JBAA claimed the Ian Stewart Bays-Vikes Challenge Trophy defeating UVIC 23-20 on a crisp and clear Saturday afternoon at Wallace Field.
Two minutes into the match, Mike Nieuwenhuysen steps through the UVIC defense, scoring under the posts. Cooper Coats makes no mistake, and the Bays jump to a quick seven to nothing lead.
For the next five minutes, the Vikes maintain most of the possession, but lose a lot of territory thanks to fierce JBAA defense. The students ultimately win a penalty, kick for territory, and end up where they started five minutes earlier. From the ensuing set-piece, the UVIC number fourteen jaunts far into JBAA territory but is stopped just short of the JBAA in-goal. The JBAA defense succeeds in tackling a UVIC player into touch, winning a line-out on their five-meter line.
The line-out is unfortunately overthrown and a student dots down for a try. The kicker can’t convert, so JBAA maintains a two point lead about ten minutes into the match.
Save for Mike’s early score, to this point the entire game has been played in JBAA territory. But the Bays’ defense is strong, and guidance from coaches White and Healey from the touchline is direct.
At fifteen minutes, the Bays finally exit their own territory when Kieran McCauley boshes and gallops all the way to within five meters of UVIC twenty-two only to offload to a sly UVIC defender. The Bays regather after strong defense, and after a number of phases, Mike Nieuwenhuysen dots down again under the students’ posts. Cooper, of course, converts. So, despite the lack of territory and possession, the Bays lead 14-5.
Off the kickoff UVIC presses deep into JBAA territory. The students continue to dominate both possession and territory, but the Bays defense and the boot of Cooper Coats, eases pressure time and again. At twenty minutes, the students are awarded a penalty on the JBAA twenty-two. Their kicker slots the penalty, making the score now 14-8.
At about thirty minutes, Jim de Goede goes down hard after a knock to the head. He’s replaced by Ben Johnson, who earlier in the day played at least sixty minutes in the Premier Reserve match. Credit to Ben, any player who has ever had to endure playing in both the Premier Reserve and Premier game knows how sore he must be today. The first half ends with the score JBAA 14 – UVIC 8.
The second half starts with an idea of what happens at UVIC Debate Team practice. Off the kick-off, Ben Johnson goes up to contest the high ball, and then Ben Johnson goes down very hard. The referee, one of his assistants, a student, and JBAA’s Blake van Heyningen then engage in a debate for what seems like hours. Was Ben tackled in the air? Did a student low-bridge him? Or was it just a freak mistake? Blake wants to know the answer. He also inserts a few short comments about how delicious famed Vic West eatery’s Chicken on the Run’s Broasted Deluxe Family Dinner tasted the night before, but neither the referees, nor the student are interested.
Somehow, the Vikes are awarded set-piece after the debate, but the defending JBAA scrum is too powerful. They win a penalty and Cooper makes it look easy. The Bays now lead by seventeen points to eight.
The next few minutes sees both teams trade possession and territory. Fifteen minutes into the half, JBAA are awarded a penalty again, but this time Cooper can’t convert. The Bays continue to pressure from the drop-out. They piece together a number a phases, and look as though they’ll be rewarded for their efforts, but then the UVIC centre intercepts and runs the length of the field to score. The conversion is unsuccessful. The students are now within four points.
Ben goes down at twenty-five minutes. Jakob Butler replaces him with Kieran moving from wing to backrow - quite a promotion.
Cooper continues to gain substantial territory with his boot, getting the Bays deep into UVIC territory. At this point, however, Blake goes down with an injury.
At twenty-nine minutes, with momentum now favoring UVIC, one of their backrows makes his way into JBAA territory and offloads to his support who scores. The conversion is a success. UVIC takes their first lead on the day. The score is now UVIC 20 – JBAA 17.
But the Bays carry on. Communication from the coaches on the touchline is direct: get the ball and press. The kickoff goes very high. Kieran gathers, and the Bays grind out multiple phases, finally winning a penalty in front of the posts. Cooper converts, tying the game at twenty points a piece.
Off the following kick-off - momentum now entirely in JBAA’s favor - UVIC err. JBAA gather possession just inside the students’ territory. Off the set piece, Nate Tough slides into the UVIC twenty two. After a few phases, JBAA is awarded a penalty. The JBAA Brain Trust takes a deep breath as Cooper lines up for the three points and the lead. He makes no mistake and a collective sigh of relief is let out. JBAA 23 – UVIC 20.
The last four minutes of the game feels like an eternity. Cooper clears the kickoff to halfway. The students’ lineout isn’t straight, and the ensuing JBAA scrum stands strong. The Bays grind out phase after phase, picking and going and picking and going and picking and going again. They’re finally awarded a scrum. Rhys Gregory puts the ball in, Noah hooks it back to either Carson or Kieran’s sure feet, and Rhys gathers and finds touch. Final score JBAA 23 – 20. Final score in the Ian Stewart Bays-Vikes Challenge total point competition: JBAA 61 – UVIC 40.
On the contribution of Ian Stewart to rugby in Canada we leave you with JBAA head coach Sean White: “From my earliest days as a Canadian Rugby player, Ian Stewart always had my back. He supported me financially when times were tough as a U19 player, and he allowed me to live out my dream as a Canadian rugby player. Now as a coach, to be a part of winning this trophy is a special feeling. Ian was more than a rugby man, he was a special member of the rugby community. He is greatly missed and thoroughly loved in the Victoria, British Columbia, and Canadian rugby scene.”
In the Premier Reserve match, JBAA scored early and often in their forty-four to twenty-two victory over the Norsemen. JBAA scored all but three of their points in the first half while UVIC scored all of their points in the second half.
The game was all but over by the time the referee’s whistle sounded for halftime. Hunta Marsh, Ben Johnson, Nate Waldmann, Jakob Butler, and the RNZN impressed for the Premier Reserves.
In the morning’s Third Division match, a Dave Ramsay led JBAA team made up of old Bays, young Bays, Dutch Bays, ginger Bays, and bald Bays, defeated the UVIC Jutes eight tries to six.
JBAA hosts CW next weekend at MacDonald Park, reengaging in the Hundred Years War.
Game Report courtesy of Bernhard the Brewer
