Ravens Notch Another Narrow Victory Ravens 22 – Westshore 17
Report by Peter MacDonald
The Ravens made a long trek through Nanaimo to Langford keen to play their first game in four weeks and face a strong Westshore team at Juan De Fuca Park. It wasn’t a masterpiece, but the visitors put up three tries (two converted) and a penalty goal to the hosts three tries (one converted) to take the win.
Westshore opened the scoring when winger Nelson Oyoo broke left from a ruck and sent Admir Cejvanovic down the sideline into space where the big man made ground before passing inside to another menacing big man Kane Perrett who wasn’t going to be stopped, 5-0 Westshore at 10 minutes. A yellow card to a Westshore player for killing quick Raven ball at a ruck set the stage for a Ravens surge. First winger Mark Wandeto was sent in over the line but was held up. But a second chance to him ended with a try in the left corner, 5-5 at 25 minutes.
The hosts wasted no time. From a ruck near the line a long miss pass from Balaski to winger Alex Mentiply sent him over the line, 12-5 Westshore. By this time unfortunately both teams had had players leave the field through injury. Cejvanovic suffered what he thought was a broken orbital bone and Wandeto had pulled a hamstring.
The two sides were evenly matched so it was no surprise that the Ravens brought the score level just before the half when #10 Jack Carson swung the ball to his cousin Frank who stepped inside his man and laid the ball off smoothly to his fellow lock and brother Don who was making a hard angled run to the posts, 12-12 at the half.
The second half featured some high emotions as Westshore lock Alvin Otieno and Raven #8 Jake Tierney had a thing going on. Referee Lovatt had a talk with them, they made up and play resumed with a Westshore penalty. Rather than swinging the ball fast and wide as was their wont on the day Otieno, the “Water Buffalo”, quick tapped and ran it straight at Tierney, the “Saltwater Crocodile”, who dropped him on the spot with a low tackle, all good all around.
A Raven penalty goal ricocheted in off the left post at 66 minutes. And a Raven try shortly after staked the visitors to a 22-12 lead. Tierney was instrumental in the try, making the lineout throw-in, gathering the ball at the back of the ensuing driving maul and then peeling off right to drive in low for the score. From there Westshore pushed with Balaski diving in at 75 minutes after fullback Rhys James and winger #22 combined on an 80 metre counter to set up the attack at the Raven line. From there solid tackles by the Ravens’ Caleb Whitelaw, Reegan O’Gorman and Cole Keffer and steals by Louis Kassapian and Jack Carson kept Westshore at bay and the Ravens went to tight forward play at the end to see out the game.
The game featured plenty of knock-ons and penalties, sloppy Raven lineouts and a strong crosswind so it was not a classic. A four-week layoff and long breaks in the schedule for both teams do not help. With only one game in March the Ravens now will have only one game in April.
But there were plenty of strong performers. Perrett, Otieno, flanker Thomas Heuser, Balaski, James, Oyoo and centre Payton Gibson stood out for Westshore. Prop Owen Kokan, Frank and Don Carson, flanker David O’Donoghue back to his old topflight form, Tierney, scrum half Billy Wickham and Jack Carson were notable for the Ravens.
Raven play resumes April 18 in Victoria against the Vikes.
After 18 years of playing in this league, I still really do enjoy reading these write ups. It’s nice to see they still happen once in a while.
It was a heated game but unfortunately the lack of skill, understanding and game management really did show on both sides in this “top level match”. It seems to be a common theme in this league that we have to resort to cheap shots in breakdowns, mindless scuffles at every second ruck (yes Pete, it’s a broken orbital bone, I can send you the CT scan report) and referees calling over 25+ penalties in one game.
If any club in this province feels proud of what’s being produced at the top level, it might be time to take a hard look in the mirror. The standard of play across the league has dropped off dramatically. It’s turned into a league where teams show up on the weekend and just see what happens, rather than showing structure, discipline, and intent. From clubs, to referees, all the way up to BC Rugby leadership, it always seems to be the same story, rugby in this country slowly gets worse, but as long as egos are being stroked, everything is considered fine.
If we’re serious about producing players capable of competing at higher levels, then the standards here have to reflect that. Right now, too many matches are reinforcing bad habits, poor breakdown discipline, poor decision making, and poor game management. That doesn’t prepare players for the next level, it holds them back. At some point, we also have to stop blaming the players alone and start asking harder questions. What standards are actually being enforced? What accountability exists when games consistently spiral into penalty counts and cheap shots? And who is responsible for making sure the product on the field improves?
Seven years ago, when the MLR first started, the Ravens were sending teams that could actually compete in those games. What do you think the score would be today if even a bottom MLR team played a top BC Premier side? I would put it at about 70 to 5 at minimum. Is this really the standard we’re proud to put on the field in this province?
Like I said, I have played in this league for a long time, representing club, province, and most importantly country. I’ve had the pleasure of helping Westshore Rugby become the club that it is alongside great people who genuinely want to see the game improve and who want to see players eventually reach the level that truly matters, representing Canada.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery, you have always been a great ambassador for the game of rugby and representative of Canada Rugby. Your words and comments carry weight in my opinion.
Your personal story of a immigrant family who came to Canada and then went onto represent Canada is a great story of perseverance, character, pride and love of the game truly reflect the best of what Rugby Canada has to identify for future players!!!!
I wasn’t at the Westshore-Ravens game but watched it online, so I can’t really comment about there being a fraternal atmosphere but traditionally Ravens and Westshore do t have a heated rivalry but certainly have not had the long-standing fraternal and kindred relationship such as the Ravens and UBC.
As a UBC Grad and father, please don’t play up the fraternal relationship, it is insulting and misleading. Parents and UBC Alumni (especially the old ones) are not dumb either. The use of the three letters “UBC” was never meant to be misused to market as a fraternal relationship. There is as heated a rivalry between “UBC” and “Old Boy” as it is with Westshore
The only real UBC “Old Boys” that I recall were Spence MacTavish, Barry Legh, Garth H (founders) and a few others, other like myself and many others who played and graduated form UBC went back to play for our clubs. It is a shame Buzz Moore, is not longer around, if he were he will tell you UBC had a fraternal relationship with “all the clubs” , who sent their kids to play at UBC. However Spence is alive and who knew Buzz well. Ask Spence about the values he learn from Buzz, about what UBC’s roll and relationship With ” ALL THE Clubs” were when BUZZ was at UBC.
“Winning at all cost is nothing if you don’t have character” Too many Legends are gone……..Donation for the building of the current UBC stands came from those UBC alumni who learn about character from a legend.
So I’m a UBC grad and father as well but I’m not sure that makes me any kind of authority on speaking on the matter.
Saying there is a fraternal relationship or some historical link between the clubs is not misleading and it is certainly not insulting (depending on how sensitive one is). The Ravens were founded by the above mentioned individuals who graded from UBC and who wanted to continue playing the open style and free flowing rugby they had become accustomed to while at university. Both Spence Mctavish and Barry Legh have been UBC players, Raven players, Raven coaches, UBC coaches and then back to Ravens coaches. Garth H’s sons have both been integral members of the club for two decades.
Pointing to the fact that the two clubs have close links doesn’t mean that UBC can’t have any type of close link or “fraternal” relationship with any other club so I don’t know why you take exception.
Many of our junior players end up playing at UBC as seen by the three or four kids currently playing with the UBC Prems. The reality is that without the many UBC grads we’ve had over the last eight years we would not have enjoyed the success that we have had. Just to name a few, (not an exhaustive list):
James Thompson, Chris Taylor, Jordan Sandover Best, Conor Hamilton, Ben Grant, Adam McQueen, Bryan Tyrer, Harjun Gill, Sam Clarke, Paul Ahn, Alex Mascot, James Carson, Dave Carson, Donald Carson, Frank Carson, Jack Carson, Hillyard Carson, Cole Keffer, Ethan Berry, Jacob Bourne, Dillon Hamilton, Dim Bonnis, Kirk Bonnis.
As I said that’s a non-exhaustive list of our championship teams of recent years, but I recall watching premier rugby in the late 80s and early 90s with ex-UBC players Norm Hadley Eddy Evans, John Graf, Scott Stewart, Mike Mallette, Steve Tong, Adrian Watkins, Cam Faulkner, Chris Cottrell, Callum McIntosh (and others that, I have likey sadly forgotten).
So when peple say that there is a “fraternal” relationship or historical link between the two clubs hopefully you don’t take that as people thinking that you are dumb.
I guess there was none of this during the game:
“of or like a brother or brothers”…….. “Fraternal actions show strong links of friendship between two people or groups of people”