VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds lifted their third straight Wightman Boot on Saturday afternoon, defeating university rivals Victoria Vikes 37-30 in the 2016 Canadian Direct Insurance Premier League season opener. The 'Birds jumped out to a 24-8 half time lead and despite conceding four UVic tries in the second half, held on for the win. 
 
Victoria's 30 points were the most UBC had conceded all season in a match that featured plenty of high tempo rugby on a slick Ken Woods Field artificial turf. The seven-point margin of victory was also the closest UBC has come to defeat this season as the reigning Rounsefell Cup champions are now 9-0 against BC competition during the 2015-16 school year. 
 
"Good teams find a way to win," said UBC head coach Rameses Langston. "I would have liked to have seen us finish as well as we played in the first half, but I'm happy with the win this early in the season." 
 
UBC's strength in their pack showed early as they opened the scoring with a penalty try, which was converted by Brock Staller (Vancouver). Victoria answered back with a score from scrum half James Pitblado and then Fergus Hall tallied a penalty for the 8-7 lead. 
 
UBC No. 8 Connor Hamilton (Vancouver) regained the lead with a pushover try shortly after and with Staller's conversion made it 14-8. Theo Sauder (Vancouver) would run in UBC's third try after taking a pass from the elusive scrum half Jorden Sandover-Best (Abbotsford, B.C.). Staller added the convert to make it 21-8. The Kitsilano Secondary product would tally penalties on either side of the half and see the 'Birds leading 27-8 early in the second frame. 
 


Victoria found their footing shortly after and opened up their attack, notching three tries through prop Macbryan Bos, hooker Oliver Nott and Kapi Vataiki to make it 27-23. 
 
"It comes right down to execution," said Uvic head coach Doug Tate. "When you have the breakaways that we did you need to come away with points. We missed a lot of conversions as well." 
 
UBC's highlight reel try came courtesy of substitute James Thompson (Dromore, Northern Ireland), who would evade several tacklers before dashing in from outside the 22 to record a try and secure the home side a bonus point. Staller was again clutch from the tee with the conversion and would add another penalty to see UBC leading 37-23 heading into the final 10 minutes. 
 
After Uvic marched down the field with about five minutes to go, the visitors would get one final crack with a penalty just metres from the try line. Uvic back rower Crosby Stewart caught the 'Birds watching with a tap and go and ran over to close the gap and with Hall's conversion made it a one-try game at 37-30. The 'Birds defence held firm to close out the win, however, and moved to 1-0 in the early CDI Premier League season. 
 
"I think we let Uvic have too much of the ball and they can make you pay when they spread the field like that," Langston said after the second half. "But it was an exciting game and one that you hope you would get when these two teams play each other." 
 
Earlier in the Library Square Division One match, UBC's Braves downed Uvic Norsemen by a score of 22-10. 
 
The Thunderbirds and Braves will host Capilano on January 30 at Ken Woods Field.