Ravens Edge Vikes 27 – 24 – Report by Peter MacDonald
On a cool, late September day the Ravens opened their season facing a fit, well drilled UVic team that was in good form having already had three tough Coastal Cup games. So, it was no surprise to see UVic seize the advantage early with a forward drive to score under the posts at 10 minutes which rewarded their control of the game to that point. Luckily for the home side though, minutes later, a UVic back hung a long miss pass which Ravens winger David Thompson stretched high to snag and quickly run in from short range 7-5 UVic.
The first half ended with another exchange of tries as the Vikes danger man, outside centre Morgan DiNardo, sped through a hole and sent his right winger in. The Ravens then answered through their forwards after Donald Carson broke the UVic lines and one of his mates took it in, 14-12 UVic at the half.
The Ravens coach Chris Taylor came in at the half at prop as did Aaron McLelland at #10 and that paid off at 42 minutes. David O’Donoghue’s quickness to the breakdown forced a not releasing penalty against UVic and following a kick to touch and lineout McLelland went blind and fed Mark Wandeto who did very well to get across the line in the corner with a one-handed touchdown for the Ravens first lead, 17-14. The lead was short lived as UVic answered promptly with a nice back handed miss pass sending in the right winger in the corner. The Vikes feisty, skilled flyhalf from “The Rock” Angus Boyd-Porter then slotted his third conversion (two from the sideline) for a 21-17 lead. But that didn’t stand for long as again the Ravens answered with fullback Noah Bain making a break and putting centre Hamish Janes into space for the bonus point try, 22-21 Ravens at 50 minutes.
The later stages of the game saw the students with more possession, more threat and likely more fitness but UVic was undone somewhat by a few too many knock-ons one of which was gathered by scrum half Cole Keffer who moved the ball to man of the match Thompson who showed a burst and quick feet to score his second of the day, 27-21 at 60 minutes. DiNardo’s speed then put the Ravens under big stress with two long counterattacking runs from his own 22 to the Ravens 22 and, but for saving tackles by Bain and then Wandeto, the students would have walked away with a win. As it was, after Boyd-Porter slotted a penalty goal to move the score to 27-24, UVic still had a chance in the waning moments as it put on the pressure with plenty of phases but a big push by the Ravens pack at a set, a couple of knock-ons and finally a lost ball at an attacking ruck near the Ravens posts undid them as #8 Joe Locke gathered the loose ball and passed it McLelland who punted it to touch to end a very close game.
Tries came a little too easily for both sides not unexpectedly at this stage of the season. But both sides should fare well as the season progresses. Newcomers Owan Kokan, Iwan Shenton and Sean Beckett stepped into the Raven pack and showed very well. A good first outing for the squad. Another stern test at home awaits the Ravens as the Pride roll in with a 4-0 record this Saturday.