When the most valuable player for the first premier men’s provincial championship team in St. Albert history arrived at Tuesday’s training session, Karim Lynch was treated like a rock star.
After the hugs and handshakes from teammates and club supporters, Lynch declared: “I’m very excited to be back. This is like a second home for me,” he said with a smile as big as a rugby ball. “I just love the lifestyle and the atmosphere. The guys are really close. It’s a lovely city. I just love it out here.”
The all-star fullback at the Bournemouth Rugby Football Club will make his season debut with the first 15 today against the Calgary Saracens (0-4). Kickoff is 4 p.m. at the Leading Edge Physiotherapy Fields.
“It’s good to play with the boys again,” Lynch said. “They’ve had a poor start but hopefully this weekend we can smash those Saracens and keep moving up the [first division] table.”
In the worst start by the firsts since rejoining the premier ranks in 2008, St. Albert’s elite squad dropped the ball in losses of 29-17 to the Strathcona Druids, 25-20 to the Clansmen and 27-14 to the Calgary Hornets in the May 28 home debut.
Two weeks ago in Red Deer, the firsts pulled themselves out of the depths of despair with a gritty but unpolished 22-14 performance against the winless Titans.
Injuries, the absence of key starters like Lynch and flanker Kyle Gilmour’s stint with the national sevens team left the firsts looking more like a fourth division team than championship contenders.
“It looks like we’ve got some more guys back and we’ve got some more imports too, so we should be stronger definitely,” said Lynch, who is no longer classed as an import after playing the past two years for the firsts. “Against the Saracens we’re hoping to put some points up and confidence will be high again.”
Lynch, 22, led the firsts in tries last year despite missing the first month of the season while finishing up his construction management studies at the University of Southhampton. He was the most dominating outside-centre in premier with hands of gold, blazing speed, ironman strength and a kicking leg that rivalled any standoff in the province.
The obvious choice for player of the year honours on the firsts was humbled by the accolade.
“It was lovely to get the award. A lot of others could’ve won it as well. Of course, winning the [premier] title was more important,” said the rookie of the year for the 2009 pennant winners and provincial finalists.
He was also recognized at Bournemouth as the players’ player of the year award winner with the thirds.
“It was pleasant news to hear,” said Lynch, who was unable to attend the club’s awards banquet on Friday. “We had a really good season. We came second in the league, just missing out on top spot. We then played a playoff game and the winner got promoted. We lost 23-22.”
It was his second year at Bournemouth, a coastal resort town in the county of Dorset.
“The training and coaching is a lot different there. Coming here, obviously it’s different altitude, a different game all together and the coaches are different too. The teams are a lot more mixed and varied at home. For example, the Saracens are at the bottom and the team at the top [in premier] will beat them 80 or 90 points but at home every game is a tough game because the leagues are so tight and well matched.”
Next Saturday the firsts host the Calgary Canucks at 4 p.m. in a rematch of the 2010 provincial final. In the greatest day ever in St. Albert rugby history, the firsts overpowered the Canucks 33-17 at Calgary Rugby Park. It was the 13th win in 15 matches for the firsts, after going 13-1 in 2009 and 13-3-1 in 2008 as two-time premier pennant winners and provincial finalists.
“I know we can do it again,” Lynch said.
