by Ian Trevor
Burnaby 2nds vs. Velox 2nds
The Burnaby women’s 2nds have come a very long way in a short time. From the first game in this half when we struggled to field 10 players we now have two matches in a row under our belts where we have had subs. Yes…subs.
Our points against per game has steadily declined, while our ball retention rates have improved. We are contesting scrums now, and the overall skill level is improving. All credit to the players who are a committed bunch, it’s incredible to see the improvements week to week.
This week’s game in Velox featured two similar teams with lots of young faces bracketed by a core of cagey veterans to provide the on-field examples and leadership.
The match featured good defensive organization from both sides, and Velox in particular proved adept at poaching the ball from the tackle. Burnaby’s defence held strong until late in the first half when Velox strung together a series of phases to take the lead 5 – 0.
In the 2nd half Burnaby cut down on the mental mistakes, raised their urgency at the breakdown, and renewed their commitment on defence. Burnaby was rewarded with possession and a few turnovers of their own, courtesy of Lindsay Finnigan and Michelle Young.
Midway through the second half Burnaby was able to open a hole in the Velox defence that Suelyn Wirth was only too happy to take advantage of, and a couple of sidesteps later the score was tied at 5 – 5.
Burnaby slowly but surely began to take control of the game, with Devon Luca almost setting free Abby Tacal and Jean Lehtinen with a couple of kicks out wide, however Velox was keen to not give up a game winner.
The match ended in a 5 – 5 draw, and the score was definitely reflective of a well played competitive match between two young and developing teams.
Burnaby Premier vs. Velox Premier
Velox and Burnaby have a healthy rivalry. Both clubs have current players that represent their home provinces as well as Canada in 15’s and 7’s. Velox, as has become the recent custom are the current class of the island and Burnaby has shown steady improvement since the first half. With former Burnaby Men’s coach Bill Meecham coaching Velox, and the familiar cast of coaches on the Burnaby sideline as well the stage was set and the teams took to the field.
Within two minutes Burnaby was fortunate to take advantage of a rare Velox mistake, as Mel Miyazaki intercepted a wayward pass to go 50 metres for the score while dragging a Velox defender with her for the last 5 metres. Julia Sugawara dutifully converted, and Burnaby took a 7 – 0 lead.
Velox responded to the score with several ferocious attacks through the midfield. Burnaby withstood the tide and Velox counter punched with several one out attacks at the breakdown. Burnaby was able to poach the ball back and then worked their way down field. The game continued to see-saw back and forth over the course of the game. With retired captain Anna Schnell watching from the sideline, Burnaby was able to keep the scoreboard ticking over through the boot of scrum half Julia Sugawara, eventually adding another 9 points to the Burnaby side of the scoreboard.
With about 15 minutes remaining in the match Burnaby were finally able to manufacture an overlap in the Velox defence and Becky Querido went over in the corner. The conversion was unsuccessful.
Just to show how fickle sport can be, Becky went from hero to convicted felon when she received a yellow card 5 minutes later for repeated infringement by Burnaby.
Velox took advantage of the numbers differential and finished the scoring with an unconverted try from Barbara Mervin.
Final Score Burnaby 21 – Velox 5