Gaels and Gryphons battle for Turner Trophy in OUA championship rematch

It is quite an enticing pitch for recruits, when they are told to expect to be playing well into November, as the Queen's Gaels have begun to make a habit of long seasons.

The Gaels return to the OUA Men's Rugby Championship for the fourth year in a row, and will look to take home their fourth-straight Turner Trophy when they head down to Guelph, Ont. on Sunday to take on the Gryphons in a rematch of last year's final.

Guelph fell to Queen's 32-23 this time last season, in a game where the Gaels saw themselves down 16-0 to start. Queen's had to scratch and claw their way back into the game, and pulled within four going into the half. In the second half tricolour found their footing, thanks to the veteran leadership of former Gael Tommy Kirkham who put down two tries in the match.

Fans should prepare for another battle this time around, as Guelph and Queen's finished atop the league once again, except this time Guelph ended the regular season in top spot. Both teams finished with 7-1 records, but in their season opener the Gryphs took home a small taste of redemption, knocking off the defending champs 35-28.

Two-time all-star hooker Eric Howard (Kanata, Ont.) led Guelph in that game, adding a crucial try after a terrific 30-metre run to pay dirt to put the Gryphons ahead by 15 going into the half. The win turned out to have significant implications, as it gave the Gryphs home field advantage in the championship Saturday, something they were without last time around. Guelph will be looking for a full redemption this weekend, and with two teams featuring the most OUA all-stars taking the field, you can expect a fantastic game of rugby.

Guelph finished the season on top of the standings, thanks to coach of the year Darrell Devine and a cast featuring six OUA all-stars. Scrum half Byron Boville (Barrie, Ont.) was at it again this year, taking home his fourth straight all-star nomination, while 8^th man Jeremy Wright (Fenelon Falls, Ont.) took home his third and Howard added his second. Aside from the core trio of veterans, fullback Jonathan West (Scarborough, Ont.), centre Scott Simmonds (Uxbridge, Ont.), and prop Lucas Gillham (Uxbridge, Ont.) took home their first all-star nominations. West led Guelph in scoring, collecting 68 points this season, good for third best in OUA.

The Gryphons had the toughest defence in OUA this season, allowing a league-low 85 points, while scoring an average of 44.6 points per game.  Their semifinal victory over McMaster was a perfect example of their performance all year. Guelph knocked off the Marauders 47-15 on their way to the finals, thanks to a stellar team performance which saw eight players put points on the board for the Gryphs. West and fly half Nate Stein (Guelph, Ont.) both contributed 10 points apiece, while Guelph's defence stifled Mac, refusing them cross the try line in the second half. With a win, Guelph has a chance to take home their schools third rugby championship with their last coming in the 1998-99 season.

Queen's is a little more familiar with the Turner Trophy, with the school looking to take the record for most championships away from Toronto this weekend. The Gaels have won the championship an incredible 21 times dating back to their first in 1970, and a win this weekend would give them the title of top rugby program in the history of OUA. The Gaels have taken home the past three championships, and boast a regular season record of 35-3 over these past four years.

The Queen's Gaels had the second most all-star nominations, finishing the year with five all-stars.  2013 Rookie of the Year Lucas Rumball (Toronto, Ont.) took home MVP honours after another phenomenal campaign, rushing for nine tries in eight games on his way to his second all-star nomination. 

Queen's advanced past a strong Western squad in the semifinals this past weekend, thanks in part to all-star Matt Beukeboom's (Bobcaygeon, Ont.) second half try which pushed the Gaels out of reach of the Mustangs. Queen's would finish the game definitively, taking a 37-8 win over the 'Stangs. Beukeboom also took home rookie of the year honours for his stellar first campaign.

Although Queen's lost all of their all-stars from last year, they still have an incredibly talented squad, led by new all-stars Brendan Blaikie (North Vancouver, B.C.), Mark Charette (Ottawa, Ont.), and Jeff MacDonald (Toronto, Ont.).

The Gaels boast the most potent offence in OUA, scoring 361 points this season. Rumball and MacDonald were some of the top scorers for the Gaels, with Rumball adding 45 points and MacDonald putting down five tries for 25 points.  Also appearing on the league's top scorers list are Alex Colborne (London, Ont.) who finished second in the OUA with 78 points, and Kainoa Lloyd (Mississauga, Ont.) who added 37 points of his own.

The Gaels will make the trek down to Guelph, Ont. this Sunday looking for their fourth straight, while the Gryphons will look to collect their first Turner Trophy in over 15 years. Start time is set for 1:00 p.m. at Guelph's Varsity Field. In London, Ont., the bronze medal game will take place as McMaster heads to Western to take on the Mustangs on Sunday. Nov. 15 at 1:30pm.