October 19, 2019 Victoria, BC (ISN) – The Westshore RFC Men’s Premier side jumped out to a 28-7 half time lead, but had to hold off a resilient Seattle Saracen side to claim a narrow 33-28 victory at home Saturday afternoon in Colwood.
With the victory over the sixth place Saracens, the 2-1 Westshore RFC, now put pressure on their Greater Victoria neighbour James Bay for eighth place in the BC Rugby standings only one point behind the Bays in early season competition. Westshore would make ground on their cross-town rival as the Bays would suffer a heavy defeat at the hands of Meraloma 41-8 at Connaught Park.
Westshore would command the game in the first half against the sixth-place Saracens after exchanging trys in the opening minutes. Westshore’s Taylor McGuire would beat the Saracens scrum half Jack Cannon’s challenge, doting the ball down in the corner before the Saracen’s Chase Bates would reply with a strong forward effort to score to tie the game. Westshore would score another try in the early going to take a 14-7 lead and would never look back.
Using their big men to overpower the Saracens, Bryce McKinnon would figure in the next two trys, powering the ball across the line with successive scores after some stiff defense by the Saracens would make a game of it. Westshore would jump out to a 28-7 lead at the end game’s first half.
Westshore would add a Conrad Newell try in the early moments of the second frame before the Saracen’s, with a quicker nose to the ball, would score the next four trys in a resilient effort to snatch the victory from Westshore.
Passing the ball with pace, the Saracens would spread the Westshore defense, using their speedy wingers to any exploit gaps in the Westshore line. Saracen’s Alfred Taufuna, Mathew Potter and Dion Crowder would all figure in their team’s comeback bid.
Westshore’s stiff, goal line defense in the waning minutes to turn aside two Saracen bids at the goal line for the go-ahead score would be key to the home squad’s 33-28 victory.
In an earlier test, the Premier Reserve Westshore RFC would take away another narrow win, defeating the visiting Saracen side 28-21.
Next week Westshore will travel to play 13thplace Nanaimo, while Seattle will host the Vancouver Rowing Club at Starfire Field. Both games will take place on October 26th, 2:30 pm kick off.
