Inquiring minds want to know: How huge is today’s marquee match between the fantastic firsts and the Calgary Hornets in premier men’s rugby?
“How big is it? It’s probably the biggest game of the year apart from the final,” declared Clay Panga, a former Hornets’ captain who is the head coach of the defending Labatt’s Cup champions at the St. Albert Rugby Football Club.
A large delegation of SARFC supporters will pack the stands at Calgary Rugby Park to witness the Alberta Cup first division showdown. The rematch of last year’s final – a one-side 39-5 conquest by the firsts against the winners of three consecutive Labatt’s Cups and four in five years, including triumphant victories against SARFC in 2009, 2011 and 2013 – kicks off at 3:30 p.m.
“I’m fired up for it. It’s against my old team and a few of the boys have taken that on if you know what I mean,” Panga said with a smile as large as a beer keg.
It’s only the third match of the season – the firsts are 1-1 and the Hornets are 2-0 – but Panga is pulling out all the stops. The first-year SARFC field general, who played for the Castaway Wanderers in the British Columbia premier circuit this season, will draw into the first 15 lineup at eight-man.
Panga has also secured the services of former teammate and Team Canada prop, Andy Tiedemann, for the confrontation between Alberta’s rugby powerhouses.
It will be Tiedemann’s first match wearing the SARFC colours since his cameo appearance with the third division team on Aug. 6, 2009 at his home club.
The product of the Lorne Akins and Paul Kane rugby programs is coming off his second season of pro with the Plymouth Albion RFC.
“We’re happy to have him,” said a delighted Panga.
The firsts will need more than just the mountain-sized Tiedemann to beat the same side that pounded the winless Clansmen 75-20 the previous weekend.
“They have a lot of firepower all over the field so we’re preparing as well as we can and that’s all we can really do,” Panga said. “Our game plan is to really try and beat them up front with our forwards and then hope to finish out wide. I have a little bit of a background obviously with the Hornets guys and I think that’s where we’ve got to exploit.”
Last weekend the firsts suffered a disturbing 43-17 loss to the Calgary Irish (2-0) in the Cow Town after kicking off the fixtures with a resounding 63-18 decision against the Strathcona Druids (0-2).
Last year the firsts lost only one match en route to a 14-1 overall record, which included a spirited 24-23 come-from-behind showing against the Hornets in week two of the fixtures in Calgary, and their second Labatt’s Cup in five years after going 8-6 as provincial finalists in 2013.
“We were too complacent against the Irish and to be fair it was a wakeup call we needed. The guys just came out too flat. I don’t know if it had to do with the travel or what it was,” Panga said with a quizzical look etched across his face. “We took down a pretty strong team but not our strongest team yet. It was one of those things where we came out of the blocks flat and they made us pay for every opportunity they got.”
The firsts faded away in the second half after trailing 15-5 at the break.
“This isn’t to their discredit but they got a few lucky bounces that went against us,” Panga said.
It was his first match guiding the premier squad after making his SARFC coaching debut in the thirds’ 19-15 loss to the Drayton Valley Riggers on May 9.
“The way this club is it seems all the players really strive to be better. It’s still early in the season and come those crucial games at the end we’ll be looking good,” said Panga, a New Zealander with playing experience in the Canadian Rugby Championships with the Calgary-based Prairie Wolfpack and the IRB Americas Rugby Championship with Team Canada.
“We’re pretty lucky. We have close to 60 guys registered and a lot of young guys too, which is great for the future,” he added. “In the mix with the thirds are Eric Wynychuk and older guys like that who are really helping out as well. They’ve been really key for me. They’ve really helped me out with those young guys a lot.
“Right now it’s all about trying to put in as much time as I can to meet everybody on an individual basis and then try and keep them activated and keep them involved. At the end of the day it’s about them all playing and having a great time in St. Albert.”
SCRUM BALLS: The thirds (1-2) travel to Cold Lake today to play the Penguins (0-2) at 2 p.m.
SARFC is holding a garage sale fundraiser today from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the club’s parking lot.
