March 22, 2010
Full Field of Fixtures & Mixed Results for the Women & Men
Perfect weather made for a day of great results off the field for the club and on the field for the Women while the Men faced another tough test of character.
The Burnaby Lake Rugby Club played host to five clubs this weekend as a combination of neutral site fixture and last minute venue changes brought teams from every corner of the league. The 2nd division women would have started the day off with a win over the Meralomas (see below) and were followed with a women’s match-up of Kamloops vs. Seattle who agreed on the compromise location.
The 3rd division men then took on the Kats who opted to exercise their 1pm kick-off rights but were gracious enough to accommodate Burnaby’s current bout with attrition and be hosted instead. The 3rd division ran simultaneous with the 1st division who faced off against Velox, the 3rd failed to slot the conversion to tie as time ran out while the 1st division lost 40 - 8.
Both the Women & Men played host Velox this weekend. The coaches of both visiting programs have once called Burnaby Lake their home (though Craig Stewart sent a last minute RSVP that he was island hopping for the Purim holiday). Bill & Bev Meechan returned to the Lake with Bill at the helm of the Velox women. The contest has been much anticipated as the Burnaby Lake women are having little trouble punishing their competition and have been looking forward to the challenge for some time. Burnaby’s scrums were upset more than they had been in recent weeks but despite some aggressive play by the visitors, there wasn’t much of a response to the piercing runs from Burnaby’s backline and Velox had no answer for the upper phase continuity of Burnaby’s play. The scores came quickly and they came often. By the final whistle, Burnaby had put up 47 points while only allowing two tries from Velox; 47 - 10.
The Men faced a similar score sheet, though not favorable; 40 - 10. Velox maintained dominance in the sets while Burnaby had difficulty executing in situations under pressure. The backline found some holes and was inspiring in fits and starts but the lack of continuity up front made for a long day in the trenches with little forward momentum. The penalty count was lower than it had been in recent weeks but there has been an unfortunate correlation growing in recent games: when we concede less penalties, we concede more tries. The mongrel from last week at the Capilano was not present this week but it seems the boys do better to get up for the tough matches than those we have the potential to win. Such observations will set the tone for a week of practice before the Men host the Meralomas next Saturday.
Expect a scrap this weekend, and not just between the Alumni! This weekend both programs are home again and this time it’s BLOB’s day. Be sure to come down and support the alumni in return for all the support they have shown the club over the years, through thick and thin, the stalwarts of the Club’s support will enjoy the appreciation of the Club.
