Photos (20) With Commentary from Vancouver Island vs Ontario
The photos from the 1st half of the Island Tide vs Ontario Blues are posted below. I had to leave at halftime when Tide were leading 19-7 so was shocked when I got home and saw the final score 47-19 for Ontario. The players in these photos Gradyn Bowd, Brock Gallagher, D’Shawn Bowen, Kyle Tremblay, Owain Rutten, Emerson Prior were instrumental in getting that 1st half lead and didn’t feature in the 2nd half. BC just released their long list for the Ontario matches and all of these players but Gradyn Bowd are on the BC list. Bowd may have picked up an injury in this match, he is not available.
Gradyn Bowd, certainly exciting to watch, brilliant, creative, sometimes bordering on reckless.
This is the start image of the D’Shawn Bowen try, Gradyn Bowd with a chip kick out to the wing
Bowd pays the price as he’s tackled immediately as he kicks, he’s up in the air as the tackler wraps his ankle. Defenders try to block the ball and chase out to the wing.
The ball beats all defenders but the rugby ball bounce makes this an unpredictable situation, Bowen eyes up the trajectory
Bowen predicts correctly and guides the ball down for the first try of the match
Tide’s 2nd try comes from a successful lineout inside the Ontario 22m
The backs congratulating each other on the try Gradyn Bowd, Brock Gallagher and Kyle Tremblay but Emerson Prior comes over to remind them who did all the hard work
Emerson Prior looking to jackal the ball when the runner hits the ground, Ontario second row Jaiden John, formerly with the Pacific Pride, looks to secure the breakdown
Ontario lineout working well, Kevin Rouet watching from the bleachers
#8 Owain Ruttan advances the ball, Gradyn Bowd and Theo Espagnol looking for a possible offload
Kyle Tremblay takes on three Ontario defenders, Brock Gallagher coming in to support
The Tide scrum was dominant in the first half as it twists the Blues pack, Brock Gallagher tracking the ball
The lineout ball just evades the outstretched hand of Ontario lineout jumper Jaiden John
This is the start of a 7 photo sequence that’s all Brock Gallagher, here feeding the ball into the scrum, 6 photos later he’s diving over the line for a try
As the scrum starts to break up, Gallagher has already made distance and sees a gap between the blindside flanker and centre
Holding his breath, Gallagher powers through an attempted tackle by the blindside flanker, the #12 in pursuit
Brock Gallagher’s eyes light up with a hint of a goose step and the open field in front of him
OK who is Gallagher waving to, the ladies on the sideline, Kevin Rouet in the stands, the defender or is this an early fend in the making – using the force?
There we go, the perfect try scoring form, I’m amazed my photo was actually in focus
And the end of the perfect try scoring sequence, dive landed 10 out of 10, even the scoreboard in the shot. Half ended 19-7 in Tide’s favour.