Capilano Match Reports: Premier Men v Seattle, Premier Women v CW, Women Div 2 v Chilliwack
from Capilano Rugby
Capilano hosted 5 games today. It was supposed to be rainy but the weather turned out to be beautiful. Perhaps a bit chilly but great Rugby weather. The top pitch had two games played, a high school game between West Vancouver and Carson Graham. Carson won 17-0 but it was a well played contest. Capilanos hope to make this an annual event. Caps awarded two rugby shirts to a player of the match from each side. West Vans Taiki Orito and Drew from Carson Graham were selected and awarded the shirts by Caps Neil Courtney.
The Rugby Shop was in attendance all day and gave a discount to High School players. They also contributed raffle items that raised $550 for junior rugby. Thanks for the support!
Chef Jim Leith did a mammoth job of feeding everyone including the Meralomas and Kelowna players that played a playoff game on the top field. Lomas have been shutdown at Connaught park due to a Parks Board closure.
The Bob Spray Stadium field had the Second Division game at 11:15am. Scribes won this game handily. They scored 40 unanswered points in the first half. Scribes are a very good 2nd Division team and would likely beat some of the lower Premier Reserve sides. Caps did play better in the second half and managed a couple of late tries. They came close to outscoring Scribes in the second half but a late penalty kick and a try salted it away for Scribes. Congratulations to the Scribes. Also thanks to the referee.
The Capilano Premier Women hosted Castaway Wanderers who managed an overtime victory in an exciting well played game. The 2nd Division Women also won away to Chilliwack, 53-0. They will travel to James Bay on April 15 for the 2nd Division Women Quarterfinals. Please see the excellent match report from Heather Muir below.
The Capilano Premier Men:
Capilano survive Seattle scare to win 38-19.
Seattle was coming off a lopsided loss to Castaway Wanderers but after talking to some of their players one could understand their situation. They had to leave home at 4 AM in order to get to the ferry at Tsawwassen. Perhaps Caps underestimated them. The start of the game was all Seattle. It was like the last Capilano game against Ravens at Klahanie where Caps came out loaded for Bear and jumped to an early lead. Today the shoe was on the other foot, Caps were down 0-14 and Seattle looked awesome.
Two lightening quick tries by a fast wingers, left Capilano supporters worried that this could be a long day for the home side. A team meeting was held in the in goal and things began to change. The first Seattle try came off a returned clearance kick from well into the Seattle end. Seattle kicked back and it gave them great field position in Capilano territory. Seattle Captain number 10 Jonny Reid threw a long by pass to winger Jordan Andersen who took the ball at speed and evaded a couple of attempted Cap tacklers and scored in the corner. Jonny Reid converted. Caps survived another big run by Seattle this time the other wing Isiah Chinen who was stopped by a saving tackle made by Jeremy Simon. A long kick by Mike Moloney was returned and Seattle had another chance but the pass went to touch. Seattle made another big run up the middle was stopped by the Capilano defense who then cleared but Seattle ran the clearance kick back and number 11 zig zagged and scored under the posts. The convert made it 14-0 for the visitors.
Caps managed to claw their way back into the contest. Johnny Franklin lead the charge in the backs. He broke the Seattle line and then passed long to Matt Nichol for the score in the left corner. The long conversion missed but Caps were on the board. It was 14-5 for Seattle. Seattle had a shot at goal but missed it. Seattle were once again threatening but Caps stopped them and got a goal line drop out. It went to the Seattle fullback who appeared to bat it forward but the officials deemed it to have gone backwards. A high hit by a Seattle player resulted a penalty for Caps. A nice try by Caps was finished off by Matt Nicol and the convert was good putting them clearly back into the game. It was now 12-14 in favour of Seattle.
Caps young flanker Marcos Merenyi made a couple of nice runs but the ball was stolen from him on the second run and Seattle turned it into attack. Caps managed to get the ball back after a long advantage was called by the referee for a high tackle. Johnny Franklin scored after a couple of sparkling runs to give the home side their first lead of the day, 19-14. Jack Rainer, who had an outstanding game, in the lineouts and loose, managed to charge down a Seattle clearance kick. It looked like Caps would score again but Seattle intercepted a pass and cleared for touch. It was now half time.
Caps made a few changes at the half and Glen McKinnon came on. Some back and forth kicking occurred and a Seattle player was yellow carded for a high hit one that broke his own nose. Caps took some advantage of the manpower situation. Caps kicked a couple of penalty kicks for lineouts and scored off the second one with Mike Moloney spotting a gap and going in for the score. The convert made it 26-14 for Capilano. Caps put on a good display of ball carrying and used the power running of Mahyer Hossein to their advantage. This was his first start in the centres and he was a handful for the Seattle defense. Seattle were still in the hunt though and scored with a ruck pick and go to bring the game within one converted try 26-19.
Jeremy Simon and Chris Robinson switched positions with C-Rob moving to 15 and JS to 9. Seattle continued to push forward and the Capilano defense stiffened. The game seemed to lag and the set scrum was reset several times. Caps scrum was going backwards but usually managed to keep control of the ball. Perhaps the teams were tiring. Seattle only had four reserves. Caps had more on the bench but many of them were backs. Seattle had some problems handling the ball and this cost them on several occasions. Both sides were giving up interceptions and that seemed to even out. Caps broke the lethargy with a well taken try. Jesse Ryan broke through while juggling the ball. He controlled it and off loaded to flanker Nick Pearce. The ball then went to Mike Moloney who passed to Johnny Franklin who ran then passed back to Mike Moloney who took it in for the try. He converted his second try and it was now 38-19.
Seattle tried to answer back and got deep into the Capilano end. Caps got possession and ran back from their own goal line. The ball went out to Matt Nicol who made considerable ground before off loading to Chris Robinson. Chris looked like he might go all the way but 3 Seattle players were closing in on him. Chris tried to get the ball to Mike Moloney but it went forward and Seattle was awarded a scrum. Seattle ran from their goal line and the ball went to the speedy number 11 he went considerable distance before being tackled. Both of these late runs were exciting and the doldrums were a thing of the past. There was no further scoring. I thought the score flattered Capilanos. They had fought hard to get back into the game but Seattle looked dangerous and except for their ball handling errors and thin bench they have considerable talent. I can see why they are generally tougher at home with a stronger bench. Caps did win handily last time the two met in Ferndale but Seattle only had a partial squad at that game.
Caps now move onto the playoffs with a game against UBC. Caps played them tough last time the two met at Klahanie but Caps have lost many players to injuries since then. Hopefully a few will be ready to play in two weeks following the Easter Break. As this was the last scheduled home game a big thanks to the loyal supporters of Capilano Rugby that show up in force every home game. A big thanks also to the sponsors who help put the teams on the field. Rugby day at Klahanie is always exciting so thanks to the coaches, players and trainers for making it all possible. Hope to see you at UBC for the Playoff Game
Caps for Life
John Langley
Womens 2nd Division vs. Chilliwack
The 2nd division women travelled down to Chilliwack for their last regular season game of the year. Chilliwack is a new side to the league in the last few years and always provide an excellent, high energy game and great hosting!
Capilano played a strong game across the entire 60 minutes and relished the opportunity to play 12-a-side. The visitors started off with great composure and pressure to secure and maintain possession. #13 Lara MacFarlane kicked off the try scoring minutes into they game as they burst through the contact ball-first and grounded the ball. #12 Victoria Waud slotted the conversion through to bring the score up to 7-0.
The tries kept on coming as the Capilano side showed their consistency across their whole line-up with seven different players getting on the scoreboard throughout the game. #12 Victoria Waud added to their points tally as they took the offload from #10 Shelby Slay and broke through the defensive line for a try.
Young impact player Zoey Pulfrey added their name to the list with a clean break through the defense off a penalty and left the would-be tacklers in the dust as they raced in untouched for a well-earned try. Pulfrey was involved in the try scoring again as they broke the line and made several metres before distributing a great offload mid-tackle to #4 Isabel Neilson who came flying through on a support line and over for the try.
The Capilano side had clearly found their groove now, as their cohesion and consistency on offense and defense displayed the hard work theyve put in over the season. New players to the sport this half #1 Lizzy McKinlay and #5 Alison Horne have both shown tremendous growth in their play since January and each earned well deserved tries in the game. Both players have become essential additions to the Capilano roster and made several big hits on defense and strong carries on offense.
The last 20min of play saw multiple examples of excellent interplay between the Capilano forwards and backs as they moved confidently through the phases and settled into their system. #8 Zekeya Baguinon started off the next try with a great pick and run off the back of the scrum before sending the ball out to #10 Shelby Slay who raced away on a huge run that brought them a tantalizing metre short of the try line. However, Captain Slay was able to get the offload off to the supporting #13 Lara MacFarlane who crossed the line and touched the ball down to finish the job.
The game ended with another brilliant display of rugby as they backs flawlessly executed one of their set piece plays that stumped the defenders and left a gap for impact Rachel Vukovich to race away into the distance as they covered 80metres untouched for the final try of the game. Final score was an impressive 53-0 for Capilano.
Players of the match were Eleanor Somers who was an unstoppable force on offense and an immovable wall on defense, and Shelby Slay who was instrumental throughout the game with their support lines and ball distribution. Players Player went to Rachel Vukovich who scored a brace on their first game back and had a tremendous impact all over the field. A huge thank you to Chilliwack for another great game of spirited rugby and sportsmanship as well as the continued excellent hosting. Thank you also to the 2nd division players who raced back to take their place as impacts for the premier game, as well as all the medical staff and volunteers who helped out throughout the day!
Womens Premier Division vs. CW
The Capilano premier women took on the islands Castaway Wanderers in a rematch of last weeks close encounter. However, the stakes this time were much higher as this was the first round of players for the Premier division with each team vying for a semi-final spot.
The match began how you would expect, with strong rugby from both sides as neither team was willing to concede an inch. Capilano managed to keep CW pinned on their own 5m line for several minutes but were unable to cross the line. Finally, the ball was released to the backline and #10 Flora Poole took advantage of a half gap to cut back inside and slice through around the posts for the first try of the game. Conversion from #13 Dani Fearns was good and the home team took the lead at 7-0.
The next several minutes saw play remain largely in the middle of the field as neither side were able to break into the oppositions 22m. A turnover on the CW 22m gave the visitors a ball and they raced away for what looked like would be their first points of the game, but #11 Charlotte Ketchen was having none of it as they put in a damaging cross-cover tackle to force a knock on 10m out from the Capilano tryline. The home side were then able to work their way back into the CW half before a break up the middle from CW saw them run in a 65m try to bring the score to 7-5.
The home side were put under pressure again off the kickoff, but were able to hold strong for nearly 10min as they valiantly defended their tryline. Eventually, CW were awarded a scrum 5m out, and after several pick-and-goes from their forwards the visitors crossed the line for the go ahead score. The first half of what had been a tight, low-scoring game so far ended with CW ahead 7-10 at the break.
The Capilano side came out with renewed energy and determination in the second half as they worked steadily into the CW end. A big run from the evasive #10 Flora Poole brought their team 5m out before super-sub Stacey Hake barrelled over the line to make their presence known less than three minutes into the half. Tough conversion was denied by the posts, and the score remained at 12-10.
A big run off the kickoff from #4 Teya Ashworth got Capilano back on the front foot as they pressed back into the CW end. However, a turnover awarded the scrum feedback to CW and they were able to capitalize on the possession and ran in another long range try to bring the score to 12-17.
The home side kept their heads high however, and got back to work immediately off the kickoff. Great interplay from #10 Flora Poole and #12 Sarah Bill brought Capilano deep into the CW side before they were awarded a penalty and opted for the scrum. The Capilano pack had been dominant all game, and showed their relentless force again as they drove the scrum over the line for captain #8 Nicola Jones to touch it down for the go-ahead try. Conversion from #13 Dani Fearns was good and the score was 19-17 after 65min of play.
Several well-worked phases brought Capilano back into the CW end off the restart with some big hit ups from the forwards. The ball then went out to the backs and some great handling and support play was finished off by standout #10 Flora Poole who dove across the line for their second try of the game to bring the score to 24-17. Renewed pressure from Capilano saw the home side once again marching steadily into the CW red zone before #13 Dani Fearns finished off an excellent offensive run with a converted try to put Capilano ahead at 31-17.
The game seemed to be slipping away from CW now, but the experienced side didnt let the pressure get to them and brought a flurry of offensive pressure onto the Capilano side. Although deep inside the CW half, the visitors managed to turnover possession and ran the ball out of their own 22m and down the field for a converted try that brought them right back into the game at 31-24.
The final seconds of the game were ticking away, and the stands were filled with the anxious suspense of the last few plays. The Capilano defense worked desperately to maintain their lead, but a few broken tackles allowed the CW back line to runaway on what looked like a clean break before #2 Melissa Robinson put their speed and determination on breath-taking display and raced back for a cover tackle on the opposing #13 that any back-three player would be proud of. The Capilano scramble defense stopped the next few attempts at the line, but CW were finally able to get the ball out to space and crossed the line for a converted try that tied the game 31-31 on the final whistle.
The game now went to overtime two 5min halves in a fight to survive. The first 5min half saw the majority of play remain just inside the Capilano half, as they were able to hold their defensive line well but were not able to gain much ground into opposition territory. The whistle went to end the first overtime with no change on the scoreboard and all to play for in the final five minutes.
The final minutes of overtime were a whirlwind of big runs and huge defensive plays from both sides. The Capilano side fought bravely, but a few missed tackles from exhausted bodies allowed CW to break through for a converted try at put them ahead 38-31. Players and fans alike willed the home team onwards as they drove onwards in a desperate comeback attempt, but a knock on several minutes after the clock went into the red dashed their hopes as the final whistle sounded. The final score after overtime remained at 38-31 and so ended the playoff hopes for the premier women this season.
Players of the match were #3 Tina Luti who drew multiple defenders on each run and played at impressive 90min in the front row, and #10 Flora Poole who lead their side from the front throughout the game with poise and determination. Players player was awarded to #12 Sarah Bill whose damaging hits on defense energized their whole side across the entire game. Huge thank you to CW for raising the bar and providing us with such an incredible opponent and opportunity to display top-flight womens rugby. Best of luck to CW in their semi-final next week! Big thank you also to all our sideline medical staff, game day volunteers, and all the supporters who have cheered us on all season no matter the outcome!