Coastal Cup Week 2 Results & Rosters: UVic Fall to UBC and Pride Overcome TWU
After Round 2 of the Coastal Cup UBC and the Pacific Pride share top spot with a head to head encounter next week. TWU earned a bonus point in their loss to the Pride this week scoring 38 points, UVic scored 33 and also earned a bonus point in their loss to UBC.
In the Dunbar Keg, Vancouver remains the only undefeated team and look assured of claiming the Dunbar Keg with only one round remaining. Vancouver face the winless TORA next week while the Island and Valley go head to head.
Trinity Western University 38 v Pacific Pride 59 @ 14:30
Referee: CLINT LEMKUS AR1: Rade Adzic AR2: Trevor Honey
Venue: Langley Rugby Club
We said Pride +12 and it was Pride +21, TWU will be pleased that they were able to score 38 points on the Rugby Canada Academy team, it bodes well for their run at the University championships in November. TWU were ranked 5th nationally in the latest coach’s poll that the Canadian University Men’s Rugby Championship (CUMRC) publish each week. Next week TWU hosts UVic and based on this result that could get interesting. The Pride hosts UBC next week which should be a battle and will determine who claims top spot in the standings.
PREGAME
The Pride make a number of changes as they rotate their squad at key positions. The front row is changed out with the starters last week moved to the reserves, the same goes for the halfback pairing. Ben James comes off the bench to start at lock and Evan Logan comes straight into the match 23 as starting blindside flanker. The only players to retain their number from last week are openside Taine Clague, #8 Charles Taimani, and centres Noah Flesch and Liam Turnbull.
TWU coach Andy Evans tries some new combinations in Week 2, tighthead prop Tim Zimmer moves to #8, #8 Josh Olafsen moves to second row. Dominik Krajsek comes into the match 23 as starting lock. Their starting #10 Keegan Morengo picked up an injury last week so fullback Matt Willemse slides into #10, scrum half Jan Lourens moves to fullback and Brady Howlett comes off the bench to start at scrum half.
The Pride will be strong favourites going into the match. Prediction: Pride by 12.
Note: the game isn’t at the Willoughby Park Stadium, the usual TWU hosting, but at the Langley Rugby Club so there won’t be a live stream.
Pacific Pride (Sept 7th/current)
1 Justin Tasse / Cole Harris
2 Neil Trainor / Theo Espagnol
3 Conor Williams / Greg McDowell
4 Josh Halladay / Ben James
5 Jaiden John / Josh Halladay
6 Braden Bruce / Evan Logan
7 Taine Clague
8 Charles Taimani
9 Chris Rose / Mitch Buie
10 Ty Driscoll / Tiarnan Neville
11 Andrew Cooper / Liam Poulton
12 Noah Flesch
13 Liam Turnbull
14 Liam Poulton / James Thiel
15 James Thiel / Jean-Louis Descoutte
16 Theo Espagnol / Neil Trainor
17 Cole Harris / Justin Tasse
18 Greg McDowell / Conor Williams
19 Ben James / Jaiden John
20 Jean-Louis Descoutte / Braden Bruce
21 Mitchell Buie / Chris Rose
22 Tiarnan Neville / Ty Driscoll
23 Rowan Closs
TWU (Sept 7th/current)
1 Ethan Jurgeneit
2 Riku Konrad
3 Tim Zimmer / Joe Goroza
4 Sam Tsoi / Josh Olafsen
5 David Wegert / Dominik Krajsek
6 Caleb van Til
7 Genaro Gandolfo
8 Josh Olafsen / Tim Zimmer
9 Jan Lourens / Brady Howlett
10 Keegan Morengo / Matt Willemse
11 Connor Gibbons
12 Collin Lagat
13 Josiah Levale
14 Lynden Duggan / Connor Bernardin
15 Matt Willemse / Jan Lourens
16 Seth Klassen
17 Ben Graci / Favour Olaniyan
18 Joe Goroza / Grayson Hardie
19 Martin Zubiri
20 Ty Dayton / Ben Graci
21 Brady Howlett / Wes Willemse
22 Ken Paul
23 Connor Bernardin / Lynden Duggan
UBC RFC 44 v University Of Victoria 33 @ 14:30
Referee: Saro Turner AR1: Kevin Heieis AR2: Sam Klein-Laufer
Venue: UBC- Gerald McGavin Centre
We said UBC +7 and it was UBC +11, a relatively close match. The Rugby Network doesn’t have an archive of the match online yet, hopefully that will be forthcoming. UBC were ranked #1 nationally in the latest CUMRC poll and UVic #3, so the game result was in line with predictions. The teams meet again on October 19th with UVic hosting. The games are also part of the Wightman Boot competition, a two game series, held annually between the two universities. Next week UBC visit the Pride and UVic travel to TWU.
PREGAME
UBC looked impressive in their win over TWU last week with the forwards battling for the hard yards and opening space for the backs later in the match. They’ve only made one change to the starting XV with Sandon Gupta replacing Callum Arnesen at openside flanker.
UVic played well for portions of the game last week in their loss to the Pride, they managed to battle back from a deficit, take the lead and were only down 4 points with 20 minutes left. They fell apart in the last 5 minutes however, leaking in 2 tries to forfeit a losing bonus point. They’ve shifted around some forward assignments with #8 Ryder Heaney-Corns out of the lineup, Josh Petrov comes off the bench to start at lock, Merlin M’Cloud moves from lock to openside flanker and Adam Doane moves from openside to #8. In the backs Matt Bennett comes off the bench to start at fullback. There are a couple of new faces on the bench, Alex Gordon and Reece Thompson.
UBC go in as favourites, they looked in top form against TWU last week even though missing the McMullin brothers who are in Japan with the Canada team. Prediction: UBC by 7.
Note: The game will be streamed on TheRugbyNetwork.com, here is the link.
UVic (Sept 7th/current)
1 Phoenix Moller
2 Jordy Auger
3 Brighton Feldman
4 Merlin M’Cloud / Josh Petrov
5 Brendan Kim
6 Muiredach Casey
7 Adam Doane / Merlin M’Cloud
8 Ryder Heaney-Corns / Adam Doane
9 Chris Gamage
10 Angus Boyd-Porter
11 Ethan Smith
12 Sion Griffiths
13 Lockart MacGregor
14 Morgan Di Nardo
15 Alex Gamage / Matt Bennett
16 Moe Steves
17 Liam Bolton
18 Nic Willey
19 Dane Seibens / Alex Gordon
20 Josh Petrov / Dane Seibens
21 Sully Curran / Reece Thompson
22 Lachlan Crooks / Sully Curran
23 Matt Bennett / Alex Gamage
UBC (Sept 7th/current)
1 Koen Buckingham
2 Emmett Allen
3 Payton Teneycke
4 Caden Wilson
5 Joe McNulty
6 Sol Jacques
7 Callum Arnesen / Sandon Gupta
8 Relmu Wilson-Valdes
9 Stephen Webb
10 James Biss
11 Jared Andrews-Almack
12 Demetri Patterson
13 Alastair Marshall
14 Niko Andrianos
15 Ben Beauchamp
16 Kevin Griffiths
17 Tate Hartley
18 Charlie Clark / Elijah McQueen
19 Sandon Gupta / Charlie Clark
20 Elijah McQueen / Jacob Bourne
21 Jacob Bourne / Max McGavern
22 Max McGavern / Marco Mitchell
23 Marco Mitchell / Liam James
Dunbar Keg U20
Vancouver Island Tide 48 v TORA 10 @ 13:00
Referee: Julianne Zussman AR1: Justine Blatt-Janmaat AR2: Olivia Ross
Venue: Juan De Fuca
Vancouver Rugby Union Wave 29 v Fraser Valley 26 @ 13:00
Referee: Joel Van Meer AR1: David Williams AR2: Taha Yildirim
Venue: Connaught Park