|
|
| |
|
|
|
| ServiceMaster Clean Weekend Predictions - May 12 2012 |
|
BCRN Logo
|
| © |
Weekend Results: Caps Topple Bays (Premier Men); Velox Outlast Burnaby (Premier Women); CW Defeat Lomas (Div 1 Men); Kamloops Stop Velox (Div 3 Men)
[ed. comments below]
posted April 6 2012
Thanks to David Benoit and ServiceMaster Clean who sponsor our expanded predictions. Visit their website at: www.svmresidential.ca, they offer a number of residential cleaning services in the greater Vancouver area.
It was a fitting end to the XVs season and thanks to Capilano for their fine hosting. Caps won the big prize in the men's division which made the home fans happy. Velox won the women's division and CW and Kamloops won the 1st and 3rd divisions respectively.
The BC club season wraps up this weekend with four games at Klahanie. There are 3 Island teams involved, 3 Lower Mainland teams and 1 team from the Interior, so a good cross Provincial mix. The 3 Island teams are James Bay (Premier), Castaway Wanderers (1st Div), and Velox (3rd Div and Women’s Premier). The 3 Lower Mainland teams are Capilano (Premier), Meraloma (1st Div) and Burnaby (Women’s Premier). The lone Interior team is Kamloops (3rd Div).
James Bay 21 vs Capilano 22 (Men’s Premier 4 pm)
(Ref: David Smortchevsky TJs: Patrick Allard, Chris Assmus, Kai Taylor
This was a gritty contest and I thought the Caps had just a little more intensity in key areas of the game. Their forwards as expected were a big part of the victory. We chose Harry Jones as the MVP, his game saving tackle on Connor Braid was one of the turning points in the match. Jeff Hassler for the Bays was a standout with 2 tries. The Caps forwards though as a group did the hard work and kept possession for long periods of time, keeping the ball away from the dangerous backline of James Bay. It looked as if Caps had sealed the victory with an intercept try, it was disallowed, I'm not sure why and the Bays hit immediately back with the 2nd Hassler try to make the final few minutes a nail-biting experience. Well done to both clubs for an entertaining finish to the Premier season.
Andrew Smith of BCRU writes:
After spending two years on Vancouver Island, the coveted Rounsefell Cup - awarded to the top men's club rugby side in British Columbia - has returned to the Lower Mainland. Third-seeded Capilano RFC pipped the top ranked James Bay Athletic Association at Klahanie Park on Saturday, winning their first Canadian Direct Insurance Premier League championship since securing back-to-back titles during the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons.
It's a remarkable achievement considering this time last year Capilano were competing in Tier Two competition after being relegated from the Premier League, defeating Richmond in the 2011 Okanagan Spring Brewery League Final.
Now the club are back on top after a three-try championship performance that had their home fans on the edge of their seats for a full 80 minutes of rugby.
The 2011-2012 Rounsefell Cup Final opened with James Bay kicker and Canadian International Connor Braid kicking a penalty for the early 3-0 lead. Capilano responded with a try from Ron Johnston and scrum half Chris Robinson provided the extras for a 7-3 lead.
Braid added another penalty for the Bays and Robinson responded in turn for the 10-6 score line, favouring Capilano.
The second half opened with Canadian Sevens International Jeff Hassler showing his speed to dot down for James Bay, putting the score at 10-11.
Capilano had the advantage in the set pieces, dictating the forwards play and breaking the Bays down. Their next score came courtesy of a try from inside centre Nate Rees. Robinson added the conversion and Capilano were up 17-11.
Several turnovers were committed by both sides and Capilano cost themselves a number of penalties. Braid made them pay, adding another score to see James Bay trailing by three when it was 17-14.
The final 20 minutes were an electrifying display of open rugby as both sides recorded tries.
Sending the home stands into a frenzy was 18-year-old Capilano winger Nathan Yanagiya, a Carson Graham Secondary standout who chased down his own kick to crash over in the far corner. The try provided the Caps with a 22-14 buffer and nearly put the game out of reach.
Battling until the final minutes, it was Hassler who again scored for James Bay as he blitzed through his defenders and touched down between the uprights. Braid provided the extras and the Bays were trailing 22-21 with full time eventually running out.
"I'm obviously disappointed that we didn't get the win but that was an exciting game of rugby," James Bay head coach Peter Rushton said when the final whistle blew. "[Capilano] were more organized up front and even though we were prepared for it, we didn't have the consistent ability to defend against their attack."
For Capilano captain Charlie Jones who led the Caps to a Lower Mainland divisional title in the Fall, the win capped off an incredibly draining season of rugby.
"Exhilarated is the word I would use to describe how it feels right now," Jones said after the win. "We played a great team game today and it was all about total determination as a group."
Capilano head coach Tom Larisch was ecstatic to see his players complete the turnaround from last season and has plenty to look forward to with a mass of players currently filling the ranks in the Capilano program. Larisch also serves as head coach for Carson Graham and to see his high school standout Nathan Yanagiya excel at the senior men's level and contribute a try was not lost on him.
"I struggled to decide if I was going to bring him as I didn't want to jeopardize his high school season," Larisch said. "I never could have imagined he would have had this much of an impact at the senior level. Hopefully he keeps level-headed and realizes there is still a lot to learn."
These teams have split games this year, both winning at home. The final is usually a neutral venue but it happened that the BCRU had chosen Klahanie as the finals venue, so this has become a home game for the Caps. Before watching the semi-final I would have given the edge to the Bays, they were the top placed team with only one loss, but seeing them struggle against 4th place Burnaby has put a new perspective on things. They’re missing 3 key forwards: John Moonlight (injured), Thy de Goede (injured) and Luke Tait (on tour) and they’re looking pretty thin in the forwards department now, a fact exposed by Burnaby last weekend. The Caps have a good balance between forwards and backs with talent in both areas, they won the semi-final against CW by playing a possession game with strong play in the forwards. The Bays have a talented backline but if they’re starved for possession it won’t make a difference. This game will be won or lost at the breakdown, based on the semi-final games, this is where Caps have an edge. Prediction: Caps by 4.
NOTES: Sean White may be out due to a suspension occurring in an April game reffed by Sherry Trumbull. Jeff Hassler is back, as is Jeff Williams.
JAMES BAY
1 Russ Ward
2 JT Rowbotham
3 Francis Yoon
4 Jim de Goede
5 Adam Drury
6 Zac Coughlan
7 Pat Fraser
8 Nolan Miles
9 Spence Dalziel
10 Connor Braid
11 Dave Moonlight
12 Morgan Williams
13 Jeff Hassler
14 Dan Harlow
15 Conor McCann
16 Scott Warren
17 Dan Hrycyk
18 Andrew de Goede
19 Sean White Andrew McGinn
20 Jeff Williams
21 Kyle Laberge
22 Sands Falk (I)
CAPILANO
1 Daniel Fiss
2 Evan Mallory
3 Jesse Ryan
4 Robbie McCall
5 Ron Johnston
6 Mike Langley
7 Ryan Hamilton
8 Glen McKinnon ©A
9 Chris Robinson
10 Charlie Jones ©
11 Nathan Yanagiya
12 Nate Rees (I)
13 Akio Tyler
14 Chase Kelliher
15 Harry Jones
16 Ray McAlley (I)
17 Shawn Wilson
18 Adam Zaruba
19 Mike McDonald
20 Sam Franklin
21 Christoph Strubin
22 Cody Buchamer
Burnaby Lake 14 vs Velox Valkyries 20 (Women’s Premier 11:00 AM)
(Ref: Saro Turner TJs: Graham Stone, Michael Landiak, Drew Sagar)
It looked like Velox had this sewn up in the second half leading 20-7 and Burnaby weren't looking that dangerous on attack. Velox appeared to be going through the motions throwing the ball from side to side sitting on the lead and without a skilled kicker to "boot" the ball down field they were playing a dangerous game. The danger came in the form of Maria Gallo who picked off a meandering pass to scamper in for a try bringing the score to 20-14. Velox must have thought it was shades of last year's final that saw Burnaby win on an intercept try. It was all Burnaby from there on as they almost crossed the line on several occasions only to rebuffed at the last moment every time. It was another fitting match for a Premier season finale. Well done to both teams.
Andrew Smith of BCRU writes:
The Velox Valkyries capped off a perfect season with a thrilling 20-14 win over reigning Gordon Harris Memorial Cup champions Burnaby Lake Rugby Club. Saturday's encounter was a rematch of the 2011 cup final, but this time Velox held strong on defence, fending off wave after wave of Burnaby's late surges.
Burnaby had taken an early 7-0 lead through a Maria Gallo try and Julia Sugawara conversion but slowed their pace and allowed for Velox to record three straight scores.
"Velox were the more consistent team," said Burnaby's head coach Walt Brandl after the game. "We had a lull in the middle and had to claw our way back in."
Velox's first try was recorded by scrum half Natalie Tam with the extra two points kicked by Amanda Campbell. Courntey Blum crossed over for Velox's second try to see the Valkyries leading 12-7 at the break.
The second half saw Velox record another two quick scores through a Cambpell penalty and a try from Lindsay Anderson.
Gallo responded with an intercept try and the Sugawara extras had Burnaby within one converted try at 20-14. In the final minutes Burnaby's break away run down the far corner resulted in a turnover, and possession was then lost in a late scrum that saw Velox power through the Burnaby pack.
The win saw Velox cap off a perfect season having posted a 9-0 record and then two straight wins in the playoffs. The championship was especially sweet for Velox captain Sarah Levson, a member of the 2011 Velox side that lost to Burnaby in the dying minutes of the cup final.
"That was definitely round two for us after the devastating loss last year," Levson said after the win. "Our forward play was really strong and just as they have all season, they set the pace in the game. That scrum in the last few minutes was really a phenomenal steal."
The day starts off with the Women’s premier, a replay of last year’s final won by Burnaby with a last minute interception. Velox have been the dominant team in women’s play this year, defeating Burnaby in the regular season. Burnaby’s key player is Julia Sugawara who controls the Burnaby backline. Velox have a host of weapons throughout the starting XV. If the game goes to regular season form then Velox should hoist the cup. Prediction: Velox by 8.
VELOX VALKYRIES
1 Iona Schamberger
2 Brittany Sims
3 Marlene Donaldson
4 Carmen Sund
5 Chelsey Minter
6 Shannon Kane
7 Laura Crowe-Hutchon
8 Jesse Olynik
9 Natalie Tam
10 Amanda Campbell
11 Lindsay Anderson ©
12 Sarah Levson
13 Courtney Blum
14 Allie White
15 Selina McGinnis
16 Irene Boreckey
17 Courtney Sims
18 Kelsey Oetting
19 Erin Webb
20 Lianna Teeter
21 Taylor Reidlinger
22 Jessica Park
BURNABY LAKE
1 Carolyn McEwen
2 Kim Donaldson
3 Corinne Jacobsen
4 Katie Larson
5 Kathleen Grudzinski
6 Haley Glendinning
7 Deb Capps
8 Laura Kinnear-Harmse
9 Devon Luca
10 Julia Sugawara
11 Genevieve Gratton
12 Alicia Noger
13 Maria Gallo
14 Erin Jang
15 Emily Young
16 Carly Walker
17 Brenna Glover
18 Lauren Tagg
19 Nancy Radman
20 Desiree Noger
21 Jocelyn Barrieau
22 Rebecca Querido
Meraloma 16 vs Castaway Wanderers 24 (1st Division 2:00 PM)
(Ref: Kyle Ferguson TJs: Kai Taylor, Scott Johnson, John Buxcey
This is the only one I got wrong in the predictions and actually it was probably the most one-sided in play although the scoreline doesn't reflect that. CW came out strong and put up the points early but took their foot of the gas and Lomas snuck back into the game. Johnny Morris looked the most dangerous out there, constantly putting the Loma defence under pressure. Veterans Roger Robinson and Sipili Molia acquitted themselves well in the victory.
Andrew Smith of BCRU writes:
The Men's Ceili's Cup final saw the second-seeded Oak Bay Castaway Wanderers defeat the Meraloma Rugby Club 24-16. The Meralomas were unable to repeat their semifinal heroics where they knocked the number one ranked Capilano RFC out of the postseason last weekend. On Saturday the Castaway Wanderers led from start to finish, recording 17 straight points before Meraloma found their footing.
CW's tries were scored by Sam Lawless, Jonny Morris and Jason Burt. Jed Alexander contributed nine points through three conversions and a penalty. For the Meralomas it was a frustrating day as they only managed to cross the try line once. Meraloma Bryn Tucker kicked three penalties and a conversion with the lone try recorded by Mark Farrally.
This is an intriguing matchup, a replay of last year’s Premier final. Looking through the lineups there aren't too many Premier players who have dropped down to play in the lower division, even though some may have qualified by playing Div 1 in the regular season. CW have some veteran players in the backs with Sipili Mola and Roger Robinson and also some flyers with Prem experience like Johnny Morris. On the Loma side there's Mike Okech, Alex Boyd and Aaron Akehurst familiar names from the Premier division. After looking at the lineups I think the Lomas have a slight advantage. It should be an entertaining match. Prediction: Lomas by 2.
CASTAWAY WANDERERS
1 Sean Kinsella
2 Trevor Heiman
3 Emil Christensen
4 Kiel Horan
5 Sam Lawless
6 Sam Powell
7 Jason Burt (I)
8 Trevor Pollock
9 Mike Dalsin
10 Sipili Molia
11 Jed Alexander (I)
12 Roger Robinson ©
13 Mackenzie Poole
14 Johnny Morris
15 Luke Strath
16 Mike Crawford
17 Sean Lavery
18 Rhys Jones
19 Jacob Lamb
20 Blaidd Jenkins (I)
21 Aden Jack
22 Kevin Larsen
MERALOMA
1 John Boulaine
2 Scott McGinley
3 Eric Harland
4 Pat Service
5 Ray Desjardins ©
6 Aaron Akehurst
7 Alex Boyd
8 Justin Fanselow (I)
9 Greg Perih
10 Scott Larson
11 Antun Peko
12 Cam O’Neill (I)
13 Mike Okech
14 David Brammall
15 Bryn Tucker
16 Aaron Norman
17 Mark Farrally
18 Mark Corcoran (I)
19 Dave Stephen
20 Kevin Nielsen
21 Spencer Whyte
22 Charlie Allan
Velox Valhallians 29 vs Kamloops 38 (3rd Division 12:30 PM)
(Ref: Tyler Dawson TJs: Conan Cooper, John Buxcey, Drew Sagar
This was an entertaining match and most people were pleasantly surprised at the level of play of 3rd division. It wasn't too far off the 1st division game in terms of skill and pace. It looked like Kamloops would run away with the contest going up 17-0 early but Velox fought their way back through the forwards. They briefly had the lead before Kamloops came back with a second surge that finished off the game in their favour.
Andrew Smith of BCRU writes:
The Kamloops Raiders capped off an undefeated season going 8-0 before winning three straight playoff matches. On Saturday they notched five tries in a 38-29 cup final win over Island Third Division champions Velox Valhallians.
Kamloops kicker Cole Levitt put on a dominating performance scoring two tries, five conversions and a penalty. Kamloops tries were also recorded by Mark Farmer, Brandon Kicia and Shawn Roberts. Velox were down 17-0 before Ray Young was able to cross over and provide the Valhallians with a try. Velox scores were also recorded by John Lyall, Chad Vath and Kevin Summerfeldt.
The top teams in 3rd division are better than most 2nd division sides. Kamloops only have a 3rd div side and they play like a 1st division side putting up some lopsided scores this year, defeating SFU 79-5, Cowichan 62-8 and Kats 55-5. Velox have also had a strong run in 3rds defeating CW 70-10 and Cowichan 56-5. The Velox 3rds are probably stronger than the clubs 2nd division team. 3rds attract some of the experienced players who don't want to practice at the same level as the higher divisions. It still makes for entertaining rugby. It should be an interesting game with both teams displaying a stingy defence, Kamloops have only allowed an average 5 points per game while Velox have allowed 7 points a game. The difference is 2 and I'll use that for the prediction. Prediction: Kamloops by 2.
|
|
 |
|
|
