BC Premier Week 8 Results: Caps Topped by Ravens; CW Fall to Vikes; Pride Overcome UBC in Coastal Cup Decider – Women’s Premier Westshore Defeat Burnaby
The Pacific Pride retained the Coastal Cup and remain in 3rd place in the BC Premier. Ravens go into the break as the only undefeated team, Burnaby rise in the standings as Caps and UBC both lose. In women’s Premier Westshore claim 2nd place with win over Burnaby. Play in the BC Premier resumes February 1st.
Friday
Men Premier
University Of Victoria 20 v Castaway Wanderers 14 @ 19:00
Referee: Derek Horton AR2: Andrew Owen
Venue: Centennial Stadium
The Vikes pulled off a +6 win in front of the home crowd. The match was streamed and is linked below. The win gives the Vikes a 1-5 record before the winter break, 1.5 points per match. CW move to 3-4 and 2.14 points per match. Play resumes for both teams on February 1st.
PREGAME
#9 hosting #8. UVic coming off a loss to the Pride and CW a loss to Westshore, so both teams looking for a much needed win as they round out the first half of the season. A rare Friday night under lights match at Centennial Stadium.
UVic have Ryder Heaney-Corns back at #8 which moves Adam Doane to blindside flanker, that’s the only change to the forwards from last week. The big change in the backs is Matt Bennett getting the start at #10, that’s two players from last year’s Canada U20 team starting in the Vikes roster this week, the other being tighthead Brighton Feldman. Alex Gamage moves to fullback and Sion Griffiths returns to the roster at inside centre.
CW again without Gradyn Bowd have the same halfback pairing from last week with Ronan Graham and Zech Pilgrim. John Humphries returns to the roster in the second row and Nick Carson comes off the bench as the other lock moving Ayo Ogunlabe to blindside flanker. In the backline the return of national 7s player Ethan Hager will be a boost.
There’s not much between the teams and it’s a bit of a toss up. CW with more experience will get the nod this week. Prediction: CW by +2.
UVic (Nov 23rd/current)
1 Phoenix Moller
2 Sully Curran
3 Brighton Feldman
4 Dane Siebens
5 Brendan Kim
6 Muiredach Casey / Adam Doane
7 Merlin M’Cloud
8 Adam Doane / Ryder Heaney-Corns
9 Reece Thompson / Chris Gamage
10 Alex Gamage / Matt Bennett
11 Spencer Cotie / Ethan Smith
12 Josh McIndoe / Sion Griffiths
13 Morgan di Nardo
14 Lockhart MacGregor
15 Sion Griffiths / Alex Gamage
16 Annan McAllister / Moe Steves
17 Liam Bolton
18 Alex Gordon
19 Marcus Lott / Muiredach Casey
20 Jaxson Jones
21 Chris Gamage / Reece Thompson
22 Angus Boyd-Porter
23 Jackson Powell / Spencer Cotie
CW (Nov 23rd/current)
1 Gavin Kratz
2 Antonio Corbin / Jack Marshall
3 Denver Fatt
4 Conor McKenzie / John Humphries
5 Ayo Ogunlabe / Nick Carson
6 Dafydd Thomas / Ayo Ogunlabe
7 Jack Wallace
8 Mike Finnemore
9 Ronan Graham
10 Zech Pilgrim
11 Hugh Mager / Rio Apt
12 Ollie Nott
13 Jordan Tait
14 Will Daniel / Theo Tardiff
15 Theo Tardiff / Ethan Hager
16 Jack Marshall / Antonio Corbin
17 Alex McCullum / Jace Peters
18 Gord Kehoe / Dafydd Thomas
19 Nick Carson / Conor McKenzie
20 Nat Dring / Steve Pyke
21 Steve Pyke / Will Daniel
22 Mike Fuailefau
23 Rio Apt / Jeremiah Munoz
Saturday
UBCOB Ravens 34 v Capilano 18 @ 14:00
Referee: Bradley Schwalger AR1: Benjamin Lambrick AR2: John Hight
Venue: Jericho Beach Park
The Ravens maintain their perfect record and top spot with a +16 win at home. The Caps fall to 3-4, 2.28 points per match, and fall to 7th place behind Burnaby and UBC but ahead of CW, UVic and JBAA. Both teams return to action February 1st.
PREGAME
#1 hosting #6. Ravens continue undefeated while Caps had a big upset win over Lomas at home.
Ravens have Jack Carson and Noah Bain back in the roster filling the scrum half and fullback roles. That moves Gaspard De Ligault to the wing. In the forwards Grant Crowell is back in the roster at hooker which moves David Carson to blindside flanker. Joe Locke starts at #8 moving Iwan Shenton to second row.
The Caps have Reid Davis back creating a formidable second row partnership with Izzak Kelly, lots of push from the engine room in the Caps scrum. Melani Nanai returns and starts on the wing. Johnny Franklin returns to the roster in a bench impact role.
The Ravens have to go in as favourites as the undefeated #1 seed, plus they’re at home but the big win by Caps last week over a strong Lomas team have put the other teams in the league on notice. Prediction: Ravens by +5.
Ravens (Nov 23rd/current)
1 Owen Kokan
2 David Carson / Grant Crowell
3 Joshua Christy
4 Hillyard Carson / Don Carson
5 Frank Carson / Iwan Shenton
6 Don Carson / David Carson
7 David O’Donoghue
8 Iwan Shenton / Joe Locke
9 Gaspard De Ligault / Jack Carson
10 Aaron McLelland
11 Mark Wandeto / Gaspard De Ligault
12 Tsugunosuke Hirai
13 Hamish Janes
14 Cole Keffer
15 Noah Jenson / Noah Bain
16 Chris Taylor
17 Kaleb Whitelaw
18 James Carson
19 Andrew Crane / Frank Carson
20 Sean Beckett
21 Joe Locke / Gioacchino Sangiorgi
22 Gioacchino Sangiorgi / Archie Dixon
23 David Thompson / Noah Jenson
Capilano (Nov 23rd/current)
1 Pete Ingoldsby / Mackenzie Mills
2 Jacob Bossi
3 William Manulelia
4 Nick Pearce / Reid Davis
5 Izzak Kelly
6 Riley Canning / Colin Mitchell
7 Flynn Heyes
8 Austin James
9 Sam Reimer
10 Chris Robinson
11 Cam Waddell / Melani Nanai
12 Bailey Bocock
13 Jack Adams
14 Ben Taylor
15 Mike Moloney
16 Joey Ficocelli / James Ritzema
17 Mackenzie Mills / Rich Merinsky
18 Arsalan Schaigan
19 Reid Yurkowski
20 Colin Mitchell / Joe Britt
21 Reid Brookes / Cam Waddell
22 Seamus O’Sullivan / Johnny Franklin
23 TBD / Seamus O’Sullivan
UBC RFC 7 v Pacific Pride 36 @ 14:30
Referee: Chris Assmus AR1: Kevin Heieis AR2: Phil Webster
Venue: UBC- Gerald McGavin Centre
A dominant +29 win for the Pride as they retain the Coastal Cup for another year and maintain 3rd in the standings in the BC Premier. The Pride sit 4-2, 3.33 points per match. UBC fall to 3-3, 2.33 points per match, and 6th in the standings. Both teams resume play February 1st.
PREGAME
#4 hosting #3. This is not only a BC Premier match but the final match of the Coastal Cup with a potential winner take all scenario. In the Coastal Cup standings the Pride are top with 25 points from 5 games, UBC are 22 points from 5 games. A Pride win will give them the title and trophy, a UBC win brings up a number of tie breaking scenarios depending on winning and losing bonus points.
UBC are missing both McMullin’s now, Talon McMullin not in the roster and replaced by Liam James in the centres. Ken Buckingham is back in the roster at loosehead prop, Joe McNulty returns at second row, missing is Caden Wilson.
The Pride have James Stockwood back in the roster and teamed up with Jaiden John in the second row have a powerful engine room in the scrums. Jesse Kilgour gets the start at scrum half and Tiarnan Neville continues his run as first choice fly half. The Pride feature a Canada level centre pairing of Noah Flesch and Rhys James. Jean-Louis Descoutte gets the start at fullback. A new face in the roster, Braam Swanepeol, from Kelowna RFC via University of Johannesburg gets his first Pride match from the reserves bench. Tyler Matchem returns as an impact sub for the front row.
The Pride are defending Coastal Cup champs, a 3 point lead in the standings, plus have some Canada level players returning. Prediction: Pride by +7.
UBC (Nov 2nd/current)
1 Graeme Francolini / Ken Buckingham
2 Tate Hartley / Emmet Allan
3 James Noftall / Payton Teneycke
4 Caden Wilson / Sol Jacques
5 Sandon Gupta / Joe McNulty
6 Sol Jacques / Liam Kinghorn
7 Callum Arnesen
8 Relmu Wilson-Valdes
9 Stephen Webb
10 Jacob Bourne
11 Jared Andrews-Almack
12 Demetri Patterson / Alastair Marshall
13 Talon McMullin / Liam James
14 Niko Andrianos
15 Ben Beauchamp
16 Emmet Allan / Tate Hartley
17 Jacob Blackwood / Graeme Francolini
18 Payton Teneycke / James Noftall
19 Liam Kinghorn / Charlie Clark
20 Ethan Lee
21 Max McGavern / Marco Mitchell
22 Caleb Seumanutafa
23 Liam James / Max McGavern
Pacific Pride (Nov 23rd/current)
1 Justin Tasse / Sam Miller
2 Austin Creighton
3 Cole Harris / Connor Williams
4 Mason MacDonald / Jaiden John
5 Josh Halladay / James Stockwood
6 Logan Harris / Evan Logan
7 Evan Logan / Taine Clague
8 Braden Bruce
9 Chris Rose / Jesse Kilgour
10 Tiarnan Neville
11 Shane Rikley-Krindle
12 Rhys James / Noah Flesch
13 Liam Turnbull / Rhys James
14 Andrew Cooper
15 Ty Driscoll / Jean-Louis Descoutte
16 Neil Trainor
17 Sam Miller / Justin Tasse
18 Greg McDowell / Tyler Matchem
19 Jaiden John / Mason MacDonald
20 Taine Clague / Logan Harris
21 Rowan Closs / Braam Swanepeol
22 Jesse Kilgour / Mitch Buie
23 Jean-Louis Descoutte / Kyle Tremblay
Women Premier
Burnaby Lake 7 v Westshore 23 @ 14:30
Referee: Saro Turner AR1: Brittany Blackford AR2: Jeremy Duncan
Venue: Burnaby Lake Rugby Club
A road win for the Valkyries puts them in 2nd place and Burnaby drop to 3rd. Play resumes for both teams February 8th.
PREGAME
#2 hosting #3. Both teams are tied with 10 points from 3 games and sit behind the UBC team in the standings. Westshore have a slight point differential advantage so are listed as #2. Both teams have been substantially beaten by UBC. The game is noted as “moved to Burnaby” indicating this was originally a Westshore home match. The teams meet again after the winter break and that match is also listed in Burnaby.
Burnaby losing their first match last week against a strong UBC team. They’ve moved a few players around in the forwards, Kim Brown comes into the roster at lock and that moves Jailee Mercedes to tighthead prop. Simran Gillar and Rachel Choboter rotate from the bench to starting roles. Natasha Lalonde comes into the roster as starting scrum half and Aphra Taylor moves from fullback to #10. Natalie Hewko comes into the roster as starting outside centre.
Westshore coming off a successful road trip to Seattle. It’s a similar roster that travelled to Seattle for the win, plus they have Renee Gonzalez added to the centres. Not their strongest roster, minus Asia Hogan-Rochester and Eden Kilgour, but their second best this season. They’ve done well when Chelsey Minter is in the front row and both Sims sisters are playing.
It should be a close game, both teams lost by a similar margin to UBC, Burnaby at home, but Westshore fielding a fairly strong roster, only worry is 20 travelling players listed, might be a decider late in the match. Prediction: Westshore by +1.
Westshore (Nov 23rd/current)
1 Chelsey Minter / Brittany Sims
2 Grace McKay
3 Brittany Sims / Chelsey Minter
4 Taylor Morrison / Aila Norlin
5 Kate Field
6 Cindy Andrews
7 Aila Norlin / Phoenix Skailes
8 Phoenix Skailes / Courtney Sims
9 Jillian Fulton
10 Vanessa Chiappetta
11 Brooke Horsfall
12 Emilie Brett
13 Kaitlyn Brescia / Renee Gonzalez
14 Ivy Poetker
15 Paige Horsfall / Ivy Poetker
16 Olivia Riceman / Taylor Morrison
17 Courtney Sims / Sierra Gillis
18 Brittany Waters / Paige Horsfall
19 Sierra Gillis / Kirianne Healy
20 Kirianne Healy / Brittany Waters
21 TBD
22 TBD
23 TBD
Burnaby (Nov 23rd/current)
1. Payton McNeill
2. Jade Farhat / Rachel Choboter
3. Tess Woldring / Jailee Mercedes
4. Jailee Mercedes / Kim Brown
5. Natasha Lalonde / Simran Gillar
6. Chelsea Rodgers
7. Gabriel Hindley
8. Ada Okonkwo
9. Kaila France / Natasha Lalonde
10. Alayna Scramstad / Aphra Taylor
11. Jaidyn Mawhinney
12. Carmen Duursema
13. Ava Van Stanten / Natalie Hewko
14. Natalie King
15. Aphra Taylor / Rachel Wood
16. Kelly Shields
17. Lauren Tagg/ Ella Jimenez
18. Emily Van Gulik
19. Simran Gillar / Teresa Thomson
20. Rachel Choboter / Faith Nishi
21. Teresa Thomson / Katie Grudzinski
22. Faith Nishi / Kaila France
23. Katie Grudzinski / Rebecca Roth