Two men's teams are united as one as St. Albert's champion contenders in Alberta men's rugby.
The premier firsts, last year's Labatt's Cup provincial winners, and the thirds, the division leaders in the Edmonton Rugby Union, are a combined 15-5-1 before the playoffs kick off next month after sweeping Saturday's doubleheader at the St. Albert Rugby Football Club.
"We're feeling good right throughout the squad, thirds and firsts," said head coach Clay Panga, after the firsts turned the Calgary Saints into a kicking team with no tries in the 22-15 win. "There is a lot of competition right now. There are guys that are on our bench that probably should be starting but because there is so much competition at practice we have to give these guys a shot before the playoffs."
The firsts (7-2-1, seven bonus points) are once again the team to beat for the Ken Ann Cup, the north playoff qualifier for a provincial berth, and the Aug. 29 showdown with the Calgary Hornets (7-2, nine BP) at Ellerslie Rugby Park should decide top spot in the Alberta Cup table.
The thirds (8-3, 10 BP) are within striking distance of the ERU pennant with one match remaining before playoffs.
"It's very exciting right now," said SARFC veteran Ashley Hanson, the backbone of the thirds with premier talent. "For both the firsts and the thirds, things are coming together right at the right time. We still have a couple of guys missing and some are coming back from injuries, but there is genuine competition for places. Guys never know whether they are starting or not, which I think is always good. It keeps people eager and wanting to work hard. No one is able to rest on their laurels."
Terrific thirds
The thirds dressed a deep and talented 25-man roster in Saturday's lid-lifter against the Lloydminster Reapers (5-5, 11 BP) and 10 players scored 12 tries in the 72-5 drubbing.
"The boys played well today. It's always tough on a team put together at the last minute but we talked behind closed doors about working hard and image the breakdowns and making sure we do the work before going for the glory and I think the boys took to the task really well against a good physical team. It was hard work out there," Hanson said. "Our forwards today were outstanding and we've got some good young backs, too, and they're always keen to go."
A good chunk of the thirds are the future stars of the firsts and a few have already cut their teeth at the premier level.
"We have a very good U17, U19 program and that's why some of the young guys here are so talented. Guys like Nathan Yue and Austen McDonald are doing awesome," Hanson said.
The thirds ripped the Reapers for 26 points in the first quarter and led by 45 at the break. Matt Herod legged out a try for the team's seventh try to end the first half, then the spent scrumhalf emptied his stomach out on the pitch before the third quarter started.
It was 64-0 when the Reapers split the defence for a try in the late stages.
Hanson, 34, busted loose for two tries in the second half and finished the win with five conversions. The standoff also chipped paint off the post on the conversion attempt following his first try. The assistant coach for the SARFC division one women's team is back kicking from Ashley Hanson distance after taking a couple of years off.
"It's awesome to be back playing again. It's a lot of fun," he said.
The thirds remain one point ahead of the Pirates (8-2, nine BP), last year's ERU champions and provincial finalists, after their fourth victory in a row and sixth in seven matches. The Pirates have one match in hand on the thirds, who host the Edson Axmen (6-4, eight BP) next Saturday at 2 p.m. A win and bonus point would secure a semifinal date at SARFC.
"A home playoff game is really important. Playing here versus anywhere else is always a pleasure. We have good support," Hanson said.
Fantastic Firsts
Some of the thirds, including ironman Aaron Millard in the front row, were brought on board as reinforcements in the defensive struggle against the Saints (4-5-1, five BP).
Down 9-3 at halftime, the firsts roared back with tries by Brad Angove, Duncan Maguire and Robert Blunden and conversions by Luke (Aussie) Richardson and Antony Fitch.
"I'm proud of you guys. That was a gutsy win. That's the best game we've had all season. Those guys are a good team," Panga told the players in the post-game huddle.
Afterwards he was popping buttons over the team's performance.
"That was definitely a test for us and we knew it was going to be like that. They have a lot of Wolfpack guys (in the Canadian Rugby Championship circuit) so for us it's a big one," said Panga, who started at eight-man. "It's a testament to the defence today. The boys didn't let them get past our lines. That's something we've been working hard on and it's good to see it come to fruition."
It was 6-0 when Richardson kicked a penalty from outside the 22-metre line in the 26th minute of a sloppy seesaw opening half marred by a severe case of 'fumblities' by the firsts.
Six minutes into the second half, and the firsts knocking on the door, Angove streaked down the wing off a scrum for a try and Richardson nailed a long conversion to put the firsts on top.
"What I said at half-time was score next, whether it's three (penalty) or five (try) and the boys came out and did that," Panga said. "When you do that right away it really puts the other team down."
The Saints replied in the 57th minute with a penalty kick outside the 40-metre line to make it 12-10.
Two minutes later, the super-fast Maguire stepped into a ball hanging in the air after a Saint was tackled in front of the St. Albert 40 and in a blink of an eye motored untouched into the try area as the firsts regained the lead at 15-12.
After the kick-off, the Saints bobbled the ball and with a determined pack of firsts leading the charge, Blunden kicked it forward several times down field before picking it up and then touched it down with a defender clinging to his back.
Fitch, who came off the bench after the impressive-looking Lino Filisione, a New Zealand import at scrumhalf who tweaked his ankle, converted the try.
In the 67th minute, the Saints pulled to within a converted try with a penalty from just inside the halfway line.
The first yellow card in Maguire's career was issued in the 72nd minute for levelling a Saint with a reckless and resounding hit while the player was fielding a kick and left the firsts short a player for the rest of the match.
The Saints were also penalized for roughing up Maguire on the play, but Fitch's penalty kick in front of the halfway line missed the mark.
The last time the teams butted heads the firsts battled through adversity late in the match to salvage a 27-27 draw in Calgary.
"We were missing key guys that game, guys that were away with the Wolfpack juniors who have played pivotal roles and that really didn't help us," Panga said.
Saturday the firsts travel to Calgary to play the Canucks (3-6, five BP) at 3:30 p.m.
