JAMES BAY 16 CASTAWAY WANDERERS 13
It wasn’t an artistic success. But it didn’t have to be. In the playoffs, style points don’t matter. Only winning and advancing does.
Second-seed James Bay Athletic Association gutted out a 16-13 victory over third-seed Castaway Wanderers in the Rounsefell Cup B.C. Premier rugby semifinals Saturday at Macdonald Park to progress to the championship game May 10 on the Lower Mainland against top-seed Burnaby Lake.
The cross-town semifinal between the Bays and CW, featuring numerous Canada-capped national team players, brought out a sizable crowd that ringed the pitch at Macdonald Park.
“CW had seven guys playing who will play for Canada in the upcoming Test series [June 7 against Japan at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby and June 14 against Scotland at BMO Field in Toronto]. We showed our heart in beating a team like that,” said James Bay winger Jordan Wilson-Ross, himself capped for Canada in sevens.
“This was a character win. We took a 13-point lead but let them back in it. Then we played tough defence in crunch time to pull it out.”
James Bay’s two top place-kickers — Connor Braid and Sean White — were missing because of Canadian national team sevens commitments for the upcoming IRB Glasgow and London tournaments.
The Bays did well to place both their penalty goals directly in front of the uprights for substitute kicker Dan Mathie, who hit both for six points that would eventually prove crucial.
The James Bay tries came from Taylor Dalziel and Nolan Myles.
Ciaran Hearn and Jake Ilnicki scored the CW tries while 2011 World Cup veteran Ander Monro kicked a penalty goal.
“This is a great rivalry. Fans were able to come down to the park and see some incredible, international-level athletes perform,” said JBAA head coach Pete Rushton.
CW was left to ponder what could have been if the talented club had executed to its full potential Saturday.
It didn’t help to be down a player for the final 25 minutes due to a red card.
“It was within our grasp,” said the CW full-back Hearn.
“These are two very good teams. But on the day, the better team won.”
Hearn is a national-team sevens standout who will be heard from at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games and 2015 Toronto Pan Am Games, as rugby sevens looks to make its Olympic debut at Rio 2016. But Hearn is also a fine XVs player for Canada. He didn’t make the trip to the upcoming IRB Glasgow and London sevens tournaments to ready himself for the XVs Test matches in June against Japan and Scotland. It was a huge boost for CW to have him available and in the line-up Saturday for the semifinal. But CW couldn’t take full advantage.
“It’s a tough transition, to put on more weight for XVs, but I have to get ready for the Tests. I was hoping to get one more XVs game under my belt,” said Hearn.
But that extra game will instead be played in two weeks by JBAA, when the greatest club dynasty in Canadian rugby history goes for its record 25th Rounsefell Cup championship.
Burnaby Lake, 30-17 victor over fourth-seed Capilano in the other semifinal Saturday on the Lower Mainland, is are looking for its first-ever Rounsefell Cup title.
It’s a repeat of the 2013 Rounsefell Cup championship game, won 18-10 by James Bay over the Lakers.
“Burnaby Lake is deep and big, but we like our chances,” said Rushton.
