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The Ontario Blues got back on the winning track as they defeated the Atlantic Rock 24-13 at Swilers Rugby Park on Saturday. Aside from avenging their upset loss in Burlington last month, the victory puts Ontario back in the title picture for what looks to be the closest field in years.
Truth be told it was a disappointing first half, with neither side playing to their best in a mistake-ridden first half hour. The Rock held the advantage in the opening minutes but missed two simple shots at goal – one each from Patrick Parfrey and Alex Rogers – that might have changed the complexion of the match.
Instead it was Andrew Wilson who stretched over for the first score after a series of attacks from the Blues. The score seemed to rattle the Rock, and just before the half a clean break through the middle from Rob Brouwer ended with a hard-charging Mike Sheppard who cut through the rest of the way. Andrew Ferguson’s conversion made it 12-0 at the break.
Changes were needed to spark something and Quebec duo Aidan McMullan and Lucas Hotton were summoned from the bench. Martial Lagain soon followed and the fresh blood seemed to lift the team somewhat, with McMullan landing a penalty to finally get his team on the scoreboard in the 51st minute.
A knock-on at the restart cost the Rock possession deep in their own end. Wilson nearly got there from the back of the scrum, and then wrapped around to take a short ball off the ruck and burrow under the defense for his second. Ferguson made good on the extras to make it a three-score game and all but sink any hopes of a Rock revival.
McMullan collected a second goal, however, and when Mike Hamson used his pace to tear away untouched from a scrum, McMillan’s conversion had the rock somehow back within one score. Poor exits continued to plague the Rock and after Jordan Wilson-Ross – a threat all day with ball in hand – made inroads the ball went wide to Kainoa Lloyd who rounded the outside with ease to wrap up the result and steal an all-important bonus point.
The slightly truncated schedule now means the season is Championship is already half over for the Eastern sides, with each now off until July 21, when the Rock host the BC Bears in St. John’s and the Blues play the Wolf Pack at Fletcher’s Fields.
ROCK 13
Tries – M. Hamson (76)
Cons – A. McMullan (77)
Pens – A. McMullan 2 (51, 65)
BLUES 24
Tries – A. Wilson 2 (29, 55), M. Sheppard (40), K. Lloyd (80)
Cons – A. Ferguson 2 (40, 56)
ATLANTIC ROCK
1 Frank Walsh 2 Owen Parfrey (capt.) 3 Jordon Power 4 Jon Phelan 5 Brad Lester 6 Zac Coughlan 7 Matt Murphy 8 Mike Hamson 9 Tony Pomroy 10 Patrick Parfrey 11 Brett Johnson 12 Emil Sehic 13 Alex Rogers 14 Colin Alexander 15 Jack Fitzpatrick
16 Martial Lagain 17 Alex Forrest 18 Keelan Chapman 19 Conor Keys 20 Lucas Hotton 21 Weston Hill 22 Aidan McMullan 23 Dan Lantos
ONTARIO BLUES
1 Rob Brouwer 2 Eric Howard 3 Ryan Surgenor 4 Hank McQueen (capt.) 5 Mike Sheppard 6 Peter Milazzo 7 Lucas Rumball 8 Andrew Wilson 9 Andrew Ferguson 10 Mitch Richardson 11 Jordan Wilson-Ross 12 Derek Daypuck 13 Dan West 14 Dan Moor 15 John Sheridan
16 AJ Quattrin 17 Armin Gurdic 18 Creag Johnston 19 Myles Dingwall 20 Marcello Wainwright 21 Josh Campbell 22 Kainoa Lloyd 23 Rich Lebel
Referee: Doug Hamre
Assistants: Ryan Alguire & Mike Doyle
