SUNDAY RUGBY: 21-13 over Con U; Club Friendly Match

Crepuscular rays were blessing us with the light of hope. Today was a good day to don McGill RFC’s new kit and show off in front of an enthusiastic crowd (complete with the McGill Fight Band) at Stade Percival Molson Stadium.

All members of McGill Rugby Football Club were in action as the non-Varstiy members competed in an interclub game. As we strive to integrate ourselves into the Montreal rugby community, members of the Montreal Wanderers filled out the starting line-ups – making for a highly competitive, albeit age-disparagingly humorous line up (plus extra Asians! Stephen Choi and Chung did us proud, plus the Bi’s on the team were looking good).

One interesting note from the game was the incredible rucking effort from Tal the Tribesman (talk to Chief Levin), who was critically analyzing the form of our hustling forwards. Stick your nose in there big guy, let’s see what you’re made of. A solid effort was had by new B.C. bred loose-forward Kylan Gibbs, but not as impressive as the disastrously over-enthusiastic Aleks Vujacic, who vehemently tackled a member of his own team. We did not know which was more surprising, the tackle, or the effort.

Newly graduated McGill alum, Lawrence Di Pilato was able to reinstate himself as both the most colourful and awkwardly graceful miss kick of the day. The breeze was refreshing, even from the sideline. But the most entertaining factoid remains still played in Di Pilato’s court… his mother has put in his contact lenses, every day, for almost a decade. I wish I was kidding. Please mock him to the absolute zenith of your ability.

A shoe-in for Douchebag of the Year is indubitably rookie Eight Man Eali Hopper whose tramp stamp tattoos sparked a rapturous diatribe from our FRQ Champion coach, Red Van Sickle. As we know from such gangbangers as Sam Skulsky, Andrew Stephens and Connor McKenzie, those Vancouver Island hoods ain’t nothing to be messed with.

Tries were had all round as players integrated nicely with this newly desegregated Club/University Athletics side. It was a great learning experience that all players benefitted from, especially Hasan “The Admiral” Akbar who has solidified the spin move as arguably the most effective open-field move all-time, ever. No questions asked.

The Varsity game started with much anticipation, as the Concordia Stingers were the only team to beat McGill RFC at home in the last three years. Upon kick-off, the pace of play was relatively unremarkable, marred with poor play and unjust judicial abuse, the game was a stalemate form most of the first half.

Gideon Balloch opened the scoring with a quick penalty conversion, which was wholly countered with a converted try from the Concordia side, 7-3 ConU. In the seventeenth minute, a quick blindside try was slotted by the dynamic McGill back three in the corner, unconverted; McGill took the lead, 8-7. Unfortunately for McGill untimely penalties cost The Mighty Red six point in converted penalties at the 45-minute mark.

It was not until the backs finally got their act together that they were able to score three quick tries in the last fifteen minutes that the Redmen were able to gain a little breathing room and pull away from Concordia in the fleeting minutes of the game. Congratulations to the superset of subs, Nick Santo, and Quentin Prater for their performance in capitalizing upon what had seemed like a dire situation. Honestly, we did not think that anybody could catch a ball after the performance we gave today. Prompting a vigorous Q & A following the game from our Head Coach.

While it was a somewhat pedantic effort, the Redmen will take the win (as we do with most) and look to continue to excel against the Sherbrooke Vert et Or who will be travelling to Montreal for our next clash en fin de semaine prochain.

write up by Trevor Clarke.