BC Finals Weekend: UBC Win Men’s & Women’s Premier Championship – Nanaimo, Kats, Ravens, Meraloma, Comox Win Division Titles
UBC 32 v Meraloma 25
Referee: Shanda Assmus AR1: David Smortchevsky AR2: Malcolm Klaver No.4: Alan Hudson
Venue: Bayside (South Surrey Athletic Park)
The Lomas opened the scoring a few minutes into the match when they found a ruck undefended by UBC and the big #8 Jalan Farris picked the ball up and ran straight ahead. He found #13 off his shoulder for the try, 7-0. At 11 minutes UBC #13 Takoda McMullin slotted a penalty to make the score 7-3. 15 minutes into the match UBC took its first lead. The Lomas were attacking at the UBC 22 when the #10 tried a skip pass to the outside backs that was alertly picked off by his counterpart, James Biss, who legged it in from 80 metres out, 8-7 for UBC.
The Lomas regained the lead when fullback Louis Whelan kicked a penalty, 10-8 for Lomas with 20 minutes gone. That lead was short lived as UBC scored a try 5 minutes later when #9 James Carson took a ruck ball at the Lomas 5 metre line and popped a pass to the supporting #8, Relmu Wilson-Valdes, who crossed the line. It was converted by McMullin, 15-10 for UBC. The Lomas went ahead at the 32 minute mark with a strong scrum at the UBC 5 metres, it was looking like a penalty try might be awarded but the ball squirted out, was touched down and converted, 17-15 for the Lomas. UBC closed out the first half with two penalties to go ahead 21-17. The second penalty was costly for the Lomas as they received a yellow card for running into the kicker.
The Lomas opened the second half with a penalty to close the gap to 21-20, UBC replied with a penalty of their own and the gap was back to four 24-20. The next score would be important and it was UBC who found the overlap out wide with a 3 on 1 break finished off by #13, Takoda McMullin, unconverted 29-20 for UBC with a quarter left in the match. UBC botched a lineout throw and the replacement hooker, Corne Ludick, pounced on it, had a rumble down the field and offloaded to #20, Thomas Williams, for the try. It was unconverted, 29-25 for UBC with 10 minutes remaining. UBC slotted one more penalty to finish off the match at 32-25.
The full match video can be viewed here.
PREGAME
The Lomas won the regular season matchup on March 25th in a nail biter, 32-31 at UBC. Looking at the rosters for that match UBC were missing Jack Carson at scrum half but they had Matt Percillier at fullback. The Lomas had the same lineup, Mulvany was on the bench and Bourke started in the second row on that day. So similar rosters meeting again about a month later, this time on neutral ground. Talking to different players, coaches and media scribes around the league there’s a difference of opinion on who will win this one, it’s that close. It is the 100th anniversary for the Lomas but as someone reminded me, life isn’t a fairy tale, we’ll see. Prediction: Lomas by 1.
UBC
1. Joshua Tweed
2. Jacob Bossi
3. Conor OFlaherty
4. Izzak Kelly
5. Joe Mcnulty / Hillyard Carson
6. Hillyard Carson / Joe Mcnulty
7. Flynn Heyes
8. Relmu Wilson – Valdes
9. Jack Carson
10. James Biss
11. Tenniel Cowen
12. Ethan Berry
13. Takoda Mcmullin
14. Jared Andrews – Almack
15. Owain Cormack
16. Koen Buckingham
17. Payton Teneycke
18. Raymond Chou
19. Sandon Gupta
20. Callum Arnesen
21. Jacob Bourne
22. Talon Mcmullin
23. Alastair Marshall
Meraloma
1 Pat Zuk
2 Mark Rickard
3 Tom Dunne
4 Finton O’Sullivan
5 Jim Mulvany
6 Evan Galvin
7 John Willis
8 Jalan Farris
9 Vinnie Quigley
10 Monty Weatherall
11 Keith Graham
12 D.W. Van Niekerk
13 James McTurk
14 Dewi Williams
15 Louis Whelan
16 Corne Ludick
17 Theo Espangol
18 Richie Barrett
19 Jacob Bourke
20 Thomas Williams
21 Thomas Viljoen
22 Jay Younger
23 Tuveia Leon / Jad Hamade
FIELD 2 (Live-Streamed)
United RFC 20 vs. Nanaimo Hornets RFC 26
11:00am Womens Division 2 Final
UBCOB Ravens 55 vs. Port Alberni Black Sheep 29
12:30pm Mens Div 1 Final
UBC Thunderbirds 32 vs. Meraloma RFC 25
2:15pm Mens Premier League Final
Vancouver Thunderbirds 65 vs. Westshore RFC 10
4:00pm Womens Premier League Final
FIELD 1 (Recorded)
Richmond RFC 29 vs. Comox Valley Kickers RFC 35
11:45am Mens Division 3 Final
Kats RFC 30 vs. Burnaby Lake RFC 24
1:30pm Mens Division 2 Final
Abbotsford RFC 7 vs. Meraloma RFC 38
3:15pm Womens Division 1 Final