From Phil Meyer “about three years ago.”
A Gift to an Old Foe
The rugby men of James Bay Athletic Association and of UBC Old Boy Ravens have a decades-long record of competing with each other in important games – periodically, in jousts for the Rounsfell Cup – often in league games that matter. So it was Saturday at MacDonald Park. Ravens came to the game undefeated in BCRU Premier League play. The Bays had only one loss.
Until 10 minutes from full time, the game was all Intense D – punctuated, from time to time, by penalty goals. Elliot Mitrou with three – Harjun Gill with one. JBAA up 6 to 3 at the half – then 9 to 3 three quarters of the way through Half Two. The two forward packs fought each other – foot by foot – for ground. The backs kicked for position, and tackled fiercely, keeping each other out of their respective in-goal areas.
Back in the day, rugby on Vancouver Island had a very different look. Promising young players grew into club rugby – were seasoned for a year or two with second teams – then were brought into our senior sides to blossom into full-fledged stars. For the Bays, Connor Braid, Phil Mack, Sean White and Spence Dalziel were among the most recent of these. (In fact, the only youth this writer can remember coming straight into our Premier side was DTH.) Today, with Body Snatchers roaming the land – spiriting young would-be rugby stars away – things are a lot different. Now, if a young guy who “might” turn into a top player appears, we throw him into the deep end of the pool – hold our breath – and while he develops, hope that bad things don’t happen.
On Saturday, this hope proved unrequited. After seventy-three minutes of trench warfare, Ravens, deservedly on top of the league, put on enough pressure to earn a penalty try. This gives them the lead: 10 points to 9. With JBAA playing short a man – and uphill – the Bays’ chances look dire. But the Bays come back. Working foot by foot up the slope – further pressurizing the game - until, with one minute left, Mitrou, one of BCRU’s top kickers, finds himself with a “gimme” penalty kick 35 meters out, dead in front of the Ravens’ posts.
Well, not exactly. While Bays’ Olde Stars giggle and smile along the sidelines, one of JBAA’s young hopefuls grabs the ball and touches it to his boot on attack – negating the chance of the game winning goal. Sean White, seeing what is happening, tries to prevent the penalty tap by tackling his own miscreant - but is a shadow too late. The referee adds to calamity by allowing Raven defenders to tackle the penalty tapper from only three or four meters away.
And so catastrophe strikes. A subsequent desperate JBAA drop goal attempt – blocked by the Ravens – and Aaron McClelland happily scampers (almost) the length of the pitch to add insult to injury – scoring and converting his try as the game sinks into full time. Ravens 17 – Bays 9.
At game end, your writer, and several of the JBAA Brain Trust, scamper off to Bear Mountain – gnashing our teeth – but ready to support Benj O’Connor, as he is inducted into the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame. Benj started his playing career with U Vic – then at UBC during Law School – and with our Bays for his final 12 years “boots on turf”. After that, he held almost every rugby Poobah position on Vancouver Island, in BC and in Canada. At the Hall, he joins former Bays’ standouts Tillman Briggs, Hans de Goede, Gary Johnston, the JBAA Rugby Club in the team category – and 200 more sports luminaries, inducted over the years.
As the evening advances (and we have a few drinks) we begin to feel better. Brief remarks from Alex Nelson (Musgamagwx Dzawada’enuwx First Nation) and by Benj aid our recovery. They remind us of the role that sport plays in providing pure joy during periods of difficulty in our lives – and in giving us a reliable compass to grow into good men. Bays’ Ian Stewart – recently passed – understood that too. And the speakers remind us that some of life’s best outcomes depend on how we react, not to success, but to challenge.
So, on Tuesday, our Bays will return to the practice field - give our young guys who may be struggling a Huddy Huddy – and begin to build our Prems back to “who we are” - ready to return to The Mac this coming Saturday - and face Capilano RFC.
JBAA Premier Reserves 47 – UBCOB Rippers 7.
In the early game, the Bays scored seven trys (6 in the second half) to best UBCOB’s 47 to 7. JBAA s scorers included Thomas Burton (2), Nate Waldmann, Nate Tough, TK Barnes, Brandon Sidu-Scherer, and Elliot Johnson. Johnson went six for seven on converts.