Wolf Pack takes second leg over Bears

The Wolf Pack took a big step towards defending their Johnsonville Canadian Rugby Championship title as they took the second match against the BC Bears on Saturday by a score of 25-17 at Bullen Park. An exciting first half despite damp conditions had the two teams nearly level with only three points between them, but rain picked up and restricted the second half to merely one score for the winners.

Brock Staller and Robbie Povey exchanged penalties in the early goings and it was the Bears who crossed for the first try. Staller injected some pace on the ball and offloaded to Crosby Stewart. The diminutive winger used good footwork to step through a tackle and find Jeke Gotegote on his inside, who in turn handed off to Doug Fraser out of the tackle and his centre partner did the rest, showing just enough strength to cross in the corner.

Another penalty each went up for Staller and Povey before the Wolf Pack got their rewards. Repeat attacks on the Bears line forced them to within inches, and Clay Panga’s reach out of the tackle was just long enough to touch the ball down over the line. Povey’s conversion gave the advantage to the visitors.

A well-executed try from the Wolf Pack backline created the highlight of the game from inside their own 10 metre line. Mozac Samson passed back inside to Povey, and the flyhalf found Ben LeSage on a short ball to his right. The centre was clean through and with only one defender to beat it was a copybook 2-on-1 to free Conor Desmond for a 40 metre sprint to the corner, despite Manar Kulkhan’s last ditch cover attempt. Povey’s excellent sideline conversion made it a nine point gap which Staller closed with two penalty kicks before the break.

The second half was largely a battle of territory, with tactical kicking dominating play until a mistake from the Bears. Admir Cejvanovic picked from a scrum deep in his own end and went left, only to step into touch and turn over possession. From the lineout it was too easy with Eric Lopatinsky unchallenged at the front and Johnny Clarke peeling off and through an unmanned blindside to make it a two score game and wrap up the win for the Pack.

Both teams are now off until play resumes in the east on Thursday, July 21. The Bears travel to daunting St. John’s to take on a resurgent Rock team, and the Wolf Pack head to Toronto for a vital eliminator against the rival Blues.

BEARS 17
Tries – D. Fraser
Pens – B. Staller 4

WOLF PACK 25
Tries – C. Panga, C. Desmond, J. Clarke
Cons – R. Povey 2
Pens – R. Povey 2

BC BEARS
1 Anthony Luca (capt.) 2 Andrew Lackner 3 Ryan Ackerman 4 Kevin Leask 5 Liam Chisholm 6 Josh Clarke 7 Ollie Nott 8 Taitusi Vikilani 9 Jorden Sandover-Best 10 Guiseppe du Toit 11 Manar Kulkhan 12 Doug Fraser 13 Jeke Gotegote 14 Crosby Stewart 15 Brock Staller

16 Micha Govorchin 17 Adrian Longbone 18 Cody McClary 19 Craig McLaughlin 20 Admir Cejvanovic 21 Cody Rockson 22 Geoff Ryan 23 Gareth Marsden

PRAIRIE WOLF PACK
1 Peter Houlihan 2 Casey Reed 3 Ryan Kotlewski 4 Eric Lopatinsky 5 Conor Turner 6 Lucas Albornoz 7 Johnny Clarke 8 Clay Panga (capt.) 9 Jake Robinson 10 Robbie Povey 11 Adam Bontus 12 Ben LeSage 13 Mozac Samson 14 Conor Desmond 15 Graham Turner

16 Nick McAuley 17 John Braddock 18 Liam Beaulieu 19 Connor Gilbert 20 Kyle Morrison 21 Jake Bentley 22 Cam Hall 23 Ian Shoults

Referee: Harry Mason
Assistants: Chris Assmus & David Smortchevsky