Here is another excellent match report from Doug Whidden:
On another glorious day in Vancouver, the performance by the Burnaby Lake Premier XV was anything but. After two straight wins over points leaders James Bay and UBCOB, Burnaby Lake looked to keep their winning streak alive over cross town rivals the Merelomas.
One look at the records of both these clubs would suggest that Burnaby Lake should have been the decided favorite on the day. But, anyone who has followed the BC Premier League over the last couple years can attest to the great parity that exists between clubs. Thus, no club can afford to look past another. Each week the preparations and planning must be accomplished on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and then 80 minutes of hard work on Saturday must follow. Burnaby Lake was found guilty of accomplishing very little of this in their build-up for its weekend clash with the ‘Lomas. The end result was a lackluster performance and a 20-11 defeat.
The opening 40 minutes saw both teams take advantage of perfect playing conditions by expanding their games and kicking only when it was warranted. Former Canadian international Courtney Smith, playing at fullback for the Lomas, got his team on the board as he found a gap in the Burnaby backline and scored his first of two tries on the day. Burnaby would answer back through a Damien Lane penalty. The smooth running Jason Hall expanded the Loma lead on a nifty ‘double switch’ move that was executed to perfection to score under the sticks. The same can’t be said for the conversion which was subsequently was shanked wide. Burnaby would score its only 5 pointer of the day as Pat Riordan capped off a driving maul from a lineout near the Loma try line. On the stroke of half time another Damien Lane penalty kick would give Burnaby its only lead of the game 11-10.
With a narrow 1 point lead after the break, Burnaby looked make it three wins on the trot as they pressured the Loma try line early in the second half, only to be denied by some staunch Loma defense. Those opening passages would be the lone bright spot for the men in blue as the remainder of the half was all orange and black. The Lomas would score two unanswered tries and walk away with a much needed and well-earned 20-11 victory.
The post game message from Coach Dave Brown focused on possession or the lack there of, on decision making and on preparation. The video session on Tuesday night should prove very useful at illustrating the areas in need of work. With a full two weeks until there next game against the Pride, you can rest assured that there will be plenty of work done on the training paddock.
