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Game Report: September 16, 2006
Aurora Barbarians win Marshall Division - first time since 1956 There are many things that make rugby such an amazing and wonderful game to play and to watch. Last Saturday's game against the Balmy Beach club had all of the twists and nuances of a great drama - the flair, passion, timing and physical commitment that makes for great and memorable performances. The sub-plots of the day gave additional dimension to the game - the Beach team in their annual "rite of fall" as this great club "gear up" for their drive for the McCormick cup, the Aurora Barbarians looking to consolidate their leader position in the Marshall Division knowing that their closest rivals were involved in their own drama as the Oakville Crusaders played the Irish Canadian Rugby Club in a must win situation, (more on this later in this report).. This correspondent has watched some great and memorable games over the years, (too many years!), and today's game will stack up with the best. It was a massively physical game but a clean game, no quarter asked and none given. It was rugby played on an expansive and intriguing stage, the ball seldom tied into the grunt and groan of 10 man rugby - both teams moved the ball well. The Beach gave a text book lesson on taking the ball at speed and from depth with out-half Hayden Gage playing an almost quarterback like role directing his backs and forwards as the Beach spread the ball. Aurora Barbs used the speed and flair of their backs to move the ball and exploit any opportunity. The defence from both teams was outstanding, huge hits and brave text-book tackles - Aurora's well organized defence and the total commitment in the tackle kept them in the game when the Beach were in full flow. Respect is earned and after 80 minutes both teams had developed a genuine regard for their opponents. The Marshall Division has seen a number of one-sided "blow-outs" this season, but this was competitive rugby at its best - the final score was perhaps the best and fairest result, although the Beach could claim that they had left their kicking boots in the clubhouse!! It is difficult to name an outstanding player for either team as there were a number of candidates from both teams, at least 30+ players could claim the honours on this day. Balmy Beach opened the game with a display of second and third phase ball, driving deep into Aurora half, and it was only the Barb's well organized defence that kept the Beach from an early score. As so often happens in this game, Aurora scored their opening points on their first drive into Beach territory when Mark Franklin" Franklin crashed over for a well taken try, converted by fly-half Alisdair Piercy - Barbs 7 Beach 0. Within five minutes the Barbs came close when Marco "Deej" di Giralomo made a beautiful 60 meter break to the Beach 5 meter line but the ball went loose as the Beach cover defence arrived. At the 30 minute mark the Beach scored a well executed try, but missed the conversion. At 35 minutes Aurora out-half Alisdair landed a penalty to extend Aurora lead to 10 - 5. The second half was a continuation from the first with the Beach dictating play and Aurora relying on solid defence to stay in the game. At 15 minutes into the second half Aurora flanker Shaun Allen managed to clash heads with Deej, who came off best, and Shaun had to leave the game with an ugly cut above his eye to match his Mohawk - this turned out to be worth 14 stitches. The Beach managed to score two unconverted tries to take the score to 15 - 10 in favour of the Beach. Time was running out when Aurora #8 Nolan Ott made a classic backrow break, and linked with fullback Damon McLachlan who came into the line at speed and went over for an excellent try, tying the score at 15 apiece. The conversion attempt from a difficult angle was wide. From the subsequent kick-off Aurora were called for a penalty and to the great relief of all Barbs faithful the kick went wide!! The final whistle followed and a tie worth two points for the Barbs. This was a much improved performance by the Aurora Barbarians - on this day the whole team stepped up to the challenge of an "in form" Beach squad. The Barbs played excellent defence, and made good use of the limited amount of good ball that they gained. The set pieces were not great, but this can be practiced. The other criticism on the historic day was the speed in hitting the rucks, or better stated the lack of speed! The Aurora team must become more aggressive in hitting rucks and stealing ball. The sub-plot - Aurora Barbs win the Marshall Division As the Beach and Barbs played their game, the Oakville Crusaders RFC were playing the Irish Canadian RFC in a must win for the Cru. By virtue of the cumulative points fom the 13 rounds of the league, entering week 13 Aurora Barbs had a six point lead, with the prospect of facing the Cru in the final week. The Cru had to win their fixture against the Irish and hope that the Barbs dropped points against the Beach. The Irish did Aurora Barbs a huge favour by beating the Cru and ensuring that the Aurora Barbarians captured the 2006 Marshall Division title. It must be noted that ICRC are in a tight race for position in the league and like all clubs are busy getting ready for the Cup. It is 50 years since the Toronto Barbarians won the ORU Premier Division, 1956. This is a tremendous achievement for the Aurora Barbarians. This is the third season for the club in the Marshall Division, and the title is a direct result of hard work by the players, coaches and club officials. Aurora Barbarians has many people to thank, too many for this report. Great things are in store for our club, but let's take time to enjoy our success, and then get ready for the Cup campaign. Our final game in the 2006 League season is against the Oakville Crusaders at Fletcher's on September 23. It is also anticipated that the ORU will present the Marshall Trophy to The Aurora Barbarians on this day when all of the Marshall clubs will be playing at Fletchers - a moment to share, enjoy and celebrate our clubs success - make a note to be there. Men’s Second Team Men’s Third Team |
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