In Touch Newsletter Issue 11 by Phil Smith – SMUS Crowned Champs in Thriller; Stags Give Reality Check to Thunderbirds
Games This Week
Sr Boys Provincial Championships Wednesday May 28 to 31. Quarterfinal Matchups:
Shawnigan v Abbotsford
Quw’utsun v Kelowna
Oak Bay v Carson Graham
Claremont v Lake City
SMUS v Argyle
Brentwood v Charles Tupper
Power Rankings May 25
1. Shawnigan
2. Oak Bay
3. SMUS
4. Quw’utsun
5. Brentwood
Games Last Week
Shawnigan (59) vs Quw’utsun (3)
Three Stars:
★★★ Pascal Ganoza (Shawnigan)
★★ Milo MacDonald (Shawnigan)
★ DJ Banks (Shawnigan)
Shawnigan dominated a flat Quw’utsun team at Wallace Field to capture the AAA Island
Championship in a canter. Strong performances upfront from flanker Pascal Ganoza, ruthlessly
consistent prop Milo MacDonald, and hard-running midfielder DJ Banks proved too much for the
previously top-ranked Thunderbirds.
Shawnigan continued to showcase its defensive organization and muscle; on the odd occasion
when Quw’utsun made a break, the Stags were strong at the ruck and forced a turnover. In addition,
they did the boring stuff remarkably well, such as effective kicking and basic catch and pass to put
the opposition under pressure.
While credit needs to go to Shawnigan, it behooves this writer to acknowledge how flat Quw’utsun were
on the day. They lacked muscle in their tackles and gave up the gain line too easily. They are too good
to be satisfied with such a scoreline. Indeed, a strange moment happened at the end of the game,
when Quw’utsun were given a penalty down 59-0 and opted to kick three. If there were a reason to
forgo a last attempt at a try, this reporter doesn’t know it, and it seemed to signify a white flag.
Quw’utsun posted two historic wins this season which came on the back of muscled-up swagger
and courageous attacking flair. They will need to find that mojo to succeed at Provincials.
Shawnigan, on the other hand, suffered an early defeat to Quw’utsun as well as several close
games during which they seemed to gel as a team. On Wednesday, every hard tackle and searing run
seemed personal. They are peaking at the right time of the season.
SMUS (34) vs Brentwood (33)
Three Stars:
★★★ Ewan Webber-Smith (SMUS)
★★ Soren Lee (Brentwood)
★ Declan Longridge (SMUS)
ISLAND AA THRILLER GOES DOWN TO THE WIRE
In a much-anticipated May 21 contest, played under sunny skies at the University of Victoria’s
Wallace Field, SMUS and Brentwood met to decide the AA Senior Boys Rugby championship.
In the end, in a match pitting the forward power of SMUS vs the ever dangerous attacking play of
Brentwood, a last second try by captain Ewan Webber-Smith secured a 34-33 Blue Jags victory.
SMUS opened proceedings in style, dominating possession and territory en route, via prop Tristan
Mo’s try, to an early 5-0 lead. Undeterred, Brentwood swung back onto attack, cashing in on a
surfeit of possession. Within minutes, a clever diagonal cross kick and then a surging run by Peter
Dryden resulted in two superb tallies and put the Mill Bay Independent up 12-5.
Then it was SMUS’ turn, another series of frontal assaults on the goalline allowing prop Santi Flores
to squeeze over by the post. 12-12.
Still, there was further first half drama to come, as clever interplay and quick recycling saw Brentwood
Soren Lee slice through a ragged SMUS defence to gallop home from some 40 meters out.
19-12 Brentwood at intermission.
The second half likewise rocked back and forth. An early SMUS forward surge produced a try. Then, a
loose Brentwood clearance allowed SMUS fullback Quin McMeekin to step several would-be tacklers
on his way to finish superbly out wide.
22-19 to SMUS.
Perhaps emboldened by taking the lead, SMUS tried to play too much open rugby in its own half.
Forgoing a brisk quartering wind resulted only in knock-on and ball-in-contact errors. Brentwood
required no second invitation to capitalize, with Youto Imai scooping up a loose ball for a
breakaway try before Dryden then sliced inside on his way to the posts. Two straightforward
conversions by Julian Bishop put Brentwood in control 33-22. Nine minutes to play.
SMUS, to its credit, helped in part to a Brentwood restart error, answered back straight away, thanks
to a well-organized driving maul. 33-29, the Jags back to within a single score.
The final acts were still to come. Another multi-phase Brentwood attack stretched the SMUS
defence to the breaking point. What should have been a routine pass and catch on a 3 vs 1 situation,
with a clinching try inevitable, broke down as SMUS lock Declan Longridge somehow pulled off not only
a desperate tackle, but then, ripping the ball clear, raced back upfield some 70 meters.
Though he was dragged down at the Brentwood 22, a subsequent midfield offside penalty allowed
SMUS to kick for the corner and lay on a final siege on the try line. Despite some heroic Brentwood
defence, Webber-Smith finally found the smallest of holes in the ruck defence. Stretching for the line, he
just managed to dot down, as referee Derek Horton brought the game to a close.
34-33 final score.
Both teams now move on to the BC AA Tournament in Abbotsford May 28-31.
Junior Rugby Provincial Championships
Oak Bay sixth, Shawnigan ninth.
The Island sent two teams to an expanded edition of the tournament this year. Shawnigan
lost two matches to Yale and Elgin Park on day one, each by the slimmest of margins, before
defeating Rutland and Mt Boucherie to finish 9th.
Oak Bay fared slightly better, losing to Collingwood but defeating Mt Boucherie and
Carson Graham, before losing to St George’s in their final game to finish sixth overall.
The best team of the tournament was Robert Bateman, who won each of their games
comfortably and repeated as BC Junior Champs.
Island Boys First XV Stars
Competition Leaderboard
May 25 (Final Standings)
Robert Reid (OB) 10
Jasper Keast (OB) 8
Soren Lee (BCS) 8
Max Lang (QU) 7
Jack Driscoll (SMUS) 7
Julian Bishop (BCS) 7
Mike Oughtred (OB) 7
Simroy John (SLS) 7
Luke Prest (QU) 6
Ferg Jessop (Clar) 5
Short Lineout
One person’s opinion, expressed succinctly
There has been some concern about Claremont defaulting their last two playoff games. While it is
unfortunate, it is good that their coaches have persevered with their 15s program; we need
more teams, not fewer.
–Phil Smith