Ellerslie Rugby Park – The exorcism of demons was performed by the premier men’s rugby team possessed over several haunting results to the Nor’Westers.
Saturday’s ritualistic ceremony for the St. Albert Rugby Football Club to cast out the evil spirits of losing to last year’s provincial champions was the 29-7 Ken Ann Cup north final victory in the Alberta Cup playoffs.
“Everyone was full of emotion. We wanted to beat the Nor'Westers more than anything,” said Jake Robinson, the steely-eyed scrumhalf extraordinaire for SARFC. “It was an emotional battle out there. The boys just dug deep and stuck to the game plan and drove it through in the end.”
The ninth Ken Ann Cup in 10 provincial qualifiers since SARFC rejoined the premier division in 2008 was arguably the most satisfying of the bunch after the team failed to qualify for the north final last year.
“The boys came out firing today. We wanted it more than in any other previous year,” Robinson said.
Losing to the Nor’Westers four times in five matches over three years – 38-36 in 2016, 57-26 and 51-3 last year, and 46-17 and 33-15 this year – was the extra incentive SARFC needed to restore its ‘club-and-a-half’ swagger in the premier ranks.
“The boys dug a bit deeper today having something on the line for it,” Robinson said. “We kind of got complacent having such success in the previous 10 years and we needed them to beat us in the regular season to make us bring it emotionally. We had something to prove out there.”
The winners of Labatt’s Cups in 2010, 2014, 2015 and 2016 will head to Calgary on Saturday to lock horns with the Rams (13-1) for provincial honours. Kick off is at 4:30 p.m.
The first loss of the season for SARFC (7-5) was 43-24 to the Rams in Calgary in Week 2 of the Alberta Cup fixtures.
“As long as we put our best performance in like we did today we’ve got every chance to come away with provincials,” said outside-centre Joe Casella of the same smash-mouth, first 15 playoff lineup that pounded the Strathcona Druids 34-12 before plowing past the Nor’Westers (10-2). Both matches were contested in the cold and snow.
“It took the conditions to kind of go a bit bad for us to play our best rugby because it meant everyone had to stick to the plan,” Casella said. “I know it’s not nice playing in these kind of conditions but actually it’s been a bit of a gift for us to kind of go to our big forwards.
“Our strength is probably more around having quite a bit of physical forward play and playing quite well with territory, where I think earlier in the year we were probably a bit slack on those fronts. We were trying to run everything from everywhere and playing risky rugby.”
What the forwards started the backs finished with three tries in the opening 27 minutes for a well-earned 17-7 advantage at halftime.
“It was a slippery game out there so we had our forwards keeping it tight and that led to our success. We drew them in and we were able to spin it out wide a couple of times and get tries in the corners,” Robinson said.
“In the backs we played quite efficiently, played good territory and took our opportunities when they came up,” Casella added. “We even left a couple out there. In the first half we could’ve scored maybe four or five tries.”
On the opening kickoff, SARFC pinned its ears back and blitzed the Nor’Westers with a vengeance, resulting in a penalty kick from inside the 40-metre line that Casella was wide right in the third minute.
Two minutes later Chad Monai-Brophy slid through the snow for a try under the posts to cap off a bullish pick-and-go drive. Casella’s conversion was successful.
Defensive stand
The Nor’Westers stormed back to within an inch of the try line but there was no breach in the defensive line during a prolonged and agonizing stalemate as SARFC refused to buckle or back down from the onslaught of the five-alarm offensive penetration.The defensive lockdown was on par with SARFC’s glorified unbreakable bond in front of the try line for several agonizing minutes to end the 2016 Labatt’s Cup, 25-20 over the Hornets in Calgary.
After a lengthy push for points from the attackers, SARFC forced a turnover following a five-metre scrum by the Nor’Westers. Monai-Brophy retrieved the ball out of the snow and whipped it to Matt Jarvis for the 2010 MVP of the Alberta Golden Bears to quickly reverse field position with a dash along the snow-covered touchline. With the Nor’Westers back-pedaling furiously, SARFC mounted an unrelenting charge that included a blocked kick, a sizable run by Robert Blunden and a pack-driven ball control before Jordan Tait slipped through the defenders guarding the try line in the 16th minute.
“We built such momentum off that goal-line stand shutting them down. Everyone was digging deep. It was the key turning point. Everyone realized that everyone is here to play. We were playing for each other after that,” said Robinson, who deftly spun the ball to Tait, who accepted the pass in full flight for the team’s third try after a five-metre SARFC scrum in enemy territory to make it 17-0 in the 27th minute.
“We defended really stoutly and when they’re coming hard like that and you can repel them it makes all the difference,” Casella added. “It was really good to see the boys come out on an odd day like today and show that kind of grit and who wants it the most.
“Everyone makes mistakes in these types of conditions but we played the most mistake-free rugby of the two teams.”
A converted try in the 31st minute by the Nor’Westers closed the gap but SARFC continued its pro-active forward thrust with Big Mo on its side while dominating the time of possession and field advantage.
In the 45th minute, Casella’s penalty kick near the 22-metre line missed posts.
Seven minutes later, the Brad Marchand-like Robinson had a beef with an opponent and after somewhat of a physical disagreement both players were yellow carded.
Without arguably the man of the match in the sin bin, SARFC didn’t lose a step, and while pressing forward Casella pulled off a game-breaking unassisted try in the 54th minute as champagne corks stopped popping in the SARFC cheering section of fans.
“A couple of times in the game we were defending and defending and I managed to get some good line speed on the boys and strip a few balls. So when they kind of flashed it, they tried to attack right and then tried to flash it back to the left; we came up with good line speed and the guy luckily for me dropped it to the deck. I managed to scoop it up and just got enough daylight between me and the chasers to slide it over and then I knock it over the sticks as well (on the conversion),” Casella said. “It was really important to get that try. I was really happy that I was able to come up with the goods on that one. At that point in the game it was kind of on a knife edge. We knew whoever scored next was going to have the full momentum carrying through to 80 minutes.”
In the last minute, Robinson willed his way into the try area with sheer tenacity while backed by powerful support from teammates. The riveting scoring play not only summoned up the greatness of Robinson but the unquestionable bond of SARFC brotherhood.
“We always play for each other even when one of us isn’t up for the game kind of thing, especially for me today with the weather. I wasn't up for the game really and then seeing the guys come out the way they did I dug deeper than I ever intended to today and played it for them and they did the same for me and did the same for everyone,” said Robinson, 30, the 2016 MVP in the Edmonton Rugby Union and 2017 SARFC Canada Corner honoree.
Casella, 28, is one of seven players in Saturday’s first 15 who haven’t experienced winning the Labatt’s Cup with SARFC and the Welsh import from Cardiff is thirsty to taste the drink of champions.
“I heard a lot about the history of success here and that was a big reason behind me joining the club. I want to carry that on,” Casella said. “During the season we had some struggles with boys missing and stuff, but it’s really good to get the club back where it belongs and now we’re in good shape to do some damage at provincials.”
