Calgary Rugby Park – The fantastic firsts of the St. Albert Rugby Football Club were not to be denied their second Labatt's Cup in five years on the provincial pitch.
The day of reckoning against the Calgary Hornets was over as soon as it started as the premier men's team stormed across the try line at the 30-second mark and kept pounding the reigning champions into submission for a unanimous 39-5 decision on a glorious Saturday afternoon.
"We had the upper hand from the start today and there was no way we were going to lose," said an overjoyed Jo Hull, head coach of the 14-1 firsts, during the post-match festivities. "The boys were in control in everything that we did and we just knew we were going to win it."
After three devastating losses since 2009 to the Hornets – winners of three consecutive Labatt's Cups and four in five years – the firsts popped champagne corks in celebration.
"Today was our day. We earned it," declared Adam Bontus, an unbridled colt with three galloping tries. "It feels good to take one away from them because obviously they've been the best club in Alberta the last three years. I'm happy for the boys. It's been a long time to get back on the good side of this dance."
In the first half, the firsts hammered the Hornets for 22 points on three tries and Antony Fitch's well-struck penalty kick from an angle inside the 40-metre line in the 13th minute and his two conversions.
It was a 34-0 runaway when the Hornets discovered the try area with 10 minutes remaining.
"We wanted it a lot more than they did," said Jake Robinson, who spearheaded the offensive attack at scrumhalf. "The guys up front stepped up and drove through them and when we had the ball we capitalized on some good breaks and put the ball down."
Robinson's hands were all over the ball on the opening kickoff as the Hornets treated it like a hot potato before the high school rugby product of the St. Albert Skyhawks scooped it up around the Calgary 40 and snaked his way toward the posts before dishing it off to the opportunistic Brian Pendlebury for a short burst for points.
"Off the kickoff we wanted to get the ball back deep into their zone and they fumbled the kick and I was fortunate enough to pick it up. They were chasing me down and it was great support from Brian to take off to the corner," Robinson said.
The firsts continued to control possession after Fitch's penalty kick left the tentative-looking Hornets staring at an eight-point deficit.
In the 17th minute, Bontus ripped up the right side of the pitch from around the Calgary 40 before diving over the try line. Fitch nailed the lengthy conversion in tight of the touchline.
"I knew Jake was going to hit me in the gap with the ball. He basically put it away for me," Bontus said.
Down by 15, a couple of promising pushes for points by the Hornets ended in penalties.
In the 30th minute, fullback Shea O'Hallahan caught a Hornet breaking past the halfway line down the wing and the ball was dislodged on the takedown. After the turnover, Bontus streaked down the touchline with his Fabio hair flowing in the wind as the St. Albert fans cheered his lengthy romp with gusto. Fitch split the uprights from far away as the Hornets hung their heads in disbelief.
"Shea tracked down the guy and it was good defence on the tackling," Bontus said. "I was just basically off to the races. Luckily I had some wind left in the tank."
The third try for the inside-centre turned winger was in the 52nd minute after the firsts withstood a determined charge by the Hornets, aided by a penalty on the St. Albert side of the halfway line. A kick for touch by the firsts reversed field position and on the ensuing Hornets' lineout outside their 22 they fumbled away possession. The ball eventually found its way into Johnny Moloney's massive hands and the lanky Irishman chewed up the yardage before feeding Bontus a perfect pass. The former junior B enforcer with the St. Albert Merchants never broke stride while reeling the ball in front of the Calgary 22 and turned a defender inside out en route to the try area. Fitch's conversion attempt was unsuccessful as the firsts led by 27.
"Johnny looked like a young Brian O'Driscoll (former captain of Ireland) standing at first receiver and did some fancy footwork before putting me in the outside channel with one man to beat," said Bontus, 27.
Scoring star
His hat-trick performance in the biggest match of the year is what legends are made of.
"It feels good because I was shut out (scoring wise) for the whole season," added the Skyhawks' alumnus, who gradually worked his way into the starting 15 after a season-opening injury and spent time on the wing with the Calgary-based Prairie Wolfpack in the Canadian Rugby Championship circuit.
The stands were rocking behind the St. Albert bench as O'Hallahan forced another turnover while chasing down a kick that played tricks on the Hornets' return man. After juggling the ball in the air while on the run O'Hallahan squeezed it and kept going untouched before doing a summersault over the try line in the 60th minute. The New Zealander converted his own score.
The firsts continued to defend their try area like demons before the Hornets (9-6) eventually put points on the board in the 70th minute.
"They couldn't break our line defensively. Our forward pack worked so hard around the pitch and shut them down in the scrums and lineouts," said Robinson, 26.
After a missed penalty kick by O'Hallahan from inside the 40 in the 74th minute, the firsts kept pouring on the pressure and Matt Jarvis closed out the scoring as the finisher on the wing with three minutes to go. O'Hallahan missed the conversion attempt.
Jarvis was among five players who Hull subbed in the second half as the firsts used 20 of the 22 players dressed for the final.
"To be honest with you it took all 22 today," Hull said of the strong team unity that symbolized the season of success. "Our key player today was Jake Robinson at nine (scrumhalf). He was just outstanding with the control he had through the game and composure. Fitch, again stepping in at 10 (for injured standoff Adam Gowing), he did the job and obviously Johnny at second row was good in terms of power and control."
There were several man-tears shed when captain Brett Kelly limped onto the field in the second half, his left knee wrapped in several layers of bandages. The heart and soul of the firsts soldiered through the pain after missing the last four matches with what was initially diagnosed as a season-ending knee injury. Only a sniper's bullet was going to stop the toughest forward on the firsts from going into battle.
"When you see a guy who goes through so much pain just to play, that's huge for a team. That just tells the team how much this means to a guy like that. It lifts everybody. When I saw him come out there it did lift me. This guy is willing to put himself through hardship just to play for us. We've got two good legs and he's got only one so let's get this for him," said Moloney, the team captain for the final who stood shoulder to shoulder with Kelly to accept the Labatt's Cup on behalf of the firsts during the post-match ceremony.
The euphoria surrounding the championship victory was in stark contrast to last year's massive letdown, when the Hornets drove the ball down the firsts' throats in the opening 48 seconds to draw first blood and proceeded to roll up an 18-3 advantage at halftime before the curtain fell on the 47-10 anticlimactic final.
"Last year we probably didn't have the team. We just didn't show up that day but it was just a building block for this year," said Bontus, who was among a handful of players in Saturday's final who were on the 22-man roster for the first Labatt's Cup in club history in 2010. "Every championship is good but this one feels really special because we've been building for it for two or three years with the same group. It was hard work and I'm happy we finally got to win it again."
