Ellerslie Rugby Park – The Paul Kane Blues played their best match of the season in a losing cause in Thursday’s metro Edmonton division two women’s rugby final.
“It took the whole season but once we got here we really played together as a team. We had lots of people step up and we really came to play today,” said Grade 12 standoff Paige Jones after the 27-12 loss to the Harry Ainlay Titans.
The result was vastly different from the humbling 62-7 setback to Ainlay in league play.
“Obviously it just shows you what kind of team we are and how we like to rise to occasion,” Jones said. “You know Blues’ rugby; we work hard and it doesn’t matter what happened before, we come out strong every time.”
Ainlay posted leads of 12-0 after the first quarter, 17-5 at halftime and 22-5 after three quarters.
“It was a really good game. We held on way better than I thought we would,” said Grade 12 flanker Hana Gallant. “They’re a really strong team but we played really strong too. It was definitely the best I’ve seen us play in a while.”
Paul Kane hung tough defensively in the first quarter with hard hits and tenacious tackles.
Ainlay’s first try was converted in the 10th minute and the Titans scored again three minutes later.
The second quarter was spent between the 22-metre lines before Ainlay broke through the defence for a try, aided by a penalty that left Paul Kane short a player for 10 minutes.
Mackenzie Robertson, a Grade 10 hooker, put Paul Kane on the board by overpowering a winger while securing the ball to touch it down for the try.
It was tough sledding for both teams in the third quarter and the only major scoring opportunity was a blazing run into the try area by the Ainlay winger.
Paul Kane also lost the services of Robertson to a broken ankle midway through the quarter.
Paul Kane spent the bulk of the last quarter in Ainlay’s end – at one point the Titans were penalized three times in a row inside their five-metre line – and the Blues were eventually rewarded with a team try.
Ainlay’s last try ended the match.
“In the second half we had a couple of injuries, a couple of players were out, but we really kept pushing through,” Gallant said.
Paul Kane finished the season at 5-2 (166 PF/161 PA) and Ainley was 7-0 (394 PF/34 PA) and one of the victories by the Titans was 87-0 against the fourth-place Beaumont Bandits (2-3-1) in the semifinals.
“We came in an advantageous spot as the underdogs. Everyone loves a Cinderella story and that didn’t happen here today but it was pretty close,” said Jones, 17.
Paul Kane was competing in its fourth metro final in five years and the third in division two since winning the 2014 championship 36-24 against Ainlay.
Paul Kane was the division one finalist in 2016 and last year the Blues (4-2-1, 166 PF/165 PA) dropped a 34-5 decision to the Sturgeon Spirits for the division two title.
“We definitely did not expect to come this far but with practice we improved a ton and it showed today,” said Gallant, 18.
Paul Kane men
The men’s division two rugby season ended on a high note for the Blues in Tuesday’s 34-17 semifinal loss to the Bellerose Bulldogs.“Overall it was a good game. It was certainly good for our last game,” said Will (The Thrill) Diederichs, a nifty Grade 11 outside-centre who converted his own try in the first quarter to put the Blues on top 7-5.
The halftime score was 15-7 for Bellerose and in the fourth quarter it was 34-7 when Thomas Hutchinson and Konor Campbell exploited holes in the Bellerose defence for tries.
“We did our best but they beat us to the rucks a few times and killed us in the lineouts and scrums,” Diederichs said.
Earlier in the season, Bellerose beat the Blues 25-10 May 10 in the sixth edition of the Gareth Jones Cup.
“We were definitely more prepared for them in this game. We certainly knew our game plan better but they improved as well. They were definitely the better team in this match but we did our best,” said Diederichs of the undefeated division two playoff champions.
In the quarter-finals, the Blues knocked off the J. Percy Page Panthers (3-1) 34-29 after trailing by nine points with about 10 minutes to play.
“That game really brought us together. That’s what gelled us as a team and allowed us to actually compete in this game (against Bellerose),” Diederichs said.
The Blues finished 2-3 (107 PF/135 PA), the team’s same record last year as quarter-finalists.
“We had some shaky commitments at times but it’s a really good group of guys. We’re trying really hard and a lot of us are new and it’s nice to see new players coming out playing,” said Diederichs, 16.
