VICTORIA, B.C. – The University of Victoria men's rugby team scored 10 quick points in the first five minutes to build an unbreakable lead, winning the first leg of the Wightman Boot Competition, 41-20, in front of over 200 fans Saturday Jan. 22 at Centennial Stadium.

Bryn Keys and Sean Duke each scored a pair of tries for the Vikes for 10 points each, while Nathan Hirayama booted three converts for six points. Adam Kleeberger, Willem du Plessis and Ben Thomson added single tries for five points apiece.

UBC had tries from Jonathan Hill, Nick Philippson, Harry Jones and Sean Ferguson, but their kickers left 11 points on the field with no conversions or successful penalty-goal attempts.

The Boot is a two-game series with the team with the better overall point total winning the series. UVic has won the past 13 two-game competitions.

The Vikes built a 29-5 lead in the opening half, but Tate said a number of unforced errors, especially in the second half, allowed the Thunderbirds to soar back into the game. During the opening 25 minutes of the second half, UBC controlled over 80 per cent of the possession.

UVic opened the scoring 45 seconds in when Duke was the beneficiary of some great passing out to the wing and was able to run the ball in untouched. Less than four minutes later, Keys scored his first of two tries to stretch the lead to 10-0.

After Jones missed a penalty-goal attempt for UBC from a great angle, the Vikes made a great defensive play to keep the Thunderbirds out when Ty Hamblin stuffed a run near the touch-line.

With about 10 minutes remaining in the half, Du Plessis scored, plowing through a sea of Thunderbirds, with Hirayami booting a convert to stretch the lead to 17-0. Hiraymi then created a turnover near midfield and drew a double-team before dishing the ball to Keys who surged over the try-line to push the lead to 22-0 after another convert.

Hill replied for UBC before the half to end the Vikes' run, but Duke scored his second try, also converted, to make it 29-5 at the break.

In the second, UVic scored quickly when Thomson bowled in under four minutes into the frame. Hirayami converted that try as well to extend the lead to 36-5. But then the Thunderbirds started their comeback bid.

Jones scored on a nice individual effort, dodging several Vikes defenders, and then Ferguson made UVic's Keaton Styles pay for a midfield turnover, cutting the lead to 36-15. Then midway through the half, Philippson scored after teammate Hill paid the price taking a big hit as he dished the ball down the line to pull the T-Birds even closer, with UVic's lead now only 36-20.

Poor kicking cost UBC as the Vikes were able to keep enough of a cushion to control the pace of the play in the latter part of the half. The Vikes showed some strong defence with Tony La Carte in the sin-bin and held off several UBC charges.

They moved the ball into UBC's half, slowed the pace down and got a late score from Kleeberger to extend the lead to 41-20.

UBC will host the second leg of the Boot in March with the date and time to be announced at a later date.

- with files from Victoria Vikes Sports Information