BC Club Finals Results and Match Videos: UBC Win Men’s and Women’s Premier Title, Ravens Claim Men’s Div 1 Title, Burnaby Lake Women’s Div 1 Title
[ed. the official program with all rosters can be downloaded here in .pdf format. The BCRU are streaming four of the matches on their YouTube Channel – the men’s and women’s Premier, men’s 3rd div, men’s 1st div.]
The BC Club finals are this weekend hosted by Bayside at South Surrey Athletic Park. There are four men’s titles on the line this Saturday and three women’s titles.
Men’s Premier Division (Video stream)
UBC RFC 48 v Castaway Wanderers 34 @ 14:30
Referee: Bradley Schwalger Assessor: Saro Turner
UBC started fast, scoring a try 4 minutes in with a rampaging run by the hooker Jacob Bossi. The teams traded penalties and then Grady Bowd did his magic when he fielded an aimless UBC clearing kick and scythed through the UBC defence. 10-8 for UBC with 15 minutes gone. CW added a penalty to go up 11-10 but then made a blunder by overthrowing their lineout at their 5 metre line. The UBC tighthead Conor O’Flaherty grabbed it and dropped over the line to put UBC ahead 15-11 with 25 minutes gone. CW kicked another penalty and it was 15-14 for UBC at the 20 minute mark. CW were beating UBC at the breakdown and creating turnovers to gain the upper hand at this point. Grady Bowd kicked another penalty and now CW were ahead 17-15 with 7 minutes left in the half. CW ended the half by kicking a penalty into touch, happy with the 17-15 lead.
Four minutes into the second half, UBC strike first, Frank Carson breaking the line and offloading to openside Owain Ruttan for the try, 22-17 for UBC. A few minutes later UBC worked a training ground move off their set piece and scored a beautiful backline try, finished off by Kilick Saxer, 27-17 for UBC. At 58 minutes UBC replacement hooker Joshua Tweed is pinged for tackling Grady Bowd without the ball and receives a yellow. CW make them pay immediately with a blindside move off the maul finished off by scrum half Zech Pilgrim, 27-22 for UBC with a quarter to play. Five minutes later CW again cross the line, a strong run by Fuailefau, a few rucks and hooker John Braddock dots it down, 29-27 for CW with 13 minutes left. At 71 minutes it’s Carson to Carson, scrum half Jack Carson darting through a gap and popping it up in the tackle to a charging Frank Carson, now 34-29 for UBC. CW were tiring and a Grady Bowd kick to the UBC backline was returned and eventually turned into 7 points, 41-29. UBC weren’t finished and off the kickoff, spun it wide and Jake Andrews-Almack outdistanced the tiring defence, UBC 48-29. CW got one back at the final whistle, for an entertaining 48-34 finish.
PREGAME
Two consistent teams meeting in the final. UBC undefeated, CW losing two in the regular season to Capilano and Ravens. UBC coming off a dominant win over 4th place Caps and CW upsetting the #2 ranked team.
UBC roster has been stable, only one change with Matt Percillier coming back into the roster at fullback and Takoda Mcmullin moving back to his outside centre spot. A slight shift in the reserves with a 4 and 4 split.
CW also have had a stable roster. A couple of changes in the reserves, Aidan Cole comes in to bulk up the front row and veteran Riley Ilnicki also returns to the front row reserves. CW have kept their 5 and 3 split in the reserves.
It should be great entertainment and really whichever team brings their A game could win it. UBC go in as favourites as the only undefeated side this season. Kudos to both coaches for getting their teams here, Curry Hitchborn for UBC and Ken Goodland for CW. Prediction: UBC by 6.
UBC
1 Calixto Martinez
2. Jacob Bossi
3. Conor OFlaherty
4. Frank Carson
5. David Carson
6. Donald Carson
7. Owain Ruttan
8. Alfie Scopes
9. Jack Carson
10. Max Abercrombie
11. Jake Andrews – Almack
12. Landon Clironomos
13. Takoda Mcmullin
14. Jake Lan
15. Matt Percillier
16. Joshua Tweed
17. Payton Teneycke
18. Izzak Kelly
19. Joshua Downes
20. Connor Byron
21. Ethan Berry
22. Kilick Saxer
23. Jacob Bourne
CW
1. Gavin Kratz
2. John Braddock
3. Jack Sponarski
4. Liam Chisolm (c)
5. John Humphries
6. Mike Finnemore
7. Sawyer Herron
8. Cam Sandison
9. Zech Pilgrim
10. Gradyn Bowd
11. Angus Boyd-Porter
12. Brandon Schellenberger
13. Daniel James
14. Mike Adibe
15. Jordan Tait
16. Alex Clark
17. Aidan Cole
18. Riley Ilnicki
19. Steve Pyke
20. Matt Sutherland
21. Gareth Sandner
22. Mike Fuailefau
23. Dan Griffiths
Men’s Division 1 (Video stream)
Bayside 17 v UBCOB Ravens 42 @ 12:45
Referee: Shanda Assmus Assessor: David Smortchevsky
Men’s Division 2
Axemen Rugby Club 30 v Surrey Beavers 15 @ 15:15
Referee: Ryan Alguire Assessor: Benjamin Lambrick
Men’s Division 3 (Video stream)
Bayside 15 v Kats 21 @ 11:00
Referee: Brett Hay Assessor: Jivan Dhaliwal
Women’s Premier Division
Vancouver Thunderbirds 43 v Castaway Wanderers 29 @ 16:15
Referee: Julianne Zussman Assessor: Brittany Blackford
Women’s Division 1
Cowichan 34 v Burnaby Lake 41@ 13:30
Referee: Tyler Dawson Assessor: Doug Thorpe
Women’s Division 2
Langley 12 v Vancouver Rowing Club 69 @ 11:45
Referee: Miriam Sobrino Assessor: Kevin Heieis