Phil Meyers Huddy Huddy report from the weekend. Huddy Huddy - JBAA Creates History With Our 25th BC Championship Win In the passage to our change rooms at historic MacDonald Park is a large mural - displaying JBAAs twenty-four BC Championship Trophies - the year of each emblazoned thereupon. At practice and home games, our players glance at this Champions Mural going to and from the field - and in ways big and small, reflect on our Navy Blue athletes and coaches from the 127 years before, upon whose shoulders present-day players stand. On Monday, graphic artists from the Victoria Department of Parks will add a record 25th Rounsfell Cup to our Mural on the Wall. Preparation for this Championship Day started in the summer of last year - and continued week to week to week throughout the season. Training - recruiting - developing our players - winning most of our games. Until, with the win over Dubbyas two weeks ago, we knew we had the right men with the right skills in the right place at the right time. A reality check at last Thursdays practice in the pissing down rain. Nick Blevins still in recovery from the battle two weeks past. With four players loaned to Canada 7s - Dan Mathie, newfound fullback and kicker afflicted with a hammy, sustained at a RC run-around in Langford the day before. Pray a little. Cross our fingers and our toes. Send last years #10, Jeff Williams, to the sauna for renewal. And on Saturday: Are you good? Are you good? Yes, Yes. Lets go! So Saturday, at Klahanie Park in North Van, our Bays took the champions field again. Five pathfinders: Spenny D, Nolan, Jimmy de, Meech and J-Ross - had walked this Champions trail before. Ten new-stars: Nick W, Noah and Cole - Graham, Vince and Patrick P, Clayton, Nick B, Taylor D and Dan - to be blooded in the crucible of this penultimate Canadian Club Rugby joust. The words of our record-setting Coach Pete ringing in their ears as they run out: JBAA has had a lot of history with this Cup! Go out today and create your own history! And our guys did. Facing a strong Burnaby Lake team playing hard-edged rugby from start to stop, the Bays, led by our Blue Crush, established an edge in set and loose play - managed adverse penalty calls and non-calls - survived seven lead changes - powered through to the 83rd minute, to provide a chance to win at the final whistle! The day starts with strategy. Facing the roar from overloaded Burnaby-laden Klahanie stands, Coach Pete puts our Prems through warm-up paces some two fields away - where the roar is diminished - there competing with traffic noises from the Capilano Road. Then back to the field for the anthem - and a high start: Nick Blevins powering left - passes through several hands - J-Ross (our Most Inspirational Player this season) high diving into the corner of the end zone for the score. Bays 5 - Lakers 0. But through the day, the Lakers were not done - and not done - and not done. Mid-half, the Burnaby #8 slices in to open Lakers` scoring. Conversion good. Lakers 7 - Prems 5. Eight more minutes - Dan Mathie faces a sitter penalty in front of the Pink posts. Dan is a courage story among many on the day. As noted, we were not sure he could start until his Saturday warm-up on the Capilano Road. Now - leg heavily taped, Dan faces the ball. Our Bays sideline holds our collective breath. Kick is good! Bays 8 - Lakers 7. Two minutes from half, our Blue Crush are at it again - powering to the Lakers` line - Jordan Wilson-Ross magically joining the Crush to burst up-gut, and score his second. Dan M converts! At the half: Bays 15 - Burnaby 7. Again, the Lakers are not done. James Reekie now in-game. At 50 minutes he is over for the score! Ryan converts. Burnaby now back: 14 to 15. They up their game. Approaching mid-half, another pink tally near the corner. Lakers have their second lead: 19 to 15. Seven minutes more. A Harlem Globetrotter highlight from our Bays! Our Bluebacks sweep right - passes go through several hands - Mathie finishes, deep into the Laker in-goal. Then, instead of touching down, he alley oops the ball back inside - a Burnaby hand tips it - and Eagle Graham H, who has winged down the sideline in close support, grabs the ball out of high air - falls to ground for the score! When asked about this, Mathie reported: Our guys were yelling; Go inside! This is how a rookie progresses toward veteran. In any event, all was well that ended well. JBAA now 20 points; perhaps in control - Burnaby 19. But in this hard fought game, control was always tenuous. Immediately following, I am distracted by a noise on the field that sounded like someone strangling a chicken. That is no chicken being strangled! It is Pat P!!! The linesperson looks straight at this attempt to murder - and does nothing! Eventually Nolan does - and receives a yellow card for inappropriate response! Sufficiently encouraged, Burnaby mounts a final fierce attack on our goal. Our Bays defend desperately - but with Nolan ready to step back on, the Lakers kick a successful penalty goal. Lakers now 22 - Bays 20. One and one-half minutes left. Is JBAA cooked? Bays kick off. Lakers (mysteriously) lose ball control. Our guys restart with 45 seconds left, and ball again in hand. Our Blue Crush, led by Nick Wallace, Noah B, Cole, Jimmy and Graham, seize our history back! Pick and go! Pick and go! Pick and go! At the 81 minute mark, our Crush still has the ball - now at the Lakers 40 meter line. Pick and go! Pick and go! Pick and go! Eighty-two minutes gone. Crush has the ball still - now at the Lakers` 35. Pick and go! Pick and go! Pick and go! Whistle blows - a penalty at games end! Dan M kneels at the Burnaby 30 - off center of the posts. This 21 year old was forced to kick the winning points two weeks ago to seal the deal against the Dubbs He must do so again today. Screams and idiotic yells from Burnaby supporters in the stands pour down upon Dans head. Dan draws a breath - boot to ball - through the uprights! He is a veteran now! Our Bays now have 25 BC Championships. Coach Pete has five in the past ten years! Bays observers at the game rate this JBAA 23 - Burnaby Lake 22 result among our best! It is damn hard to get to the BCRU Championship Final. It is harder still to win. Burnaby played hard and well. Perhaps, in the end, the difference was that some of our JBAA guys had traveled this trail before - and better know the way!!! Post-game, the teams emerge to find that all food has already been eaten - all beer has already been drunk - and BCRU hosts are well on with their packing to go home. Youve put on a great show! Weve taken all the money! Good luck in finding eat and drink, and getting home. Left with this fiasco, our Bays - hours to kill before ferry-time - bus to the sands along the Tsawwassen Causeway, drink beer purchased on our way - howl at the moon - celebrate this victory all together!!! Canadas from sea to sea! Eagles from America! Champions All Together! North Americas Team!!! Happy 25th Bays!!!
Posted on: Mon, 12 May 2014 02:25:43 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015