Retooled Ravens Start Strong: Ravens 69 Westshore 8
report by Peter MacDonald
[ed. it’s the editor’s fault this is late, dropped the ball on this one. The BCRU recorded the score as 84-8 but Peter stands by the 69-8 scoreline. Either way a big win by the Ravens. ]
After almost two years without a Premier League game, today was more about both teams enjoying the return of competitive club rugby, finding out what they have and building match fitness and cohesion. As it turned out the Ravens had too much for the visitors but on a dry field in late January Im sure everyone appreciated the opportunity to do their thing like normal, win or lose, cause right about now normal is more like excellent.
Twenty minutes in it was still tight at 14-8 Ravens. Hooker Jesse MacKail had put the Ravens on the board first as he slid into the backs after nailing his throw in at the lineout and from the ensuing ruck he picked up a low bouncing pass and broke for the line with intent. Aaron McLelland, back after an NZ covid sabbatical, then was given too much room in midfield so he floated through the gap and cut back under the posts as he is wont to do. Westshore answered with an angled kick from the #10 to the left corner flag where it was touched down by the winger and with a well-earned penalty goal after a strong spell in Raven territory.
Three Raven tries before the half put the writing on the wall but Westshore stayed stuck in and remained sportsmanlike throughout despite the advancing score. MacKail beat his man one on one out wide near the line with a hesitation move after Brian Moylett fed him a quick long pass, scrum half Alex Ball sped through a gap and laid the ball off inside to McLelland who shoveled the ball into centre Tyler Humes hands under the posts for the try and Ball then outran a defender to touch down a well-conceived grubber from centre Colby Mason, 33-8 at the half.
Three highlights of the second half included Mason lurking and then intercepting a Westshore pass and taking it 40 metres for a try, a lineout ploy quickly put together during a break by Moylett that sent Jack Scher through for a try from a pass off the top by Moylett and a sweet back of the hand pass to Moylett for the try by new prop Tom Kaijaks as Kaijaks was driving low to the whitewash.
Mason was everywhere in the second half and with his try, grubber assist and two big hits he had rugbys version of a Gordie Howe hat trick you could say. Ball showed his class and speed at #9 and would not suffer in comparison to Gordie McRorie who also plied his trade in the upper echelons of Scottish rugby before landing in Canada with the Ravens.
After a slow build up in numbers and talent in the fall the Ravens appear not to be lacking in either now in 2022. Coach Simon Fitzgerald has delivered on his recruiting hopes and now has two full squads with lots of skill and experience to work with. Should be fun to follow the progress.
Thanks to the referee squad led by Chris Assmus who fit the game in despite a busy schedule of MLR refereeing commitments. Thanks also to him for his explanation of the new Global Law Trial that dictates that when an attacking player is held up in goal or knocks on in goal or an attacking kick is grounded by a defender in goal the restart is a drop-out taken promptly anywhere along the goal line. After Colby Mason was held up in goal and Westshore restarted with a drop-out from in goal I was confused but perhaps I was the only one.
photos by pjCarr
Ray Wilson – second row
Alex Ball – scrum half
