M-RUGBY ROUNDUP: Badgers dash Marauders perfect season hopes with 28-24 upset
Saturday, October 4
McMaster 24 @ Brock 28
ST. CATHARINES, Ont. - The Brock University men's rugby team (4-2 OUA) knocked off the first place McMaster Marauders by the score of 28-24 Saturday afternoon at the Badgers Rugby Field.
"I am very proud of the way our guys are playing," said Brock men's rugby head coach Phil Sullivan. "Today we played a very strong game and battled right from start to finish."
The Badgers led 18-14 at the half, with trys from Patrick Nguyen, Ben Thompson and two penalty goals and and a convert from leading scorer Connor Fitzsimmons.
Brock held that lead until 10 minutes into the second half, when McMaster added a try and convert to take a 21-18 lead. The Marauders extended their lead to six, with a drop goal from Andrew Ferguson to go up 24-18 with 22 minutes left in regulation.
Brock would cut the lead to three, after a Fitzsimmons penalty goal, his third of the game, to make it 24-21 with 19 minutes remaining. The Badgers regained the lead with 14 minutes left as Wade Little broke by the Marauders defense down the sideline for the try, making it 26-24. Fitzsimmons would nail the convert to put Brock up 28-24.
McMaster would continue to push for the equalizer, but it was the Badgers defense coming up strong with some great tackles and defensive stops, on route to their fourth win of the regular season.
Scoring for McMaster were Keran Hurst, Graham Dobbs and Irving Casaban-Sosa with single trys and Andrew Ferguson with three converts and one drop goal.
Source: Brock Badgers
Guelph 17 @ Queen's 33
KINGSTON, Ont. (October 4, 2014) - After losing their first match in over two years last weekend at McMaster, the Gaels came home on Saturday afternoon to defeat the previously unbeaten Guelph Gryphons 33-17 on Nixon Field.
Queen's had the kick off against the wind on a rainy day in Kingston, and were immediately on the offense getting inside Guelph's 22 by the third minute. The Gaels took advantage of a Guelph high kick off a scrum and pushed Angus MacPhail (Vancouver) over the goal line, putting the first try on the board followed by a conversion from David Worsley (Vancouver).
The Gryphons were quick to respond, grabbing a fumbled pass as Jeremy Wright scored Guelph's first try of the match. The Gryphons attacked again, forcing a scrum at the five meter line, which allowed James McLeod to put down the second try for Guelph.Joe Newman completed one of the two conversions as the Gryphons pulled ahead. The Gaels pushed back with a beautiful chip assist from Andrew Carr (King City, Ont.) just across the goal line, put down by Teddy Taggart (Ottawa), tying the game at 12-12. Guelph's Brandon McLeod put down one more try, as the Gryphons led the Gaels 17-12 at halftime.
With the wind at their backs in the second half, the Gaels turned up the heat in a series of offensive attacks, including a 20 yard kick from Worsley dying just short of the Gryphons 22, causing a lineout for the Gaels. In a team effort, the Gaels pushed a ruck across the goal line, with Brendan Sloan (Peterborough, Ont.) getting credit for the try. A completed Worsley conversion gave the Gaels a two point lead against the Gryphons, which they never relinquished.
Maintaining the momentum, the Gaels charged the defensive line again with Joseph Yelle (Brantford, Ont.) putting down a try with another conversion by Worsley. The Gryphons kept up the pressure forcing the Gaels line back only to be denied as Fraser Bruce (Toronto) intercepted a failed chip forward and added his own try to the board. The Gaels held onto their lead for the last minutes, ending the match with a 33-17 win against Guelph.
The Gaels will be on the road next weekend when they take on the Toronto Varsity Blues at 7pm.
Source: Queen's Gaels
Western 36 @ RMC 12
KINGSTON, Ont. – Twenty-four first half points gave the Western Mustangs men's rugby team all the offence they would need in a 36-12 victory over the RMC Paladins on Saturday afternoon.
Rain over the previous 24 hours made for a slick field on Saturday afternoon, however the Mustangs wouldn't let the wet weather hold them back as Justin Chan opened the scoring with a try followed by a conversion from Mike Santangeli to make it 7-0 for the Mustangs.
Western continued to have success keeping RMC in their own end, when a deep kick pinned the Paladins on their own goal line. Pressure from Eric Selvaggi caused the ball to squirt out of the ruck and Selvaggi fell on it for a try to make it 12-0 for the Mustangs.
Josh Bald scored the Mustangs next two tries, the first coming when Western spun the ball wide and Bald just beat the defenders to the corner, outracing the defenders to the goal line. He followed up that try by scooping up a ball on a broken play and running it in for his second try of the game. Santangeli added a conversion on the second try to give Western a 24-0 lead at the end of the first half.
The Mustangs didn't slow down in the final half, as tries from Ade Ojo and Jerry McCarty, combined with another convert from Santangeli, put the Mustangs up 36-0. The Paladins struck back with two tries and a conversion, however it wouldn't be enough and Western walked away with a 36-12 victory.
Next up for the Mustangs is their final home game of the regular season as they take on the Brock Badgers on Saturday, October 10, at 5 p.m. at Alumni Field.
Source: Western Mustangs
Waterloo 49 @ Toronto 8
The University of Toronto Varsity Blues men's rugby team fell 49-8 to the Waterloo Warriors on Saturday, October 4 at Varsity Centre.
The Blues opened the scoring in the ninth minute when Tudor Chirila kicked a drop goal to give the home team a 3-0 lead.
Waterloo responded, however, with four straight tries and conversions to take a 28-3 lead at halftime.
The Warriors added to their lead with three more tries in the second half and the Blues added one of their own from Nitai Ben-Shach in the final minute of the match.
Waterloo was led by Kylo Kraemer's four tries, while Jason Park had seven conversions.
The Varsity Blues return to action next Friday, October 10 as they host the Queen's Gaels at Varsity Centre. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
Source: Toronto Varsity Blues
