Seattle defeated JBAA 38-23 in an error riddled match on Saturday afternoon at MacDonald Park.
The morning’s overcast gave way for sunshine by the time the Premiers kicked off at 230pm. A decent JBAA crowd riding the high of the Premier Reserve victory earlier in the day applauded both teams as they took field.
Like last week, the match starts with uncertainty. Jake Slobodian gathers the kickoff and Seattle give away a penalty immediately. The Bays can’t find touch and Seattle charge up the field over a number of phases. Their charge ends prematurely when they knock-on into the hands of the Bays. JBAA swings the ball wide, and just like last week, they toss the ball right into touch on their first possession.
The next twelve minutes are anything but scintillating. At one point the Seattle winger intercepts and looks destined to score, but Kai Lloyd, looking like he’s jogging, easily catches the Saracen. Seattle ultimately knock on.
At fourteen minutes, Cooper Coats glides through a gap and gallops from his twenty-two to about halfway. He finds Aaron Evison on his outside who runs upright like 90s American sprinter Michael Johnson to the Seattle twenty-two. Aaron then finds two-hundred pound Nate Tough, but, unfortunately, the pass isn’t the best, and Nate knocks it on deep in Coffin Corner.
Two minutes later, Bays regain possession on the Saracen twenty-two and pull off a very nice piece of play when Mike Nieuwenhuysen dishes to Thomas Burton. Thomas Burton then dishes back to Mike, who finds Aaron, who finally finds Kai. Kai dots down in the corner, but Cooper can’t convert. 5-0 Bays.
At eighteen minutes, the Saracens kick a penalty making the score 5-3. Five minutes later, Seattle capitalize on a Bays’ error, and score a converted try. 10-5 Seattle now.
At twenty-five minutes, and after a number of JBAA phases, Aaron Evison, who must have noticed his beloved arrive, takes a sharp pass from Rhys Gregory at the Saracen twenty-two. He upright-dances around a number of would-be Seattle tacklers, scoring under the posts. Cooper makes no mistake. 12-10 Bays. Cooper adds another three points three minutes later with a penalty. 15-10 Bays.
JBAA score another a try just before the end of the half when Thomas Burton touches down. Cooper can’t convert, though. 20-10 Bays.
As in the first half, the Bays scrum continues to set a decent foundation at the set. Blake van Heyningen, fresh off a dinner and breakfast from famed Vic West eatery Chicken on the Run, along with JC Fidende, Nico Krawczyk, Jim de Goede, and Peter Massimo don’t make it easy for the Saracen pack. The Bays’ back row of Jake Slobodian, Carson O’Sullivan, and Cole Braid are an annoyance all afternoon as well.
About five minutes into half two, an odd passage of way results in Seattle’s outside center (definitely their man-of-the-match), dotting down under the posts. No issue with the conversion. 20-17 Bays.
Aaron Evison stymies a certain Saracen score moments later. Nate Tough’s in support and wins a penalty. Cooper clears to the Seattle forty, and after a lot of Bays’ pressure, a penalty is awarded and Cooper makes no mistake. 23-17 Bays.
Then, with a quarter of the match left to play, things fall apart for the Bays. Seattle score a converted try at twenty minutes after a defensive miscue from JBAA. They take the lead and never look back. 24-23 Seattle.
For the next thirteen minutes, play slows down, the referee’s whistle sounds a lot, and knock-ons outnumber completed passes. Seattle takes advantage when the game disintegrates into a scrap. They eventually score and convert at thirty-three minutes. 31-23 Seattle.
With about three minutes remaining in the game, the Bays throw everything they can at Seattle, but spread themselves too thin. A Saracen gathers speed and saunters down the sideline, destined for a score. Aaron Evison comes from nowhere and hits the Seattle winger very hard. Fans say the Saracen steps out, but the referee says he doesn’t. The winger just barely manages to keep this footing, and runs in to score. 38-23 Seattle.
The match ends early, as Bays’ trainers tend to a knocked-out Aaron Evison. It’s a scary moment, eerily similar to what happened to Aaron last Spring against UBCOB. After a number of minutes he finally gets to his feet, gives the crowd an ‘OK,’ and exits the field of the play.
Credit to Seattle for grinding out a win after a long day. The Bays will regroup this week like they always do, as they prepare for Capilano next week at Klahanie.
Game report courtesy of Bernhard the Brewer
Premier Reserve Report
In the Premier Reserve game, the Bays threatened right off the bat when a kick-through looked to be going for a certain tally, only to be knocked on by the charging winger. Seattle drew first blood with a penalty goal 7 minutes into the half. At the 15 minute mark JBAA replied with the first tally of the game when big Andrew MacPherson boshed over to make it 5-3 Bays. At 22 minutes a line break and 50 metre run by Kieran McCaulay leads to an Evan Boothroyd penalty...8-3 Bays.
By the middle of this first half, the smaller and fitter Bays are beginning to exploit the labouring visitors. A line break by Mitch Sora leads to Dakota La Chance's first try as a Bay to bring the score to 13-3. At the 38 minute mark a 50 meter run by big Sean Stewart gives the Bays an 18-6 lead. After the bigger Seattle pack pushes the Bays of the ball in a set piece, the Saracens number 10, perhaps the largest man ever to play at that position, slots a penalty to make it 18-6 for the home team. An errant Seattle kick after the restart fortuitously ends up in the hands of Boothroyd who slices in to score, and convert, to make it 25-6 for the Bays at half.
The Saracens start the second half with another successful penalty to make it 25-9. However, the Bays respond quickly and after a cheeky break by the slim version of Nate Waldmann, Mitch Sora is able to notch the Bays 5th try. Boothroyd drills the convert to put JBAA up 32-9.
At the 8 minute mark, Seattle scores their first try of the game to make it 32-14. Lead by Tom Eton, who once again was a tower of strength on defence, the Bays continue to frustrate the visitors and are rewarded with another Andrew MacPherson try and it is now an apparently insurmountable 37-14 Bay lead.
Seattle refuses to lie down and come back with their second try of the game, narrowing the gap to 16 points. This attempted comeback is short-lived as a well-timed grubber by Soras is scooped up by Kieran the Bully who blasts in for the try. Boothroyd converts to make it a 44-21 score line. The teams then trade tries and the final score is 49-28. It should be mentioned that the final Bay try was scored by none other than David Ramsay. Congratulations to the Premier Reserve team on a convincing win.
Game report courtesy of The Black Rat