UBC Thunderbirds Defeat Saint Mary’s Gaels 33-28
It was a close match in muddy conditions as the T-Birds went into the half down 21-19 but scored twice early in the second half and then conceded a late try to claim the win.
Matt Perciller opened the scoring 4 minutes into the match after some prolonged pressure from the forwards near the Gaels goal line. The ball was sent to the backs on the blindside but UBC were outnumbered. Perciller ducked under the first tackle and then twisted his way past two more tacklers for the try.
The Gaels answered back with a try by their tighthead prop after some sustained pressure inside the UBC 22, the score was tied 7-7 with 13 minutes gone. The Gaels went ahead at the 20 minute mark with another try from the forwards after spending time inside the UBC 22, 14-7. Five minutes later UBC put some phases together inside the Saint Mary’s 22 and scored off a penalty on a tap and go, conversion was made, 14-14.
UBC went ahead 8 minutes from half when #9 Jack Carson found no one defending at the ruck and scampered down the field. After some broken play the ball found its way to the outside backs and UBC crossed the line, conversion missed, 19-14 for UBC. The Gaels went back into the lead 2 minutes from half when a UBC ball carrier spilled the ball in contact at his 22, a couple of phases later the Gaels were over. A difficult sideline conversion was made and it was 21-19 for Saint Mary’s at the half.
Two minutes into the second half Jack Carson at #9 again made a line break from the ruck, this time he went the distance and put UBC ahead, 26-21. Six minutes later UBC found an overlap out wide and #11, Tenniel Cowen, got on the board, 33-21. The Gaels scored off a driving maul with 2 minutes left in the match, 33-28. The Gaels knocked the ball on just outside their 22 with time expired and UBC came away with the win in a closely contested match.
The UBC scrum looked good and put Saint Mary’s under pressure. Jack Carson at scrum-half was probably the man of the match for UBC.
*UBC Travel to Saint Mary’s in Moraga, California for Top Level College Match: Kickoff at 12pm on Saturday*
Saint Mary’s College in Moraga, California, on the outskirts of Oakland, are one of the top college programs in the USA. They won the national title three times in the last 7 years and were in the final five times. They thumped TWU last weekend 45-10 so this should be a good contest.
The match is at 12pm PT on Saturday and the live stream is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwDFFDEtTpw
It’s interesting to note the U20 eligible players in the UBC roster with the Canada U20 camp coming up in February: Joe McNulty prop, Sol Jaques and Ethan Lee backrow, Owain Cormack flyhalf, Alastair Marshall centre/wing, Kieran Martin centre.
UBC’s first match in the BC Premier league in the new year will be against the Pacific Pride at Starlight Stadium on February 4th.
UBC
1. Koen Buckingham
2. Jacob Bossi
3. Payton Tenneycke
4. Hillyard Carson
5. Izzak Kelly
6. Sol Jaques
7. Joshua Downes
8. Relmu Wilson – Valdes
9. Jack Carson
10. James Biss
11. Tenniel Cowen
12. Ethan Berry
13. Takoda Mcmullin
14. Alastair Marshall
15. Matt Percillier
16. Conor OFlaherty
17. Raymond Chou
18. Joe Mcnulty
19. Ethan Lee
20. Flynn Heyes
21. Max Abercrombie
22. Jacob Bourne
23. Kieran Martin
24. Jared Andrews – Almack
25. Maxwell Radcliffe
26. Owain Cormack