McGill 12 vs Dartmouth 15
August 31, 2008
KINGSTON, ON
After two short thirty-minute halves, it was Dartmouth RFC which was saved by the bell following a resurgent Redmen comeback. McGill displayed their heart and resilient spirit, following up a disappointing first half with an unrelenting second half effort which saw the Redmen come within three points of victory.
Missed tackles and uncharacteristic errors in the first half proved to be the downfall of the McGill Redmen as they gave away three tries to Dartmouth's Lee Cooper, Greg Detwiler and Nick Downer. Lucky for the Redmen however, Dartmouth left their kicking game back in New Hampshire, leaving the half-time score at 15-0.
A revitalised McGill team came out shooting in the second half, with flankers Cayse Ruiter and Peter Klestov leading the defense with ten tackles apiece. And while the referee wouldn't call out Dartmouth's forwards for infringements at the breakdowns, veterans James Stellick and Adam Sommer took a bit of justice into their own hands, letting the opposition know who would be controlling the rucks from then on. With improved forward support at the breakdowns, McGill was able to launch into a threatening offensive.
A much improved all-around effort saw a number of potent runs by the Redmen, culminating in a blistering, break-through try by outside-centre Tyler Staton. Gideon Balloch added two points with the conversion. Then it was the forwards' turn to put the pressure on, as half-back Josh Reznick organized a forceful attack where rookie Liam O'Briain capped off a promising first start with a try in the corner to bring the Redmen up to 12 points. And while the time was winding down, the Redmen were not, fighting till the final whistle in a respectable second-half attempt to gain the lead.
Halftime: 0 - 15
Fulltime: 12 - 15
Man of the Match: James Stellick
Points: Tyler Staton (1t), Liam O'Briain (1t), Gideon Balloch (1c)
Game Review by Gid Balloch