Ontario Blues face off against B.C. Bears in thriller
On Sept. 18, the University of Guelph hosted a game between two powerhouse teams. The Ontario Blues, three time MacTier Rugby Champions, were looking to inch closer to their fourth Canadian Rugby Championship (CRC). With a win against the B.C. Bears, the Blues will move towards their championship games with full steam ahead.
The raucous Guelph crowd filled Guelph’s Alumni Stadium despite the frigid evening. Armed with blankets and hot chocolate, there was no shortage of excitement and scoring in this Provincial Rugby match-up. The Ontario Blues have yet to lose, coming in to CRC with a perfect 3-0 record.
The Blues opened the scoring as captain Derek Daypuck led the way with consistently precise and accurate penalties kicked. The Blues took a quick 10-0 lead with calculated passing and crucial positioning. However, the B.C Bears showed poise of their own, trading penalties with the Blues. British Columbia native Sean White scored a spectacular try, helping the Bears claw back into the game, making the score 16-8 at the half for the Blues.
While the B.C Bears showed offensive and defensive prowess, the powerhouse Blues proved to be too strong. Ten minutes into the second half, Daypuck put on a penalty kick clinic, scoring his fifth of the day to make the score 22-11 for Ontario. While B.C did not ease up or falter in their effort and tremendous hustle, the Ontario Blues scored one last try late in the game; a powerful Ray Barkwill charged across the line to score the last points of the game. Ontario won the match with a final score of 29-11.
After the game, Blues coach Chris Silverthorn expressed his views of the B.C side: “There are no easy points against British Columbia, and we saw that tonight,” said Silverthorn. “They’ve got a super skillset. They’ve got many national sevens players playing for them, and they can really light it up, but we didn’t let our foot off the gas. Defensively we were solid, we worked hard, and our guys really earned the win.”
The Ontario Blues will look toward games against the Prairie Wolf Pack and the Atlantic Rock to end their season with two difficult matches. The Blues are seeking their fourth straight MacTier Championship, and if they play at the same level displayed at Alumni Stadium in Guelph, they will undoubtedly accomplish this unprecedented feat.