ABBOTSFORD — In the aftermath of his team’s 30-12 semifinal win Thursday afternoon over West Vancouver’s Collingwood Cavaliers at the B.C. Double A boys rugby championships in Abbotsford, Ian Hyde-Lay couldn’t help but offer some contrasting perspective in his post-game thoughts.
“We lost to Collingwood in this same game two years ago,” the head coach of Victoria’s St. Michaels University School Blue Jags said, referencing a contest in which the Blue Jags surrendered two tries over the final 14 minutes of play to lose 27-24. “That one was heartbreaking. We led the whole game, then we ran out of gas.”
On Thursday, it was a different story.
SMUS built a 30-0 lead, an advantage large enough that this time, Collingwood’s two late tries had no effect on the final outcome.
“The one thing for us, we’re not fully healthy but we’re a lot healthier than we have been this season,” said Hyde-Lay, whose charges will clash with the defending B.C. champion and No. 1-ranked Rockridge Ravens in Saturday’s 2:30 p.m. final. The Ravens were 24-0 winners over the Kamloops Red Devils in the day’s first semifinal.
The Blue Jags have also gotten on a roll since their most humbling moment of the season.
In its annual Rees Boot clash on April 8 against its crosstown rivals, the Oak Bay Barbarians, SMUS led 22-0 at the half, but incredibly lost the game 26-22 at UVic’s Wallace Field.
“You learn more from a loss than a win,” said Hyde-Lay, whose team has won every game it has played since, including one over the Mexican Under-19 team.
On Thursday, the Blue Jags got two penalties and two converts from Matty McColl, two tries from right wing Lucas de Vries, and one apiece from left wing Owen Sudul and prop Aidan Cole.
If SMUS is able to get past Rockridge on Saturday, it would cap a most remarkable season for the Victoria school which has already won the B.C. Double A boys soccer and basketball titles this season.
Rockridge fly-half Jack Parr gives a straight-arm to the Kamloops Red Devils during his team’s 24-0 semifinal win Thursday in Abbotsford. (Rick MacDonald photo)
Rockridge didn’t put together a picture-perfect effort but it was still good enough for a shutout win.
“We were a little sloppy and we didn’t make the best use of our chances on the day,” said Ravens’ head coach Perino Zambon. “But we have to credit South Kam. They were physical.”
Rockridge got tries from Charlie MacDonald, Connor Borrill, Hunter Smeaton, James Telford and Chase Taylor-Robbins.
“SMUS looked very well-drilled,” said Zambon. “Our guys, just like the guys at Collingwood and SMUS, they have an expectation each year to play in the final. It’s not just our guys. It’s all the guys that commit to the game, that play it at the club and the rep level. They put in the hours and the effort, they have that love for the game.”
Yale of Abbotsford was set to face Vancouver’s St. George’s, while Surrey’s Earl Marriott was prepared to clash with Shawnigan Lake in Thursday’s two Triple A semifinals.
