Two must-win performances propelled St. Albert’s seconds into the Edmonton Rugby Union playoff race.
“We’re on the right track. Our two last games have been against pretty tough teams and we’re really stoked to have those wins,” winger Brad Angove told the Gazette after Saturday’s come-from-behind 24-13 thriller against the Leduc Crude at the St. Albert Rugby Football Club. “Of course, it matters more what you do later in the season, right?”
The J.W. Shaw Cup league finalists the last three years started the season with two losses, then turned things around by knocking off the Knights 29-12 in Fort McMurray and the second division provincial champions from Leduc.
“In both games we played well as a group. They were both tough teams,” said Angove, who made a rare appearance at flanker against the Knights (2-3). “Fort McMurray allowed us to move the ball wide a little more, which is kind of our game plan, so it worked out better for us in the end.”
Against the Crude (2-4) the seconds fumbled away a pile of points in the first half and trailed 13-5 after 40 minutes.
“We had a tough time in the first half. We were a bit nervous because these guys were the top team last year,” Angove said. “I’m not sure why we were dropping the ball so much but we got it together, calmed down a little bit and played more like a team on defence in the second half and that’s what did it for us. We spread out really good. We had most of the field covered and that allowed us to stop them, especially at the very end.”
His try in the 68th minute capped off 19 unanswered points by the seconds in the second half. It wasn’t a textbook play but it was effective nonetheless.
“The pass went back to Dave [Owen] and things got a little confusing on the field. I dropped behind him and picked up the ball and there was a gap and in I went,” Angove said.
Owen’s second try in the 62nd minute under the posts, orchestrated by the short but speedy Nathan Reis, put the seconds ahead to stay. Ashley Hanson’s conversion made it 17-13.
Owen opened the scoring in the 15th minute, but Leduc capitalized twice before the break on some dubious decisions with the ball and timid tackling by the seconds. Leduc also kicked a penalty from outside the 22-metre line.
Early in the second half the seconds held up a try against a determined Leduc push, then methodically worked their way down field. After an Owen fumble the seconds recovered the slippery ball to score a team try in the 51st minute.
A prolonged defensive stand by the seconds with their backs pinned against the try area ended the boisterous affair.
“Stopping them on the goal line like that was big,” Angove said.
Last year with a berth at provincials at stake, Leduc thumped the seconds 39-15 in the league final. It was 12-3 Leduc at halftime. The seconds finished 7-7 overall after their third loss of the season to Leduc. At provincials Leduc (14-1) beat Banff 26-19 for the Lor-Ann Cup.
“It’s all about provincials for us,” said Angove, the recipient of the team’s most improved player award last year.
The seconds can solidify a playoff spot during a home-and-home series with the Grande Prairie Centaurs. They play the winless Centaurs on Saturday in Grande Prairie. The rematch is July 16 at 4 p.m. in St. Albert.
St. Albert’s thirds (1-4) also have a date Saturday in Grande Prairie and host the Centaurs (4-2) July 16 at 2 p.m.
“We’re excited to be going up to Grande Prairie. They’re a good team too. All the far away teams are full of big, tough guys,” said Angove, 21, the St. Albert club’s Golden Crutch award winner during an injury-plagued 2009 season.
