The St. Albert third division men’s team has a blind date with the Calgary Saracens today in the Digby Dinnie Cup provincial final.
The north and south playoff reps start rucking and mauling at noon at Ellerslie Rugby Park and admission is $5.
“We have no idea how they play or how they played all season because we haven’t played any of those third division teams down in Calgary. It’s pretty tough. We’re going into it pretty blind,” said second-row Paul Griffin of the terrific thirds at Thursday’s training session at the St. Albert Rugby Football Club.
A victory would equal the 1997 SARFC sweep of the Visser Cup in the Edmonton Rugby Union and the provincial final.
“We’re going in to win definitely, 100 per cent,” Griffin said. “We’re looking forward to it. We’re putting in the effort tonight and hopefully we have everything going Saturday.”
The Saracens (11-4) finished third in the Southern Alberta table before knocking off both teams ahead of them – Banff Bears and Calgary Rams – to book a spot at provincials.
The last Digby Dinnie Cup for the Saracens was 1996.
The thirds (11-3) are battle-hardened after beating the snarly Pirates (11-3), last year’s Visser Cup champions and provincial finalists, 25-12 for their seventh win in a row and in the semifinals were victorious 36-22 against the equally tough Grande Prairie Centaurs (9-5).
“The confidence the guys have from the last two games will help,” Griffin said. “The last couple of games we’ve done pretty well. The forwards dominated the scrums against Grande Prairie and then last weekend against the Pirates so hopefully we do the same again this weekend and play a good forwards game.”
The thirds are good enough to be a competitive second division team and several players have performed for the premier squad this year. The combined record for the thirds and first 15 is a remarkable 24-5-1.
The firsts are defending their Labatt’s Cup provincial championship against the Calgary Saints today at 4:15 p.m. at Ellerslie.
“It’s great to have two teams in the final. Everyone is excited and looking forward to hopefully winning two cups on Saturday,” said Griffin, 28.
The only import on the roster against the Pirates brings size and experience to the forwards. He is the latest in a long line of talented Irishmen to hook up with SARFC, a club and a half.
“I just ended up coming here by myself. I don't know any of the guys up here and I just picked this club to join,” said the product of the Greystones Rugby Club in Wicklow. “It’s a good group of guys here and good players too. I’m glad I’m here. We’re winning and it’s great.”
