Capilano RFC Match Reports - October 15th, 2022

Women’s Mainland Division 3 (Division 2) vs. Kelowna

Capilano’s 2nd Division women were the lone home game this weekend as they hosted the Kelowna Crows. The game opened with a huge defensive effort from the Capilanos as they managed to concede only three tries in a heavily defensive first 20min. The home side put in some big hits but just weren’t able to maintain possession as they finished the first of 3 periods down 0-15.

However, the young Capilano side never dropped their heads and came out firing in the second 20 minutes with #12 Hana Veysi storming away down the length of the field to get their side on the board 5-15. Capilano strung some great phases together and made an experienced Kelowna side work hard for their next points as the visitors managed to break through the defense and bring the score up to 5-30.

Impact player #13 Chloe Bong finished off the second period with a try to convert several minutes of great team play into points on the board as Capilano headed into the second break at 10-30.

The real comeback was just beginning now as the home side brought renewed energy and determination into the third and final period of play. After the Kelowna Crows snuck through the defense for a try, bringing the score up to 10-37, the Capilanos had some work to do. The team was up to the challenge as veteran fly-half #10 Shelby Slay took matters into their own hands, rounded the outside defender, and streaked away up the sideline before dotting the ball down under the posts. Conversion by #9 Dominique Hart flew through the uprights and the score was brought up to 17-37.

The tries kept coming now, as #5 Isabel Nielson put in a staggering chop tackle off the kickoff which allowed #13 Leonie Lartey to scoop up the lose ball, burst through the defenders, and touch down for another Capilano try. Tough sideline conversion was missed, but the score-line margin continued to narrow as the home side now sat at 22-37.

Capilano continued to put pressure on the Kelowna defense with solid runs, great ruck support, and calm leadership from the veteran players. Their patience paid off in style as #13 Chloe Bong sliced through a gap and outran four cover defenders to touch down under the posts for their second try of the game. Conversion was good from Hana Veysi and Capilano had pulled within ten points 27-37 with only minutes to play.

The gutsy Capilano defense staved off several attempts by the Crows to widen the gap, turning over the ball in their own 22metre several times and eventually clearing the ball out of danger. The home side turned the ball over and began working the ball back down the field again. With only two minutes remaining, #10 Shelby Slay put up a brilliant cross field kick deep into the Kelowna half that was chased down by #12 Hana Veysi who caught the full-back as they collected the ball, creating a turnover. A few well-worked phases later new Capilano #5 Isabel Nielson dotted down a well-deserved try to bring the score within three points at 34-37.

The last minutes of the game were filled with heart stopping action as the Capilano side continued to test the desperate Kelowna defense as the home side attempted to complete what had been the incredible beginnings of a comeback. Unfortunately, the clock was not in Capilanos favour and Kelowna kicked the ball out of play past the final 60min mark to hold on to the lead and end the game.

Although unable to snatch the win in the dying minutes of the game, the heart and determination of this young Capilano side to earn two bonus points was impressive! The momentum gain had been on their side for much of the match – particularly in the last 20min period – and the growth displayed in their skills and game management throughout the entire match shines a hugely positive light on the potential this side has for the rest of the season!

Players of the match were #3 Maddie Arbuckle, whose strength and consistency wreaked havoc on the defense across both games played today, and the birthday girl #13 Leonie Lartey who flustered the defense with their combination of strong runs and ball distribution. Huge thank you to the referee, to Kelowna for making the long trek down and giving us a hugely competitive and entertaining match, and for all the supporters and helpers who came to cheer on the team and make sure the field and clubhouse ran smoothly.

Women’s Mainland Division 1 (Premier) vs. Vancouver Thunderbirds (UBC)

The second women’s game on the docket this Saturday was out at UBC as the premier team took on the Vancouver Thunderbirds for the first time this season. The scoring kicked off quickly as #5 Tina Luti crashed over the try-line in the opening minutes with an unstoppable run from short range to put Capilano on the board at 5-0.

UBC responded quickly with several long runs off set piece which ended in a try on the outside to even the score at 5-5. Capilano answered soon after however as they took advantage of their powerful forwards to pick and go from the 22metre until #3 Melissa Robinson dotted the ball down for the first of their hattrick of tries in the match. Conversion was good from #13 Dani Fearns, who had a solid game from the tee, leaving the score 12-5.

The young, spirited UBC side struck again shortly after as they were able to pick holes in the Capilano defense and score their second try of the game off a long run up the middle of the pitch to level the score at 12-12. Captain Nicola Jones brought the team in to regroup, and from then on it was one way traffic as Capilano leant on their strength and experience to maintain the majority of possession for the rest of the game.

The Capilano scrum was dominant, winning offensive and defensive scrums alike, pushing their team further and further into the Thunderbirds half. Their hard work was rewarded as they pulled in the defense, allowing #13 Dani Fearns to deke their way through a gap in impressive style and touch down under the posts before converting their own try and bringing the score up to 19-12. The scoreboard kept ticking over as soon after this #5 Tina Luti spotted an opportunity off a strong run from #4 Karina Christiansen and dotted the ball down over the line at the defender’s feet for their second try of the game and a 24-12 lead.

Capilano continued to work the ball through the phases with consistent rucks and support play as they marched the ball up field. #8 Katerina (Frenchy) Josephides finished off the offensive push in entertaining fashion as they ducked under a forest of would-be tacklers arms and stumbled out the other side to cross the try line and dot the ball down and bring the score to 29-12. The tries kept coming as #15 Savannah Bacchus split the defense with a beautiful dummy before offloading the ball for a charging #9 Nicola Jones. Conversion was good to bring up a half time score of 36-12.

The second half started how the first half ended, as #12 Sarah Bill went on one of her many storming runs into the UBC half and continued to gain the team valuable territory. The ball then swung out wide for #15 Savannah Bacchus who put in some fancy footwork to evade both the defensive line and the cross-cover defenders to fly under the posts for a converted try to bring the score to 43-12.

The next two tries came in quick succession as the Thunderbirds defense could find no answers to the barrage of close-range charges from the Capilano forwards. #1 Karyn Nelson burst through first for their first try in the black and yellow, closely followed by a succession of pick and goes that were finished off by a another try from #9 Nicola Jones who had moved to the flank for the second half of the game while #7 Beth Dueck took their place at halfback. The score was now 53-12 with time still left on the board.

The young Thunderbirds defense never gave up however, as they held up the Capilano players over the try-line twice before #3 Mel Robinson dipped and turned her way past the defenders to touch down for a 58-12 lead. The game rolled on with some great phases from the experienced Capilano team as they worked their way deep into the UBC half and drew in the defense before sending the ball out wide into the hands of #11 Charlotte (Chuck) Ketchen who flew over the line for another score for the visitors.

The game was coming to a close now, but Capilano wasn’t done yet! A big run from #12 Sarah Bill brought the team to the opposition 5m before the Thunderbirds conceded a penalty. #15 Savannah Bacchus took a quick tap before sacrificing herself to the tackle which allowed #10 Heather Muir to snatch up the ball and dash the last few meters over the line for a converted try, bringing the score-line up to 70-12. In the dying second of the game, the visitors marched the ball up the field once again before they were awarded a penalty ten metres out from the try line. #3 Melissa Robinson took no prisoners on a fierce run from the quick tap and crashed through all obstacles to touch down for their third try of the game. Conversion from #13 Dani Fearns was good, and as the final whistle sounded the Capilanos came away with a convincing 77-12 win.

Players of the match were #5 Tina Luti who was an unstoppable force on offense and a brick wall on defense, and #9 Nicola Jones who covered an incredible amount of field in her tireless work at both #9 and #7 throughout the game. Huge special thank you to our impact players Maddie Arbuckle, Shelby Slay, Dominique Hart, and Hana Veysi who came to UBC and provided a huge boost in the middle of the game before rushing across town back to the club to take their place in the starting lineup of the 2nd division game. Thank you also to Alicia Parker-Sutton for making a big defensive impact from the bench, the referee for officiating the game, and to the Vancouver Thunderbirds for giving us such a clean and competitive game.

Written by Heather Muir

Caps overwhelm Seattle at Chuckanuts’ beautiful facility in Ferndale Washington

The final score was 81-12 in favour of Capilano RFC. The game seemed like the start of a tour. With only one game scheduled Caps had a lot of players available and with the temperature being Summer like, that was good thing. A couple of veterans and at least one younger player that needed extra fitness played most of the game. There were some n ew players available and that bodes well as the reserves and second division have been struggling for numbers. The game was hard but clean and the American referee did a good job handling it.

Cam Waddell scored an amazing 5 tries. After his 4th some of his teammates were saying “we will never hear the end of this” Take him out! He was replaced but went back in later and picked up his 5th try. It reminded me of the Brad Whitey Whiteman games when the players pleaded with me not to mention his name or give him credit for scoring. All in good fun and good for team morale. Johnny set one of them up with a nice run after breaking a tackle then passing off.

The field is excellent with 2 full sized pitches and room for more. It reminds me of Cowichan and the Langley parks, that are also great places to play rugby. Chuckanut have plans to further develop their facility and will host Seattle quite often making it easier for teams especially from the Island to get to the games. It is close to the border and that much more convenient.

Caps coaches were able to do a lot of juggling of their lineup and play players in different positions, Jeremy Simon played some scrum half as well as fullback. Seattle seemed to be depleted and the rumour was that it was a split squad with the other half playing a team in Washington State. The Seattle team lacked cohesion but did show flashes of good rugby and managed a couple of scores. Chris Robinson who was in Bermuda with the Canada Classics wasn’t available. The Classics won 2 of 3 games and only went down to Argentina by 3 points. Congratulations to Chris and Tim Rhone another Cap alumni and their team mates on a very successful trip. Neil Courtenay was not fully recovered from injury but should be ready for selection for the first league game against U-Vic, Jordan Harvey was also unavailable today. There is quite a bit of competition for selection and this should be a great game at Klahanie. Get out and support your Capilano RFC teams.

Written by John Langley