Ravens Play to Their Strength for Late Win Ravens 24 – UBC 23
Report by Peter MacDonald
On a wet day at UBC it was another great game between these two fraternal clubs and it was the big brother that came away with the win despite being clearly outplayed for the first 60 minutes.
When UBC centre Alistair Marshall from first phase ball easily passed through the Raven backfield at 3 minutes to score from 40 metres out UBC took a lead they did not relinquish till the game’s last second. Then, with the Ravens’ Jake Ikeda off on a yellow card, UBC at 15 minutes tallied again with Stephen Webb stepping in and wrestling the ball down from close range, 12-0 UBC. The students’ fitness, speed, structure and ball movement had the Ravens stretched and taking on water but with Joe McNulty off on a yellow the Ravens had a moment of sustained attacking pressure and hooker Jake Tieney dove in, and with the easy conversion missed it was 12-5 UBC at 25 minutes.
The Ravens escaped the half, despite UBC’s clear dominance, down only 12-8 thanks to firstly an inspired play and secondly an improving scrum. UBC had kicked to touch for lineouts from penalties a few times in the half and was looking to do it again from close range when Webb’s kick nudged the ball gently toward the touchline at 31 minutes. The Ravens’ fly half Gio Sangiorgi though threw out his left arm to stop the kick from crossing the touchline and he directed the ball back and into play. Jack Carson grabbed it and took off, made 50 metres and kicked it on further. A huge pressure release. Soon after, the Raven scrum won a penalty in front of the posts and the kick brought up the very flattering, to the Ravens, score of 12-8 at the half.
UBC kept up the pressure in the second half and by 55 minutes it was a 24-8 lead. Marshall again too easily found his way through a sizeable gap but at least it was from phase play and then the UBC backs outran the defence to touch down a long grubber. Webb was running the show from #9, passing and then looping to add numbers to the attack and Seumanutafa and Turnbull at #10 and 12 moved and passed with deception to the benefit of the outside backs. But good Raven tackling kept the score within reach.
Injuries to the Ravens Billy Wickham, Don Carson and Jake Ikeda added to their challenges but the versatility of Cole Keffer and Jack Carson meant that the Ravens maintained a strong 9/10 combo. And then at 63 minutes things changed. Joe Locke barrelled in from close range and then at 71 minutes Mark Ruga found a gap after Frank Carson had dragged a few tacklers in and it was 24-18. The Raven pack had won a few penalties, and the old guys had pivoted to a tight, possession game and, near the line, a pick and go game. And it was more of the same in the final minutes as the Ravens pressured again and finally Tierney crossed again with O’Donoghue and Keffer driving him forward. Finally, a conversion was made and the whistle sounded. The Ravens had stolen away with the win.
UBC’s backs together with forwards Max Birtley and Reimu Wilson-Valdes stood out. Jake Ikeda’s tackling held the Ravens in it early, Matt Chan had an all round quality game in the lineouts and the loose, Joe Locke was a force as always, Tierney’s throwing at the lineout was spot on allowing the Ravens to kick to touch for lineouts with confidence, and the three Carson locks, Frank, Don and Hillyard were huge in the sets, lineouts and forward play late in the game. But Jack Carson stood above as he moved from fullback to scrum half and then to flyhalf displaying his ability under the high ball, kicking (except at goal), passing, handling, tackling, tight space and open field running and even counter rucking.
UBC will have a bitter taste in their mouths after this one but will have a chance to reverse the result in three weeks time at Jericho.
No lost love between “fraternal clubs”, why do people say that? (Son from another lower mainland club). Exciting game but there is no love between players. There is a reason for the yellow cards, chippy game.
Well I appreciate there is certainly quite a rivalry between the two clubs given that the Rounsfell Cuo has only been raised by either of these two clubs for over a decade (2014 James Bay). So given that these two teams have intensely competed for the hardware, it’s not surprising that these encounters are fiercely contested. However my read of things is that there wasn’t or isn’t any bad blood and I didn’t observe anything not within the spirit of the game. The Do UBC squad has a number of current ravens who have come up through the age grade system, and the current raven squad has a number of UBC graduates and so I think there’s a great mutual respect between the two clubs. Just my take.
Leo Fumano