VANCOUVER, B.C. – It was a practically perfect start to the season for the UBC Thunderbirds, as they dismantled a young Trinity Western Spartans side 76-0 in the home opener at the Gerald McGavin UBC Rugby Centre on Saturday.
The match was also the opening game of the Coastal Cup, a three-team tournament between the Thunderbirds, Spartans and Victoria Vikes, with each team playing a home-and-home to determine the winner.
Seven different T-Birds scored tries in the one-sided win, with
Demetri Patterson accounting for four of them, while
Max McGavern had a hat trick, despite coming off of the bench as a substitute.
"I think what we saw today is the result of all of the work that the guys put in during the off-season," said UBC head coach
Didier Banse.
"There were a lot of standouts today, and people will often look at who scored the tries, but they forget about the work that goes in before the try.
"I thought
Cody Nhanala was amazing, he took some big, strong carries, made some huge tackles, and was very strong around the breakdown, I counted three steals from him alone. Among the backs,
Ben Martin had a really good game. He played a full 80 minutes and was super steady the entire time."
The T-Birds were on the attack early and seemed poised to score less than five minutes into the match. A methodical drive let to a strong push under the uprights for UBC, but the 'Birds could not touch the ball down, with the Spartans holding firm.
The Trinity Western defence was soon tested again, as the blue and gold opened up the field only two minutes later with slick passing to swing the ball to the left side of the pitch, eventually finding left wing Patterson in space. The fourth-year showed off his foot speed by dashing down the sideline, past the outstretched arms of several Spartans, and in for the opening score.
The game then settled into a stalemate for a solid 15 minutes, before a great drop kick by
Talon McMullin went for a 50:22, giving the T-Birds a lineout just in front of the TWU try zone. UBC Captain Relmu Wilson-Valdez punched in the second score soon after.
In the 28th minute, it was a great individual effort by
Liam Kinghorn that led to the next T-Birds' try. He burst through the Spartans' defence and went on a solo run for about a third of the pitch, dragging a Trinity Western player with him as he touched the ball down between the uprights.
The 'Birds struck again seven minutes later. UBC executed a perfect lineout in the right corner of the Spartans' end, with the ball being dropped into the hands of flanker
Aidan Sutherland. He put his head down and leaned into the back of a full-team push into the try zone for a textbook tally.
Just before the half, UBC added to its lead. A scrum in the same right corner near the Spartans try zone was pulled out cleanly by the blue and gold, with a quick pass finding fly-half
James Biss, who then made a deft touch pass to a streaking
Niko Andrianos. The fourth-year wing never broke stride as he made one cut before exploiting a seam in the Spartans' line to dash in, nearly untouched, for another UBC score. McMullin booted through his fourth consecutive successful convert to make it 33-0 for the home side at the half.
The second half began with more of the same from the T-Birds, even with several reserves taking the pitch for UBC for the final 40 minutes. Two minutes in, disruptive eight man Nhanala burrowed his way in for the 'Birds' sixth try, also becoming the team's sixth different try scorer.
Patterson would go on to add three more tries and
Max McGavern, a second-half substitute, had three tries himself, as the blue and gold pulled away.
Even after going down a man due to a red card in the 73rd minute, the Spartans kept battling. They had their best scoring opportunity of the second half with just minutes to go, gaining excellent field position behind an inspired run from Josh Olafson. However, the visitors were ultimately unable to score, as the 'Birds closed out the shutout victory.
"We're back to the drawing board now, next week is a new week," commented Banse, refusing to rest on his laurels. "Now we have to get ready to face Burnaby, a big men's team, and that's going to be a significant challenge for us. We'll take it one game at a time."
That next match for UBC is their first in the Premier League this season, as they will head east to take on the aforementioned Burnaby Lake Rugby Club on Saturday, September 13th at 2:30 p.m. (PT). The Spartans take to the pitch again on Saturday, September 20th when they host Pacific Pride at 2:30 p.m. (PT) at Yorkson Community Park in Langley.
SCORING SUMMARY
1 2 F
UBC 33 43 76
TWU 0 0 0
6' - UBC Try – #11
Demetri Patterson (#12
Talon McMullin convert missed) 5-0 UBC
23' - UBC Try –#4 Relmu Wilson-Valdez (#12 McMullin convert) 12-0 UBC
28' - UBC Try – #6
Liam Kinghorn (#12 McMullin convert) 19-0 UBC
35' - UBC Try – #7
Aidan Sutherland (#12 McMullin convert) 26-0 UBC
40' – UBC Try - #14
Niko Andrianos (#12 McMullin convert) 33-0 UBC
HALF
42' – UBC Try - #8
Cody Nhanala (#12 McMullin convert) 40-0 UBC
59' – UBC Try - #11 Patterson (#12 McMullin convert) 47-0 UBC
62' - UBC Try - #23
Max McGavern (#12 McMullin convert missed) 52-0 UBC
69' – UBC Try - #11 Patterson (#12 McMullin convert missed) 57-0 UBC
72' – UBC Try - #23 McGavern (#12 McMullin convert missed) 62-0 UBC
74' – UBC Try #23 McGavern (#12 McMullin convert) 69-0 UBC
79' – UBC Try #11 Patterson (#12 McMullin convert) 76-0 UBC
PENALTY SUMMARY
71' – TWU RC - #15 Jan Lourens
