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| ServiceMaster Clean Weekend Predictions - February 11 2012 |
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Weekend Results: Burnaby @ Abby POSTPONED; Bays Outlast Vikes; CW Draw With Lomas; Caps Demolish Ravens; Seattle Edge Richmond; Sharks Devour Valhallians; Rowers Paddle Piggies
updated Feb 12 2012
We've expanded our predictions to include the Tier 2 Division One competition. This includes teams that were in the Premier last year. This is due to the generous offer by David Benoit and ServiceMaster Clean who offered to sponsor the expanded predictions. Visit their website at: www.svmresidential.ca, they offer a number of residential cleaning services in the greater Vancouver area.
Premier: 2:45P Burnaby Lake Rugby Club @ Abbotsford RFC - CFV Exhibition Park
GAME POSTPONED DUE TO FIELD CLOSURES
This looks like a mismatch at first glance with Burnaby sitting on top of the Prem standing with 19 points and Abbotsford sitting in the cellar with 2 points. Last weekend Abby lost to a resurgent Lomas team 54-0 but the weekend before that they made the Bays work for a 27-10 win. Burnaby started the season surprising the Caps 25-0 and then trounced the Vikes 41-12. They'll no doubt want to continue their winning ways and get a bonus point on the road which will likely happen. Burnaby have 3 players in the top 7 of the scoring race including the prolific try scorer Jeke Gotegote (9 tries). Prediction: Burnaby by 18.
Premier: UVic Vikes RFC 6 @ James Bay AA 31
The score was 12-3 for much of the game but the Bays apparently finished strong. Bays get a bonus point win to form a 3 way tie for first place at 19 points with Burnaby and CW. Burnaby however have a game in hand since their game versus Abbotsford was cancelled this weekend. More details to follow in Phil Meyer's report
This should be a close matchup, both teams not playing to their potential and missing key personnel to national team duty. Bays were defeated on the road at Klahanie last weekend while putting in a mediocre performance against last place Abby the weekend before. UVic were convincingly defeated by Burnaby last weekend and kept CW close in a losing cause the weekend before. The Bays don't have a lot of flyers in the backs and the absence a few key players hurts their game. With Morgan Williams they defeated Abby, without him they lost to Caps, I don't think he's available this weekend. UVic may start to miss players to the U20 program off and on. I don't have the lineups at the time of writing but I'm thinking the Bays will do enough to win at home. Prediction: Bays by 2.
Phil Meyer of James Bay writes:
On Saturday (2:45) at MacDonald Park, James Bay Athletic Association and U Vic Vikes will meet in the second leg of the Bays-Vikes Challenge Trophy. JBAA won the inaugural two game total point challenge event – established by Ian Stewart – last year. The Bays also secured an edge in the first leg of this season’s contest, with a 22 to 13 win in late November.
The two sides – first and second place finishers in Vancouver Island Rugby Union pre-Christmas play – are looking to bounce back from Mainland losses last weekend. The Bays will welcome two Canada 7 players recovered from injury, Thyssen de Goede and Sean White, back into their line-up – along with Luke Tait, former Canada and Clermont professional lock.
Vikes’ forwards will be led by Brett Beukeboom – with Remi Anctil, Michael Faulifau and Beau Parker featured in U Vic’s always dangerous back line.
UVIC VIKES
1 Jake Illnicki
2 Casey Cavers
3 Callum Busfield
4 Shea Wakefield
5 Bret Beukeboom
6 Drew Langer
7 Liam Murray
8 Nathan Stewart
9 Lucien Nel
10 Tony LaCarte
11 Beau Parker
12 Michael Fauilfau
13 Remi Anctil
14 Luke McClosky
15 Kane Wyatt
JAMES BAY
1 Scott Warren
2 JT Rowbotham
3 Russ Ward
4 Luke Tait
5 Adam Drurey
6 Zack Coughlan
7 Thyssen De Goede
8 Nolan Miles
9 Spencer Dalziel
10 Jeff Williams
11 Pat Fraser
12 Hugo Belanger
13 David Moonlight
14 Dan Harlow
15 Sean White
Premier: Castaway Wanderers RFC 28 @ Meraloma Rugby Club 28
The game apparently lived up to its billing as the most interesting matchup of the weekend. CW scoring 4T to 3T for Lomas but Lomas slotting a drop goal and extra conversion. This puts CW at 19 points on top of the standings with Burnaby and James Bay. The Lomas sit at 9 points in 5th place but rapidly trying to close the 9 point gap to the top four.
CW RFC: 28
Tries: Mack Poole; Mike Pletch; Johnny Morris; Pita Savea
Converts: Paul Buckley
Penalties: Paul Buckley (2)
Meralomas: 28
Tries: Joe Scale; Lyrnard Hall; Simon Cacciopp
Converts: Bryan Tryer (2)
Penalties: Bryan Tryer (2)
Drop Goals: Bryan Tryer
In the 2nd team game it was:
CW RFC: 47
Tries: Clayton Thornber (2); Jed Alexander; Mike Dalsin (2); Fletcher Evans; John Wolfe
Converts: Aden Jack (6)
Penalties:
Meralomas: 14
Tries: Alex Boyd; W. Scott
Converts: Bryan Tucker (2)
Penalties:
This is probably the most interesting game of the weekend and if it didn't cost about $150 to make the round trip on the ferry with vehicle and gas then I might be tempted to take it in. The Lomas are 1-3 and sit in 5th place with 7 points but they're a different team in the spring season and their 54-0 thumping of Abby last weekend gives a glimpse of the "real" Lomas. CW, of course, are defending title holders, have a plethora of quality players including a number of carded players, and sit in 2nd place with 16 points. I'm interested to see the result of this game as it will give an indication of how serious the Lomas are as possible title contenders. Prediction: CW by 5.
Andrew Smith of the BCRU writes:
With their veteran core returning for the 2012 spring season, the Meralomas will be tough to beat on their home ground. The Lomas marked their return to Premier League play with a 56-0 win over Abbotsford last Saturday.
A number of Meraloma standouts who featured for the BC senior men's provincial team this past summer were in top form against Abby with Shawn Mercier, Bryan Tyrer, Josh Clarke and Captain Eric Wilson each recording tries. Mercier crossed over three times while Tyrer recorded a brace as well as conversion and four penalties. Tyrer now sits second in the Premier League scoring race with a total of 35 points.
Having carried over three losses from their fall season, the Lomas will have to find their footing quickly if they have any hopes of making the postseason. The Kitsilano club are the only side in the province to appear in the last four Rounsefell Cup championship games.
"We were definitely a little rusty against Abbotsford but that was expected given the amount of practice time we had due to the weather," said Pat Fleck, a member of the Meraloma coaching staff. "We played a bit of a depleted Abbotsford side where we came out and capitalized on our opportunities."
The Lomas lineup this season will also feature standouts Derek Townsend, Eric Harland, Sam Jenkins as well as Brian Erichsen, who makes his return to club rugby after representing Canada at the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
"These are a group of guys who have been together for quite a while and we will be successful if we are able to stay healthy," added Fleck. "With the situation of starting at 0-3, every game is massive and we need to be winning most games in hopes of making the playoffs."
The Meraloma's home opener will be against the Castaway Wanderers, a team they lost 20-3 against in the 2011 Rounsefell Cup final last May.
CW are fresh off a convincing 37-19 win over the UBCOB Ravens which launched them into second place in the Premier League standings last Saturday.
"I know they are well coached and they will be organized. They have quite a formidable pack and will have some guys we haven't seen before," added Fleck. "To be honest though, we are focusing more on our process than theirs at this point in the game."
CW are currently ranked second in offensive output averaging 30 points per game. Their defence of 19 points per game against ranks fourth versus Premier League opposition. The Oak Bay outfit boasts a number of top scrummagers in their arsenal including Toby Peyton and Canadian internationals Hubert Buydens and Andrew Tiedemann.
Premier: UBCOB Ravens RFC 8 @ Capilano RFC 43
An emphatic win by the Caps and they now sit with 18 points, one point behind the top three and 9 points ahead of 5th place Lomas. So there's a group of four that have broken away in the standings early in the season with Lomas still looking dangerous in pursuit. The Ravens are in 2nd to last place with 4 points and it doesn't seem they'll be threatening for the title this season.
A Reader Commented:
Just a note that the Ravens-Caps prem score was 43-8. The Game was closer than the score, but Caps were clearly the better team on the day. Ravens were missing some bodies though, Tom Mckeen, Mike Mckay, Garner Lea, Dan Wainwright and John Graf.
After the Caps lost 25-0 to Burnaby at the start of the Spring season I thought it was game over for them but then they emphatically defeated James Bay the next weekend. So it's starting to look interesting. The Ravens sit in second to last place with a 1-3 record, they didn't look particularly dangerous last weekend when they lost 37-19 to CW. I hear that Ed Fairhurst may be suiting up this weekend though and that could make a world of difference. Will it be enough of a difference to win however? Prediction: Caps by 7.
CAPILANO
1-Daniel Fiss
2-Evan Mallory
3-Jesse Ryan
4-Robbie McCall
5-Ron Johnstone
6-Mike Langley
7-Christoph Strubin
8-Glen McKinnon ©A
9-Matt Yanagia
10-Charlie Jones ©
11-Brady Carpenter
12-Nate Rees (i)
13-Akio Tyler
14-Cody Buchamer
15-Gordie Sawers
Div 1: Seattle RFC 31 @ Richmond RFC 26
I got the margin right but the winning team wrong. Seattle come back from that 91-0 hiding last weekend at the hands of Bayside to edge Richmond and claim the victory. Seattle travel to Velox next weekend while Richmond visit the Rowers.
2nds - Richmond 27 - 17 Seattle
3rds - Burnaby B 29 - 17 Richmond
Having Seattle in the competition is a contentious issue for some clubs as the road trip will be expensive and time consuming with border issues. The same holds true for Seattle and they're not the same team on the road as they are at home. That's evidenced by the 91-0 thrashing they received last weekend at the hands of the Bayside Sharks. Does that mean Bayside are super strong this season or Seattle on the road are super weak? I guess this weekend's results may answer that question. Richmond narrowly lost 17-6 last weekend to Cowichan. So it looks like Richmond at home and Seattle on the road may be an even match. I'll give the edge to the home team. Prediction: Richmond by 5.
Div 1: Bayside Sharks 22 RFC @ Velox Valhallians RFC 5
The game sat at 12-5 for much of the first half and a key point near the end of the half determined the outcome. Velox were battering the Sharks' goal line threatening to close the gap at the break but tenacious defence caused a turnover and a romp 90 metres the other direction to put the game away. Bayside added a penalty goal late in the game to seal the victory.
So how good are the Spring season Bayside Sharks, they crushed Seattle 91-0 last weekend at home. This is a road trip so that shaves a few points off the performance. How many players did Bayside lose to Prem teams when they were relegated? Velox lost Mike Pletch to CW as a result of relegation. Bayside have to be early favourites to win this league and be considered for promotion back to Premier. The promotion/relegation process for next year hasn't been published as far as I know but the winner of the league deserves a shot at the last place Prem team, possibly Abby, although it's a little early to be making that call. The result of this game will indicate how strong Bayside are and since Velox lost to Rowers 27-8 it will give a reasonable picture of the Rowers v Bayside matchup. Prediction: Bayside by 12.
Div 1: Vancouver Rowing Club 29 @ Cowichan Rugby Club 15
Rowers and Bayside now appear on a collision course to decide supremacy in the Tier 2 competition. Both teams undefeated early in the season. Rowers host Richmond next weekend while Bayside host Cowichan.
Another interesting matchup as Cowichan will fancy their chances at home against the Rowers. Both teams won last weekend and this will be a chance to see who will challenge Bayside for top of the pack. Each team plays a home and away series against opponents, so there's chance of redemption for the losers. The iRB gives the home team a +3 rankings handicap but I think for Cowichan it would likely be a +6. Prediction: Cowichan by 6.
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