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 McGill rugby remained undefeated with wins over Concordia and ETS last week.
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Despite driving rain and winds so bad they could make Chicago change its nickname, the Redmen rugby emerged victorious over the Concordia Stingers by an 11-3 count.
After a couple of successful phases, McGill took advantage of a Concordia penalty to open the scoring, as kicker Matt De Graff was able to put the ball through the posts to give McGill an early 3-0 lead. However, McGill's lead quickly vanished as the Stingers evened the score with a successful penalty kick of their own minutes later.
To Concordia's dismay, the Redmen took back the lead shortly thereafter, with De Graff successfully converting another penalty kick. The rest of the half consisted of a continuous back and forth play, with both sides narrowly missing putting points on the scoreboard, and penalties called as frequently as players landed in puddles. However, with a couple of chipped kicks and a few solid runs, McGill was able to penetrate their opponent's lines and break through with a late try, as Oliver Lyttleton touched the ball down in the end zone. The score increased the McGill lead to 11-3, where it would stay for the rest of the game.
During halftime, Head Coach Sean McCaffrey told his players that despite their lead and the brutal conditions, they still had to come out and shut down Concordia's highly potent offence. When the players returned to the field for the second half, it was quite apparent that their coach's words had sunk in. McGill kept the Stingers on the defensive throughout the half and allowed few chances.
Even though they controlled the second half, the Redmen were unable to get into the end zone, taking some bad penalty calls several times just outside the Concordia try line. The Stingers ran out of time, as the final whistle blew before they could cross into the McGill end zone.
The Redmen upped their record to 6-0 this season, and kept their 14-game winning streak intact.
Despite the win, McCaffrey expressed disappointment with the Redmen's performance.
"We need to be more aggressive on defence and play at the level I think this team is capable of," he said.
Robin MacLachlan, a member of McGill's strong core of backs, felt that the team wasn't at fault for its less-than-impressive showing. He chose, instead, to blame the weather.
"These type of conditions don't show off our strengths," he said.
Nonetheless, MacLachlan was quick to compliment his teammates on the tough victory.
"It shows a lot of character," he said. "These types of games put a lot [on the shoulders] of our forwards."
That kind of statement would seem to indicate that the Redmen are coming together as the regular season winds down and the drive for the Quebec Student Sport Federation title begins. The team is full of enthusiasm in its attempts to continue its winning ways, as it tries to cap off an undefeated season Sunday at 2:00 pm against the Bishop's Gaiters.
2008 Woodie Awards
