Coastal Cup Match Reports from UBC, TWU and UVic
The following are match reports from 3 of the 4 Coastal Cup teams, UBC, TWU and UVic. The only match report missing is from the Pacific Pride, the Rugby Canada Academy team.
Kudos to the teams for putting out timely match reports. There’s one error in the UBC report, attributing a TWU try to Guiseppe du Toit who wasn’t in the match day 23. TWU attributes that try to Keegan Morengo who was playing #12.
The TWU match report contains some good insights from coach Andy Evans relevant to player selection for the upcoming Canada ‘A’ tour to South America.
‘Birds down Spartans for first win of season
from UBC
A sunny Saturday afternoon set the ideal stage for a crosstown bout at Gerald McGavin UBC Rugby Centre. A packed house was treated to a competitive showing as the UBC Thunderbirds emerged with their first victory of the season, besting Trinity Western by a score of 40-17.
Both sides employed a ‘bend don’t break’ philosophy early, despite trading chances, neither team could put up points. The deadlock was broken just over 22 minutes in with the visiting Spartans scoring 3 off the boot of freshmen Matthew Willemse (#10).
There was a break in the action as UBC’s Scott Bowers (#16) delivered a hard, perfectly timed hit, but took the worst of the collision as he was shaken up and forced to leave the match. Shortly after, the T-birds evened the score at 3-3 with 2nd year Max Abercrombie kicking for a tie. Abercrombie had a stellar kicking performance, finishing the match with 3 penalties and 3 conversions.
A team-wide effort stretching the field of play lead to the game’s first try as UBC’s Matt Percillier (#15) forced his way past the try line, giving his team the lead late in the first half. The unconverted try left an 8-3 score to end the first half.
Both squads took full advantage of the break in-between halves, players came storming out of the gates, picking up the pace of action drastically. It was the visiting Spartans who struck first as Guiseppe Du Toit (#12) pummelled through to score, and teammate Willemse (#10) converted the try. The rivalry kicked into full-gear with the sides painting the pitch with an entertaining battle. However, it was the Thunderbirds who opened the floodgates, Payton Teneycke (#3) punched through a try, giving the T-Birds a lead, which they refused to relinquish.
“We had a decision, we were either going to sit here and repeat the last two weeks or we were going to do something about it, that was the difference, [UBC] decided they were going to do something about it.” Said T-Birds Head Coach Curry Hitchborn, referencing UBC’s two losses to start the season.
Joshua Downes (#7) and Raymond Chou (#6) added a try each to the total, as the T-Birds turned on the jets to extend their lead. After stifling the Spartans offence on the try line, the T-Birds counter-attacked. Forest Scarrwener (#23) was rewarded for his hustle as the third year chased down a teammate’s kick, which the Spartans could not field, finding the ball in his hands past the try line. The converted try gave the T-Birds a 37-10 lead, and their highest offensive output of the season so far.
The Spartans showed their resilience, refusing to roll-over, as Lynden Duggan (#14) cut into the lead with a late converted try, however, Trinity Western ran out of clock and UBC made good on a penalty kick just before the final whistle to secure the 40-17 victory.
TWU (1-0-2) will visit Pacific Pride next, a team they defeated 37-26 last weekend. The T-Birds will also head to Vancouver Island for their next matchup. UBC will try to even the score against UVIC who secured a 30-14 win against the T-Birds last weekend.
“It’s UVIC next weekend, they’re not to be taken lightly but I can guarantee you we’re very much looking forward to that one.” said the always enthusiastic T-Birds Head Coach Curry Hitchborn on the opportunity.
The T-Birds match vs. UVIC will take place on October 1st at 2:30 p.m. PT in Victoria.
SPARTANS FALL TO THUNDERBIRDS IN COASTAL CUP CLASH
From TWU
Trinity Western’s men’s rugby team lost 40-17 against UBC Saturday afternoon in a Coastal Cup match at the Gerald McGavin UBC Rugby Centre.
TWU’s Keegan Marengo (Johannsburg, South Africa) dotted down early in the second half and Matthew Willemse (Pietermaritzburg, South Africa) slotted the conversion to give the Spartans a 10-8 lead, but shortly thereafter the game turned UBC’s way.
The Thunderbirds scored a try in the 49th minute to go ahead 15-10, sparking a stretch in which UBC tallied 32 straight points.
A late try by TWU’s Lynden Duggan (Burnaby, B.C.) rolled the scoreboard over for the Spartans, with Marengo hitting the conversion, but a UBC penalty on the final play of the match iced the T-Birds 40-point afternoon.
Willemse opened the scoring in the 23rd minute putting a penalty through the posts, before UBC equalized in the 32nd minute with a penalty of their own. A T-Birds try in the 37th minute put the home side up 8-3 at halftime.
UBC’s second half points came via four tries, three conversions and two penalties.
TWU Scoring Plays
1st Half
23′ Willemse penalty converstion
2nd Half
42 Marengo try, Willemse conversion
80′ Duggan try, Marengo conversion
QUOTABLE
Andrew Evans Director of Rugby
“We came out of the gates a little flat and UBC was really aggressive and hungry for the full 80 minutes. Our game management and execution wasn’t great and we ended up getting some penalties that snuffed out any momentum that we were going to get.
“I think UBC played exactly how we thought they would. I was surprised with the way we came out. We didn’t have the defence that we showed that we can play against the Pride last week. This week, we let them run at us and they’re good ball carriers if you let them get running at you. I’m not sure why that was. I’ll have to figure that out. They had some really good carries by their forwards and they definitely defended our lineout really well, especially in the first half. They were very good at getting the ball wide, but those are things that they’ve shown already. It’s about us needing to execute on defence and execute on the attack.
“UBC is very good. They lost some games prior to this win, but if anyone was second guessing UBC, we saw today that they are very good. Congratulations to UBC. I thought they did a lot of positive things.
“This Coastal Cup is fantastic. We have so many good, young players from Canada playing in this competition and working hard every week. There’s a Canada ‘A’ tour coming up and I definitely think (Canada coach) Kingsley Jones should be picking some of these boys. There are definitely individuals who can make a difference for Canadian rugby on all four of these teams. We have big games coming up but we want all four of these teams helping with a solution for Canada to turn the corner in men’s rugby.”
NOTABLE
TWU is now 0-2 all-time against UBC, having lost 34-13 in their first-ever meeting a year ago in the Coastal Cup.
Last week, the Spartans took home a program-defining victory (37-26 W) against Pacific Pride Rugby Canada’s National Development Academy.
UP NEXT
TWU travels to play the Pacific Pride Oct. 1 at Starlight Stadium in Langford, B.C. at 2:30 p.m. (PT).
Late comeback falls short as Pride top Vikes
from UVic
A second-half push from the University of Victoria men’s rugby team was nearly successful, but a final try by Pacific Pride in the closing minutes sealed the victory for the visitors, 31-24, Sept. 24 at Wallace Field.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half – Pride 14, UVic 0
– All Pride in the first half, the visiting side scored two tries and made both converts to take a 14-0 lead after the first 40 minutes of play.
Second Half – Pride 31, UVic 24
– The Pride would be the first on the board out of the break, adding seven points in via try and convert in the 47th minute.
– A penalty try awarded to UVic in the 51st minute put the home side on the board, making the score 21-7 for the Pride.
– Adding three more points via penalty goal, the Pride went ahead, 24-7, in the 55th minute.
– Beginning the Vikes’ scoring run, Shane Rikley-Krindle puts the Vikes on the board with a try in the 62nd minute, bringing the score to 24-12 for the Pride.
– Adding a second try just four minutes later, Rikley-Krindle touched the ball down while Jenner Teufel added two points via convert to pull the Vikes within five, 24-19.
– In the 70th minute, Ethan Hager brought the game level with a try for the Vikes. UVic would take the lead on a convert from Angus Boyd-Porter, 26-24.
– The Pride would put the final points on the board, notching the try and convert to seal the game, 31-24.
WORTH NOTING
– Rikley-Krindle’s tries marked his firsts of the year, while Hager notched his second of the season.
– Teufel recorded his first points of the year with the convert.
– The Vikes and Pride now hold 2-1 records after the match.
UP NEXT
The Vikes host UBC at Wallace Field for the final leg of the Wightman Boot next Saturday, Oct. 1 at 2:30 p.m.