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Brantford Harlequins are the McCormick Cup champions for 2016. A 37-17 victory over Toronto Scottish at Fletcher’s Fields in Markham on Saturday saw the Marshall Premiership table-toppers make it a double, winning both the league and the playoffs to claim Ontario’s biggest prize. Big wins over Ajax Wanderers and Bytown Blues saw them through to the semi-finals, where perennial contenders Oakville Crusaders gave Brantford a tough test, ultimately coming up short by 24 points to 18.
The Scottish were also appropriate finalists for the third consecutive year, finishing second in Premiership play with only one win separating them from leaders Harlequins. A first round default put them up against Lindsay in the quarter-finals, with the 11-0 win matching them up against defending Cup champions Balmy Beach. A fierce battle ended with Scottish ahead by a conversion with the final score 18-16, setting up the Cup final between the top two seeds from league play. The two sides had split results during the season, so the result was far from a certainty.
As befitting a final of this calibre numerous representative players were on show. Canada ‘A’ prop Creag Johnston and centre Dan Gordon featured alongside Ontario Blues loose forwards Pat and Tim Richardson for Scottish. Harlequins were led out by Rory McDonell, fresh from the Americas Pacific Challenge in Uruguay, with Canada 7s forward Jordan Kozina on the flank and rugby league international Steve Piatek directing play at flyhalf. Current Canada hooker Eric Howard started as a reserve, with CRC veteran Dave Neill wearing the no2 shirt at kickoff.
Dry but windy conditions made for plenty of tactical play and Scottish got the benefit of strong field position early, with a scrum penalty giving Milan Cookson a chance to open the scoring with just over 2 minutes on the clock. Shortly after the centres combined with Gordon putting Cookson clean through, and the big no13 found his winger Gareth Williams in support for the first try and a 10-0 lead.
Brantford collected themselves and replied through captain McDonell, who stepped his way inside the defense to score his first of two tries on the day. Piatek converted and before the break Harlequins were over again via Joe Newman. Quick hands found the right winger in space and with a slip and a fend he was over in the corner to take a narrow two-point lead into the intermission.
Harlequins looked determined to start the second half and spurned points for a quick tap to put the Scottish defense back on the their heels. After repeat cracks at the line prop Graeme Mahar burrowed over for the score, with Piatek’s conversion pushing the gap to nine points.
Scottish showed their resilience with an immediate riposte and got one back through rangy second row Peter Wilson. Another powerful line break from Cookson advanced the ball deep into Brantford territory and Wilson spun past a casual defensive line to dot down under the posts. Cookson took the formalities to restore the two-point margin.
Pace and pressure from a dominant scrum was the name of the game for Brantford, however, and it proved too much as Paul Auzins wrestling over the line for a decisive score. Piatek extended the lead to double digits with a penalty goal and his replacement Will Kelly matched his effort to bring up 30 for Harlequins. A highlight-reel solo effort from McDonell saw him weave through multiple would-be tacklers to dive in under the sticks and bring up full time.
It’s the fourth time Brantford have lifted the Cup, and the first since 2003. Prior to that it had been nearly 30 years with a title in 1974 (then called the Carling Cup), and in the league’s first championship in 1950 (the Ontario Cup). The victory also continues a winning streak that now stretches to 16 games, with their only losses of the season coming in the opening two rounds of league play. Scottish meanwhile will be bitterly disappointed to be runners-up again, having won their one and only title in 1972.
In other action Markham Irish were tops in the Consolation Final beating Stoney Creek by 55-7. Bay Street Pigs claimed the Gee Gage Cup for the second divison title with a 17-7 win over Scottish 2nds, and the second division Consolation Final would go to Barrie over Crusaders 2nds with a final score of 21-14.
SCORING
BRANTFORD HARLEQUINS 37
Tries – R. McDonnell 2 (13, 80), J. Newman (30), G. Maher (49), P. Auzins (56)
Cons – S. Piatek 2 (14, 50), W. Kelly (80)
Pens – S. Piatek (66), W. Kelly (77)
TORONTO SCOTTISH 17
Tries – G. Williams (8), P. Wilson (51)
Cons – M. Cookson 2 (9, 52)
Pens – M. Cookson (3)
TEAMS
BRANTFORD HARLEQUINS
1 Matt Lindsay 2 Dave Neill 3 Graeme Mahar 4 Tom van Horne 5 Josh van Horne 6 Paul Auzins 7 Jordan Kozina 8 Lucas McIvor 9 Adam Schouten 10 Steve Piatek 11 Joe Newman 12 Dylan Mundy 13 Hugh McDonell 14 Casey Bouk 15 Rory McDonell (capt.)
16 Eric Howard 17 Lukas Gillham 18 Cullen Fawcett 19 Joe Yelle 20 Tyler Mirco 21 Will Kelly 22 Kolby Francis 23 Adam Maahs
TORONTO SCOTTISH
1 Adam Alaica 2 Scott Wilson 3 Creag Johnston 4 Peter Wilson 5 Caleb Remington 6 Pat Richardson 7 Ben Johnstone 8 Tim Richardson 9 Dan Visentin (capt.) 10 Shane McGuire 11 Gareth Williams 12 Dan Gordon 13 Milan Cookson 14 Brandon Kostyk 15 Andrew Denham
16 Matt Wolfe 17 Andrew McCubbin 18 David Kearsey 19 Brett Taggart 20 Steven Pittelli 21 Chris Miller 22 Josh Reznick 23 Haddon McPherson
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Sherry Trumbull
Assistants: Karen Lozada & Peter Pender
with files from Kevin Baxter and Rugby Ontario
