ 21 points on the day,
converting an offside penalty from just inside the 22 around the 23’ mark.
Adriaan Meiring missed 1 of his conversions on Saturday.
File Photo
UBC pressed shortly afterwards, but hard defense turned the
ball over and gave the Rowers a chance to kick it clear. Mounting a strong
attack shortly afterwards, Meiring took advantage of a penalty about 15 meters
out, carrying a quick tap across the line to score in the corner and make it
8-0. A well-drilled UBC team was able to put one in at the 29’ mark, finding
rhythm in a quick attack slowed down by a wet pitch. They slotted the
conversion to make it 8-7. Relentless, the Rowers forwards were able to turn it
over cleanly in a ruck and get the ball back to Meiring (again), who crossed
the line in the corner, but put it down under the posts to make the kick a
gimmie and the score 15-7.
The huddle at the half featured Captain Brendan Fagan and
coaches Mergui and Crowe reminding the squad of the previous week’s game
against the Ravens, and the early lead squandered to penalties and lapsed
defense.
The young UBC side brought on fresh substitutes, including
several summertime rugby league standouts, and were able to renew their high
paced attack to put in another try and make it 15-12. Undaunted, the Rowers
were able to defend well and tackle hard. The red and white turned a loose ball
over cleanly around midfield at the 30, frustrating UBC into coming into the
ensuing breakdown from the side and earning Meiring yet another shot at a
penalty, which he converted. 18-12. UBC answered with a penalty of their own,
making it 18-15, before Meiring slotted his final contribution on the day,
making it 21-15.
The well-conditioned Thunderbirds put on a strong attack with ball in hand and
no time on the clock, but strong defense including several punishing tackles by
8th man Alex Nichols kept them out of the end-goal until they
eventually knocked it on to end the game.
Having scored three penalties, two tries and one conversion
for all of the Rowers’ 21 points, Adriaan Meiring is no doubt wondering how he
managed to miss that one conversion.
Prems
The Rowers Premier side fared poorly against UBC, scoring
only 2 penalty kicks to put up against a 34 point performance by the hosts.
This one was all UBC, with the Birds scoring from phase
play, then from a maul, then by taking advantage of an overlap on the wing, and
finally from an 8th man pick off of a scrum.
The Prems were still trying to shake off a last minute loss to the Ravens the
previous week, coming as the Ravens ran in a try in a half that ran
conspicuously long, on a try scored by a player that the entire sideline saw go
in to touch, with the exception of the touch judge. The Ravens game represented
a disappointing end to a well-fought and entertaining performance that featured
a 70 yard try from an interception by scrum half Duncan James, and a strategic
kick into touch by notable back row forward Michael Jordan, who looked
surprisingly comfortable booting it a good distance to the near sideline and
chasing his teammates into onside positions as it bounced out in good field
position.
Returning fullback Caleb Hansen kept the Ravens off the
board with a fantastic cover tackle in what linear chronological time showed
was the final minute, only to have the Ravens eventually punch through, miss
the conversion to keep it 15-14 VRC, and lose 19-15 on the aforementioned
tightrope job as the timekeeper’s watch expired.
Overall, despite two disappointing results, morale remains
strong. The feeling in the clubhouse is that this Rowers club has what it takes
to contend in the CDI Premiership. All three divisions will be away at Klahanie
against arch rival Capilanos next week.
Once upon a time God made a rugby pitch. He put it in a lush
green valley among rolling hills and quaint stone houses along a winding road.
There were green trees on each sideline and the practice pitch was made of the
same soft ground and green grass as the playing pitch. The sheds were big
enough for both teams, and there was a set of monkey bars for the kids. The
posts and the lines were straight. He called it “Bedlinog” and he put it in
Wales.
The on-field part of the Tour to Remember wrapped up against
the Bedlinog Foxes. The Rowers kicked off in the first half, running downhill
on a sloped pitch. The Welsh team was well organized, preferring to work up the
middle and make use of a strong pack. They picked from the base and controlled
the game well, communicating in a unique and unintelligible chatter that I was
later told was in-fact English. The Foxes got on the board first, scoring a
well-earned try and slotting the conversion. Germany-based Rowing Club tour
fixture Mark Lovell was then able to put one in for the Rowing club, the
conversion chance went begging, leaving the score at 7-5 Bedlinog.
The hosts answered quickly, playing a level of rugby yet
unseen on the VRC tour. Bedlinog kicked for position, won lineouts and
generally took the approach that one would expect out of craftsmen who took
their trade seriously. The home crowd cheered as the conversion capping another
forward try split the sticks, making it 14-5 Bedlinog.
The Rowers responded after a few inside phases by getting
the ball wide to a seemingly unstoppable Maverick Seed streaking along the wing
to create a 2 on 1 with Nik Samija. Maverick, having his third stormer of a
game, worked a textbook give and go with Samija, committing the defender and
making a feed into space for Nik to finish all alone.
Touring rugby sides don’t do much kicking. The Rowers Euro
side did not carry anyone professing to be a kicker, and I’ll spare those who
filled in when necessary the embarrassment of naming them. The Rowers didn’t
kick for position, the Rowers didn’t kick for points and when it came time to kick conversions, we were nearly hopeless. However, on this lone occasion, Nik
having put it in directly under the posts, somebody split the sticks. 14-12
for Bedlinog at half time.
Disco Stu Doesn't Advertise
In the halftime huddle, coach Mergui pointed out that the
only thing working was getting it outside, and that we ought to do more of
that. So we did. The Rowers received the 2nd half kick and
immediately played it out to our talented backs, who made good yards. “Disco” Stu
Holland carried an excellent first half into a dazzling second half, as he
worked his trademark dance move / show and go successfully to create chances
and breaks for the visitors. Playing with a nasty goose egg under his right eye
left over from the Ironsides game, Stu put together a memorable run up the
middle through space that must have left three or four defenders reaching at
nothing or nursing broken ankles.
The customary pregame talk with the referee had been the
standard discussion, delivered by a kindly old Welsh man who had volunteered to
help out for this friendly. The captains had implored us to take it easy on this
nice man and limit the backchat. The grumbling was kept to a minimum as
Bedlinog’s slowing of production went un penalized. But when South African
standout winger Dave Andersen burned two men on sheer speed, then fought through
a tackle and put the ball down in the corner only to have it called a knock-on,
all pretense of civility left the Rowers’ sideline in an eruption. Samija couldn’t
speak clearly for the rest of the tour after that.
Andersen fights off a tackle
An off center penalty to Bedlinog in the visiting 22 gave
them a chance to showcase their flawless kicking game, slotting a beauty that
was solidly booed from the Rowers sidelines, making it 17-14 for the hosts. Undaunted,
the Rowers battled for a good 15 minutes, holding on to the ball and building
simple phases until a marauding Brett Illing picked and went from the base to
punch one in and give the Rowers a 19-17 lead.
But on that night in the Welsh valleys, under stadium
lighting and in front of the dogs and children of a town of 2,000 who care
about rugby in the same way as the Rowing Club faithful who gather at Brockton
in February downpours do, fortune was not on the Rowers side. Bedlinog put in a
final try to go up 24-19 after kicking a flawless conversion.
A Dapper Markus SK Observes With the Rowers Bench
Up the hill at the clubhouse, we watched the Fiji-England
world cup game together and ate sausages with chips and gravy. After losing the
standard man-of-the-match boat race by only a few ounces, we were given another
chance with our choice of contenders and still lost. We learned new drinking
games and spotted a shirt on the wall from a BC club who had visited long ago.
We lingered as long as we could, and traded shirts and stories. The clubhouse
party was still hopping when we left.
As we ate our sausages, I eavesdropped on Rowers scrumhalf
Gerard Lynch discussing on field strategy with a teammate who had come along as
a supporter. Asked why, when given a penalty inside the 22 with a three point
deficit, he elected to go with a crash ball to the pack instead of kicking for
points that would have tied it up. “Honestly," Lynch answered, "it never even
occurred to me.”
Rain fell over London in a steady, cold, grey downpour as
the Rowing Club Euro Touring Side bussed to the borough of Battersea to take on
the Ironsides in the second match of the great 2015 Tour to Remember. I had
hoped as we rode there that the rain would let up a bit before kickoff, but it
just got harder in rolling waves during the warmup, dialing back every now and
then to a steady downpour.
The Ironsides playing pitch is about a kilometer from their
clubhouse and warm-up pitch, so we walked there along cobbled English streets
in full kit and boots, already soaked to the bone. The lines on the pitch had
long been washed away by rain, and puddles had gathered atop several mud pits
of unknown depths.
Not a lot of traction in this scrum
The Rowers came out strong, recovering a greasy loose ball
and working through phases after receiving the opening kick. The Ironsides played
hard defense, especially near their own goal line. They were able to absorb a
few phases before Dave Hall fought off a two man tackle to open the scoring.
The conversion missed and it was five to nil for the Rowing Club.
A few more wet phases after the re-start, winger Nik Samija
got the ball in space for a long run up the outside. Tour Captain and noted
minute hog Jamie Overgaard then carried it on a pick, drew the defender and set
up veteran VRC front row forward Mark Smith for a try from about 5 yards out, running
through defenders on the way. Ten to nil Rowing Club.
Parlato chats with the locals
The Ironsides turned it over again inside their own 22, and
the VRC was able to get it to a hard charging Luc Gourdine, who proceeded to
score the full-dive splashdown try of everyone’s dreams directly under the
sticks. Godfather Stevie MacGillivray put the conversion in to make it
seventeen to nil VRC.
Gourdine would later be sent off on a yellow in the 2nd
half for attempting to tackle a Battersea player on his way from the end goal
to the 22m to kick a drop out. He presumably felt shame.
The Ironsides knocked on the VRC door with multiple goal
line phases at the end of the half, but were unable to put one in before the
end of the first 30 min half, and had to go into the half with nothing.
The Rowers kept up their excellent defense initially,
defending hard inside their own 22, but were unable to capitalize on chances,
including an impressive 40 yard gallop by Samija. Perhaps suddenly realizing
that they were in danger of getting shut out on their home pitch by a Canadian
touring side that has been drunk for a week the Ironsides turned it on, scoring
a converted try to make it 17-7, following that up with an unconverted try to
make it 17-12 and leave the
Rowers sideline wondering what the hell happened.
Curry time!
The Rowers re-grouped and pounded hard picks from the base
of the ruck right up to a goal line that had been thoroughly washed away (and
that I swear I was over with the ball
to the ground, but whatever), before turning it over and allowing the hosts to
move the ball the length of the field to tie the game with another try.
Watching a 17 point lead evaporate in the final 15 minutes
of a game took a bit of the air out of a previously pumped VRC team, but it all
came back as the Ironsides conversion attempt clanged off the spot where the
cross bar met the uprights, and the final whistle went, sealing a 17-17 draw.
Brass pump taps and their operator
Battersea are excellent hosts. They fed us curry and rice
with pints of bitters pumped out of old brass taps by a man that looked as
though he had been doing it since the Heath administration. A member told me that the club was founded by
a tank commander after the second world war, to keep Battersea youth from
getting into mischief with nothing else to do. The club are very proud to have the
largest youth program in Britain. An autographed England National shirt
hangs on the wall from Kyle Sinckler, who credits his success to the early
stewardship of the Ironsides youth program.
Once the kit dries out, we’ll put it all on again for
another game in Wales ahead of a Canada - Ireland clash at the World Cup. Stay
tuned as the Rowers Euro Tour rolls on, undefeated.
The Great War, at least the physical part of it, was
brutally simple. “Rolling Barrage” is an elegant way of saying “They blew
everything up, sent men in to carve up anyone left over with bayonets, then set
up and did it again. Do it right, and do it enough, and you’ve gained a square
of bombed-out mud covered in bodies of people who, until recently, worked at jobs
and wrote letters home and played rugby.
Restored Trenches at Vimy Ridge
Behind all of that messy simplicity, ran a complicated
machine that managed the logistics. It leveraged enormous amounts of toil from
the people back home to keep their recently departed and newly endangered men
fed, clothed, and medicated to the point they stayed alive long enough to die
usefully. The management layer, in turn, responded to a larger and more
complicated political and financial machine that knew something about the why
of it all. Reasons were probably abstract concepts to people who’s feet were
rotting off. They were past the “why’s” at that point.
So the Rowers went to Vimy Ridge to learn about it. We saw
underground tunnels where thousands of Canadian kids gathered in silence for 36
hours before being sent in across a smoking mud patch to be used as human
weapons. We saw where messengers got thin sleep between high-speed trips back and
forth from the front – white armbands keeping them from being shot as defectors
as they ran back. The tour guide said a messenger’s average life span was five
days.
Military Cemetery in France
The monument on the ridge is beautiful and very large. It
has to be to fit all of those names. The team laid a wreath for Russell Kerfoot
Johnston, a VRC member, and Cam Tompkins read the first of many biographies by
grave sites. Johnston was a stockbroker who lived on Harwood Street in the West
End. The 33-year-old came from Manitoba and worked in an office and played
rugby.
The military cemeteries of Northern France and Belgium are
neatly maintained. They dot the countryside among farms and very old brick
buildings. White headstones of soldiers are marked: name, rank, crest of country,
year born, year buried. Sometimes there’s an inscription. Sometimes there is no
name or year of birth. The inscription on those ones read, “Known unto God.”
Steve Somers lays a poppy
In Ypres, the war memorial monument is at the town’s gateway,
a grand archway over the main road. Like Vimy, it has to be big. We found the
names of the guys who played for the club. They probably chased geese off
Brockton and hated conditioning drills but went hard at them anyway. They
probably looked forward to jars at the club on Thursday nights. They definitely
left it all out there on Saturdays, because that’s the way it’s done, like they
left it all out there in Ypres, too.
We laid the Ypres wreath at the war memorial as part of the
nightly last post ceremony. Rowing Club players read the simple bios of players
who didn’t get to come back, and didn’t get to be veterans, and didn’t get to
be alumni. I took pencil rubbings of their names from the monument wall and
went out to enjoy Ypres with my friends.
The bus to the game was noisy or, at least, everything felt
amplified. There were bleary eyes and sunglasses and abuse of exit valves.
Ovale du Gy is at the end of a cobbled road out in the
French Countryside, among stone buildings and working farms. It’s the sort of
thing they put on postcards and the outside of wine boxes. They welcomed us off
the bus with handshakes and warm smiles. The pitch looked frozen in time – a
white fence on the far side separating it from a hay field. A thin mud stirred
up from the morning rain sat atop a hard earth under green grass. The warmups
felt like starting an old car that had been parked in a barn somewhere. Once it
all got moving, everything still worked and it was ready for a few good miles.
Their coaches harp about the same things as the VRC coaches, just in French
The Silver Bisons are the over 40s division of the Ovale du
Gy club. Their games are played on Sundays, so they’re able to borrow younger
players from the main club to fill out the roster.
Captain Overgaard addressed my prior concern that our new
vintage VRC long sleeve red and white hoops were too nice to be dragged through
a muddy rugby game in the pre-kickoff huddle: “There are guys who came over
here and fought a war with these jumpers in their bags. They’re not for keeping
clean. Now let’s go get them muddied and bloodied.”
Old Boys Format in France calls for three 20 minute
periods.The Rowers received and came
out strong right away. It played like an over 40s game. No kicking from outside
the 22, no touchies, and a home-side referee who only used the whistle when it
was absolutely necessary. Our quintet of VRC props offered no comment on the
uncontested scrums. The Bisons made good use of the rolling maul
1910 VRC Replica Tour Shirt With French Mud
to make yards
but were otherwise offensively frustrated in the first third. They rucked
fearlessly, and treated the ball with a sense of ownership, but were unable to
find paydirt. The Rowers established a rhythm quickly. They made good use of
available space, finding winger Nik Samija on the outside to open up the
scoring with a forty yard run. Luc Gourdine then made the most of a distinctly
unfair age advantage, scoring his first of two tries on the day. Dave Hall, on
loan to the Rowing club from his home in Spain, also scored one of his
characteristic breakaway tries. I can’t remember if counterpart winger Dave
Anderson scored one or not, but if not he probably set a few up. There are no
conversions in old boys rugby, so the Rowers finished the first third up three
tries to none.
The Bisons showed the visitors that they could run with them
in the 2nd third, putting in 2 tries of their own, one courtesy of
George Richmond who turned it over near his own goal line, and one off a
rolling maul. The Rowers scored two of their own in a period where they had the
most ball. Highlights included a Justin Parlato try, Steve McGilvery pulling a
crowd-pleasing Harlem Globetrotters impression, Mikey Santoro carving up a
defense with a few stutter steps into space, and Jamie Overgard winning a foot
race over 50 yards with a smile on his face to put one in.
The third stanza saw the Rowers scoring four tries to the
hosts one, for a final score of nine tries to three. By then the red and white
were playing with unstoppable grins. To a man, this was the most fun we’d had
in a long time. The Bisons weren’t afraid of contact and liked to mix it up at
the bottom of the rucks. The pain cut through a lingering numbness from the
night before and made us remember where we were and what we were doing. Contact
turns a surreal float through a rugby game in the French countryside into a
clear and present situation. You can really taste the mud with someone lying on
the back of your head, and it makes a guy feel alive.
The Ovale Du Gy Clubhouse
Ovale du Gy are top hosts. Their quaint clubhouse is
decorated with the plaques, banners and trophies that line the walls of similar
clubhouses everywhere. It takes a lot of baguettes, sausages and pates to feed
2 rugby teams, but there was plenty to go around. Beer was at the clubhouse bar
for cheap, and wine on the table next to the baguettes - on the house. I got
the feeling that serving the bread and cheese and pate without wine would have
been considered rude. We were invited to a curious ‘cheese eating boat race’
featuring some cheese that with an odor that can’t be done justice in print.
Maverick Seed, fresh off of an impressive try saving cover tackle, was unable
to keep his hastily eaten fromage down. I’m not sure whether that means he won
or lost.
We sang songs and visited with Coach Matty Jones’ parents
who came in from England to support us, and talked with people who live lives
just like ours, but live them in French. I’m not sure rugby as ever been quite
that much fun.
Stay tuned for more tour coverage, including pictures.
As 42 Rowers pack their bags for a 10 day tour of France, Belgium, England and Wales, The Vancouver Province's Susan Lazaruk sat down with Cam Tompkins to talk about the Tour To Remember and what it means to him, and to the club.
The long list of names on a plaque on the wall at the club of his new rugby club immediately caught the eye of Cameron Tompkins.
The plaque listed rugby players from the Vancouver Rowing Club in Stanley Park who had turned soldiers to fight in the First World War a century ago, a quarter of whom never returned home.
“I was surprised at how big the honour roll was,” said Tompkins, 34. “You don’t usually see that many names from one place.”
It piqued his curiosity particularly because he’d spent a year as a tour guide in the historic battlefields in France near the Battle of Vimy Ridge, during which 3,598 Canadian troops were killed and 7,004 were wounded.
When Tompkins read the names of the players among those dead and wounded in the Great War — of the 164 who signed up to fight, 42 were killed in battle and 36 were wounded — he knew he would like to honour them somehow.
“They all volunteered to fight,” said Tompkins, a New Zealander who moved to Canada in 2005, married a Canadian and lives in Vancouver.
The Print edition has this great picture of the 1910 Rowing Club squad.
No word yet on whether or not Jeremy & Jon Mergui are going to adopt the 3 piece suit look.
The touring side has 3 games planned, in Paris, London and Wales, plus a trip to see Team Canada play against Ireland at the World Cup in Cardiff. Canada is a 37.5 point underdog at press time.
The Club will be visiting the graves of the Rowers from the 1910 team who didn't make it back for a wreath laying ceremony. Stay tuned to the Rowers Ruck Muck for in-tour updates and photos!
Thursday, July 02, 2015
Buckle Up: Williams Lake 2015
The "Romas"
For the fourth year running, the Rowing Club and Meralomas
entered a joint squad in the annual Williams Lake Rustlers Stampede summer tournament.
The Rowers Ruck Muck was on hand to cover all the action as the “Romas” laid
down an exciting performance, winning all 4 of their 40 minute games and coming
home with the coveted Williams Lake Rodeo Buckle.
L-R "Greyhound" Brett Lucas, DJ the Killer Kiwi, & Cool Hand Luke Baker. Not pictured: the rest of the cow.
Editor's Note: Game sheets were unavailable and our reporter’s notes aren’t good, so readers will have to do without scoring details.
The Friday evening arrival hours set fun expectations. Carloads of talented
players rolled in as the sun set over a pitch full of vacationing rugby players
visiting and drinking. Between the anticipation and the hard ground, there
wasn’t much sleep. Last minute roster addition Brett “Greyhound” Lucas was
fetched at the bus station at 5:30 am to fill out the roster. Purportedly, he
slept on the bus.
Environment Canada lists the temperature at kickoff in
Williams Lake for the Romas first game against Abbotsford at 25.3°C, with 29%
humidity, but it felt like at least 40°C. Electing to forego a warm up to save
energy, the Romas kept even early against a physical Abbotsford side (dubbed
the “S.H.I.T.S” and sporting a decidedly vulgar game kit), before using speed
and talent to pull ahead in the second half. Young Aussie centre Luke Baker
found holes in the defense and seemingly broke for long runs and tries at will.
Super-sub back row Brendan Fagan put in hard minutes in a sweltering 2nd
half, only to collapse from heat exhaustion and have to be attended to by
medics at the final whistle. He would recover and go on to stand out again on
Sunday. The Romas won their opener convincingly, and tried to cool down to get
ready for their next pool game.
Kickoff temperature for the 2nd game against the
host Williams Lake Rustlers was 27.4°C, and it felt like a bushfire. Halfbacks
Chris Nolan and Duncan James distributed well to the talent around them,
setting up exciting tries for “Greyhound” Brett, Nick Samija and several
standout Lomas regulars. Tight head prop Chris Seyler (who would end up playing
every minute of every game) ran a commanding crash ball that gave the Romas
back line more space than they needed. After finally getting some ball in the 2nd
half, the Rustlers tried to use their size, picking from the base for multiple
carries, making very few yards against a Romas defense content to hold on for
the win and get back into the shade.
Recollections of Saturday night are few, but the Ruck Muck
has received a thank you card from the United womens’ side addressed to a
certain tattooed centre who apparently conducted strong diplomatic relations.
Noted social butterfly and hard charging prop Jason Carton was puzzled by
repeated rejection. Maybe next year, J.
Having won their pool, the Romas had a bye in the morning game slot on Sunday, and faced the arch rival Capilanos to earn a spot in the
finals; kickoff temperature 29.2°C. It felt like a supernova. The Romas looked
shakey, going down by 3 tries early. Strong defending by 2nd row
Justin Parlato and hooker Scott McGinley– who jackled exceptionally well – kept
the Romas in it. Several fierce restart contentions by BYU 7s Standout Ben Keith kept the Caps from going even further ahead, but they enjoyed a commanding 3 try lead at the half.
Out half Duncan James impressed upon an under performing team
that this was a winnable game. Substitute centre Nick Samija came on with fresh
legs to make good yards and retain the ball well, and left a layer of skin the
size of a dinner plate on the dried out pitch in the process. As the Romas put 2
tries in behind excellent attacking into space and pure speed, a big, tired
Capilanos team must have felt it slipping away. The final try equalized it and
an expert conversion put the Romas ahead by 2 with no time left. Nick Coles
received the restart, kicked the ball into touch to end the game, and put the
Romas in the final against Burnaby after a dramatic second half comeback.
Back Row Brendan Fagan, fresh off a nap
The Romas annihilated Burnaby in the final. Temperature at
kickoff was 31.4°C and it felt like buckle weather. With one thing on their
mind, the Romas back line flat out dominated as Cam [Last name unknown] got
into repeated footraces that all ended in the Burnaby end goal. The Romas tries started to look like replays. Dan “Dee Smitty”
Smith, his playing days now behind him, played a crucial role in keeping the
side well hydrated running what may have been the best sideline shade-and-water
operation in history, despite little to no help and punishing conditions.
The Coveted 2015 Stampede Buckle
Romas Captains Accept The Trophy
Background:Rugby Slip n Slide Foreground: Your Reporter, Obscured by Heat
Your 2015 Stampede Champs
Soundtrack for the final paragraph.
At the final whistle, on the way back from a victory in the
finals, we hit the slip and slide in the high heat, took a photo under
the sticks and came on up to the house to get strapped up as the 2015 Williams
Lake Stampede Tournament Champs. The 2015 Romas was a patchwork quilt that
somehow went well together and refused to quit while facing a score deficit and
intense heat. We took pictures with the cow-scull trophy and enjoyed a welcome
sunset and wore grins that still haven’t faded. Next year, the tournament will
be different and the team will be different and this year will live on as a
legend to be lived up to. But last Sunday night, on a pitch that had been
cooked dry by punishing heat, an uncontrollable Frankenstein of a rugby team, destined
to exist for only three summer days and nights, went out on top.
The Rowers 3rd division lost an away game to the Kats 22-15. The thirds played hard in the first half, defending well and leading by 3 at the intermission. The defense couldn't hold, so they were sent into the bye week with another loss. The Thirds have a bye next week while the Prems and First division take on UVic at home. The thirds play next March 21st away at Kamloops.
In better VRC news the annual captains' dinner was a terrific success. This reporter has scant recollections of the event, but this video was recovered.
Wild times!
Fortunately for Ruck Muck readers, the Captains' dinner was live-tweeted by the Rowers own @NotJeremySabell, so I'll use that to piece it together.
A pleasure to be at the @VRCRugby Captain's dinner with players who were players when players were PLAYERS.
— sabellfish (@NotJeremySabell) March 8, 2015
First, a polite request for civility.
Would the Chatty Cathys at the back kindly SHUT THEIR YAMMERING GOBS!? thanks.
— sabellfish (@NotJeremySabell) March 8, 2015
Followed by a bit of a history lesson (no substitute for experience).
2 of 7 @VRCRugby alumni stories involve people jumping off the mast tower. FACT.
— sabellfish (@NotJeremySabell) March 8, 2015
A bit of legal advice. This had to do with a Tom Braidwood story, IIRC.
No no no. You can't be an accessory after the fact if the guy telling the story is an attorney. FACT.
— sabellfish (@NotJeremySabell) March 8, 2015
Some practical encouragement...
Anyone trying to backchat O'Gorman is going to have to speak LOUDLY.
— sabellfish (@NotJeremySabell) March 8, 2015
O'Gorman now pattering on about loyalty, trying to start the most boring cult EVER.
— sabellfish (@NotJeremySabell) March 8, 2015
Philosophy...
Some are inclined to ask WHY we have a rookie gravy chug. Those people are FOOLS with NO imagination.
— sabellfish (@NotJeremySabell) March 8, 2015
And it all started falling apart.
This room is getting harder to shush.
— sabellfish (@NotJeremySabell) March 8, 2015
Textbook yard execution by Trevor Cheon. TEXTBOOK. Good luck at @sunnybankrugby.
— sabellfish (@NotJeremySabell) March 8, 2015
In any case, make sure not to miss next year's event. While the specifics are fuzzy, VRC captains from as far back as the 1950s gave talks that showed how the club has grown and how proud all of its members are to be a part of it. Big thanks to Timmy Shaddick for putting it all together so well. We'll see you all next year!
The Rowers lost all three matches away at the Caps this past weekend. Despite disappointing results, turnout remains strong and all sides are playing high-effort rugby. All 3 teams will be at home March 14th, and the Thirds play next weekend at Balaclava park against the Kats.
Prems
VRC’s top side lost a close, well contested match to the Capilanos on the road, as they fell to their arch rivals 15-10. The Rowers continued to play strong and tireless rugby, exhibiting tremendous conditioning and toughness, but failed to put enough points up for the victory.
The game was an entertaining one with numerous breaks in both directions and fierce defense. The Rowers fell behind 12-0 early on, but did not give up. They ran hard attack lines and persisted with a sustained assault before substitute 8th man Michael Jordan put in a try, and Romain Palantey slotted the conversion. It looked as though the Caps were prepared to put it away, as they ran multiple hard charging attacks at the Rowers’ endgoal in the second half, but the defense held and the Rowers were able to survive to mount an attack of their own. The Capilanos’ defense was also tough, denying the Rowing club a run at pay dirt before taking a penalty about 10 yards out. Down 12-7, The Rowers elected to take the points and Plantey (fresh off a short rest from a yellow card) slotted the penalty kick. The Caps were able to answer with a penalty kick of their own to make it 15-10 and, despite a valiant late effort and a few strong attacks by winger Nick Samija, the Prems were unable find the equalizer.
Coach Sabell, while no doubt disappointed with the result, appeared proud of the effort from his top side. The Prems will be in action next on the 14th of March at Brockton against the U-Vick Norsemen.
1sts
The Rowers CDI First Division side lost to their Capilano counterparts by a score of 37-15. The Rowers got off to a slow start, allowing the Caps to put 17 points up before answering with a try by the hooker, Jason Carton. The Rowers lost their tight head prop, Keegan Watcham-Roy, on a straight red card in the 25th minute for what the referee judged to be an intentional dump-tackle. The Capilanos defended well and put up a tireless attack to earn the victory. Liam Carter was able to kick a penalty, and convert a late try by Charlie Waddell, but it wasn’t enough. The Firsts will be working on defense and ball retention at training in the bye week. Their next match will be March 14th against UVic at home.
Thirds
Sparse attendance at practice this past week was made up for
on gameday as the Third Division turned up in numbers on Saturday for the first
game of the day away at the Capilanos. Despite a strong turn out by eager veterans
and maximum effort by the Thirds’ core of tireless rookies, the Rowers 3rds
fell to their rivals by a lopsided 35-5. Plagued by a lack of fluidity (and a
lack of a place kicker), the Thirds weren’t able to put themselves in a
position to win. The Capilanos played strong rugby in a victory that wasn’t as
lopsided as the score line indicates. A combination of bad luck and poor
execution is to blame for a strong VRC effort resulting in only one try on the
day. Young lock Keegan Carter drove in for the lone score on a hard and
spirited sprint from 8 yards out.
Running the ball in simple phases worked effectively for the
Thirds, but they weren’t able to do it consistently enough for points. They’ll
no doubt try to build on their strengths next week against the Kats at
Balaclava.
