It was sweet satisfaction for the Bellerose Composite High School senior boys rugby team Wednesday on the road, as they drubbed the Bev Facey Pirates 63-0 in City Conference play-off action.
As any savvy coach or co-ordinator will tell you, when you get a lopsided score like that, something was going on in the game: a mismatch, a weakness, an inexperienced rookie or an undisclosed injury are among the usual suspects.
Bulldogs coach and spokesman Stephen Kohle said it was clear from the outset, the Bulldogs outmatched Bev Facey.
“I think they had a pretty young team,” said Kohle Thursday morning.
“Our guys were just physically superior. They couldn’t handle our guys.
“One on one, they had nothing to match us.”
Right from the start of the game it was clear Bev Facey was going to have a long night, Kohle said. On the second play of the game a Bulldog broke a tackle and ran in for a try. While Bev Facey did possess the ball a bit, the Bulldogs were in control the entire game.
“I think it was 24 to nothing after the first quarter,” said Kohle.
That much control can be a bad thing though, as focus sometimes suffers.
“We had a little bit of trouble with guys trying to be individuals,” said Kohle.
The coach noted that staff got on the boys, reminding them to play as a team and focus.
Kohle said when the team got up 24-0 that quickly, the players became pretty confident, and coaches reined them in and reminded them to play the game with their minds.
Kohle said he doesn’t really have an explanation why the Bev Facey team was over-matched. Many of that school’s teams have solid athletic reputations.
He noted the decisive win was a boost for a Bellerose Bulldogs team that went winless in regular season play. Kohle said the Bulldogs were placed in a pool this year with strong teams and didn’t pick up a win. He said the Bulldogs learned much this year.
“There’s been improvement from the beginning of the year,” said the coach.
The Bulldogs move onto the next round of the City Conference playoffs – the championship round. Their chance to take home a title this season takes place next Thursday, May 30 at Ellerslie Field versus Archbishop O’Leary. Game time is 6:30 p.m.
