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After finishing runners up for the past three seasons, the Wolf Pack finally have their prize. The Alberta-based franchise saved their best for last, producing an excellent performance to win 33-25 over the Ontario Blues in front of a partisan crowd at Calgary Rugby Park on Wednesday. From minute one they looked up to it, and though the game remained close for the opening forty, they took command in the second half and never looked like losing.
Two penalties from Gordon McRorie – the outstanding player of the tournament – within the opening moments of the match set the tone, but the defending champions would not let it go easy. Andrew Ferguson wriggled over from close range for the first try and Derek Daypuck’s conversion gave the Blues the lead, one they would hold for 10 minutes but no longer.
The penalties conceded in quick succession by Seb Pearson landed him in hot water and a 10 minute break to cool off, and the Wolf Pack capitalised quickly. Red-hot centre Mozac Samson bowled through two tacklers on a hard line to score, and and after Daypuck snuck in a penalty kick he was at it again, this time taking a short ball from Gradyn Bowd through a gap in the Blues defense and he strolled in untouched under the sticks.
Daypuck added another penalty to keep his side in check, with only once score in it at the break, but the warning signs were there. The Wolf Pack were winning the collisions looked convincing with their phase play. Ontario found success at the scrum, even more so in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to stem the tide.
Samson completed his hat trick shortly after the interval, on hand to take a classy offload from Clay Panga before fending off the cover defense and diving over for a well-worked team try. McRorie added the extras and threw in another penalty moments later, and from there the result was never in doubt.
Jamie Mackenzie got one back with a try from a scrappy scrum near the Wolf Pack line, but McRorie responded with another penalty to restore the gap to two converted scores. A late yellow card for team infringements, served by Evan Olmstead, made things a little interesting but each time Ontario attacked they were repelled, and the siege boot combination of McRorie and Carl Pocock kept them pinned in their end. Dan Moor got a consolation score to end the game, but the Wolf Pack had done their job.
It’s the first time since 2007 that a team from the Prairies has lifted the MacTier Cup, and the first since the CRC replaced the now-defunct Rugby Canada Super League. In doing so, the Wolf Pack have denied the Ontario Blues their fifth consecutive title, though they remain the only side to have won the crown more than twice in a row.
BLUES 25
Tries – A. Ferguson (14′), J. Mackenzie (58′), D. Moor (80′)
Cons – D. Daypuck 2 (15′, 59′)
Pens – D. Daypuck 2 (28′, 35′)
Yellow cards – S. Pearson (23′)
WOLF PACK 33
Tries – M. Samson 3 (25′, 32′, 48′)
Cons – G. McRorie 3 (26′, 33′, 49′)
Pens – G. McRorie 4 (2′, 7′, 52′, 66′)
Yellow cards – E. Olmstead (71′)
ONTARIO BLUES
1 Rob Brouwer (16 Djustice Sears-Duru HT), 2 Ray Barkwill, 3 Doug Wooldridge (17 Matt Tierney 76′), 4 Mike Sheppard (18 Paul Ciulini 71′), 5 Hank McQueen, 6 Aaron Carpenter, 7 Lucas Rumball, 8 Seb Pearson, 9 Andrew Ferguson (21 Jamie Mackenzie HT), 10 Derek Daypuck (capt.), 11 Dan Moor, 12 Phil Mackenzie, 13 Jordan Wilson-Ross, 14 Jake Webster (23 Josh Campbell HT), 15 Jon West
Not used: 19 Scott Dunham, 20 Alistair Clark, 22 Matt Alexander
PRAIRIE WOLF PACK
1 Hubert Buydens, 2 Matt Harrison, 3 Andrew Tiedemann, 4 Chris Long, 5 Evan Olmstead, 6 Clay Panga, 7 Nanyak Dala (20 Lucas Albornoz 33′), 8 Kyle Gilmour (capt.), 9 Gordon McRorie, 10 Gradyn Bowd, 11 Adam Bontus, 12 Nick Blevins, 13 Mozac Samson, 14 Duncan Maguire, 15 Carl Pocock
Not used: 16 Spencer Watkins, 17 Clayton Thornber, 18 Nick McAuley, 19 Ian Huston, 21 James Buchanan, 22 Duncan MacPherson, 23 Graham Turner
