VANCOUVER, BC - The number one seeded Victoria Vikes were too strong in the end for the fourth seeded Laurier Golden Hawks in their Consolation Semi Final at the Canadian University Men's Rugby Championship at UBC’s Thunderbird Stadium on Friday, coming away with a 36-12 victory,
It may not have been the match either team had hoped, or expected, to be playing today but they served up an entertaining end-to-end encounter that produced eight tries, with Ethan Hager scoring 16 points for the Vikes.
Victoria came out strong, dominating possession and getting on the board early through Ethan Smith’s converted 7th minute try. Laurier leveled things up four minutes later through Dylan Di Girolamo’s converted try.
The Vikes restored their seven point lead in the 21st minute with Shane Rikley-Krindle’s try and Hager’s second conversion of the game and they went further ahead six minutes later when the short-handed Victoria side’s quick movement sprung Jonas Robinson to go over for their third try of the afternoon, with Laurier protesting that there had been a forward pass.
This time the conversion was unsuccessful and the Golden Hawks wasted no time in hitting right back, immediately going up the pitch and getting a try through Malik James. Adam McNee’s conversion was unsuccessful and Victoria headed into the half with a narrow 19-12 lead.
Laurier pushed hard to start the second half but Victoria held off the early pressure to take complete control of the game as the half wore on.
Tries from hooker Ryder Heaney-Corns and Hager, the latter of which he then converted, extended the Vikes lead, and with time expired, Hager took advantage of a quick tap and go to grab his second try of the afternoon to complete the 24 point victory.
Taine Clague was named Player of the Game for the Vikes, with Malik James getting the honour for the Golden Hawks.
The victory saw Victoria advance to Sunday’s Consolation Final where they will take on the winners of the second Consolation Semi Final between Memorial and Calgary. That final will kick off at 11 a.m., with tickets available for purchase here.
Laurier will now compete in the 7th/8th placement game, where they will meet the losers of the Memorial-Calgary match on Sunday at 9 a.m.
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CUMRC Consolation Semi Final 1 – Scoring Summary
VICTORIA 36 LAURIER 12
First Half
VIC - Try, Ethan Smith (Ethan Hager convert) 7’ 7-0
LAU - Try, Dylan Di Girolamo (Adam McNee convert) 11’ 7-7
VIC - Try, Shane Rikley-Krindle (Ethan Hager convert) 21’ 14-7
VIC - Try, Jonas Robinson (convert unsuccessful) 27’ 19-7
LAU - Try, Malik James (convert unsuccessful) 29- 19-12
Second Half
VIC - Try, Ryder Heaney-Corns (convert unsuccessful) 43’ 24-12
VIC - Try, Ethan Hager (Ethan Hager convert) 48’ 31-12
VIC - Try, Ethan Hager (convert unsuccessful) 60’ 36-12
