The men’s rugby team had a big victory against the previously undefeated McMaster Marauders, much to the delight of the large tri-coloured crowd during Saturday’s match at home on Nixon field.
Here are The Journal’s top three moments of the action-packed 27-11 win.
#1: Captain Michael Douros turns slow start around
Much to the dismay of the crowd, the Marauders came out strong from the start of the match. Taking the lead early, the Marauders’ opening try came at the hands of Jack McRogers in the corner of the Gael’s end, which was followed by an unsuccessful conversion attempt that set the score at 5-0.
However, the maroon lead was short lived, as Gaels captain Michael Douros responded with a try that was successfully converted by Dylan Young, making the score 7-5 in favour of the Gaels.
The play was brought down to the Marauders end thanks to a spectacular run from Kainoa Lloyd.
After a contest for possession, the ball was kicked out of bounds for a Marauders lineout; resulting in a reset play. Overpowering the Marauders in a scrum, the Gaels were able to get the ball out to Douros, who crashed through the McMaster’s defense to force the ball directly beneath the posts and set Young up for an easy kick. This try was integral to the Gaels as they were able to shift the momentum in their favour.
#2: Defensive efforts in the second half
After battling through the first half to gain momentum, the Gaels came out ahead with a narrow 13-11 lead. The Gaels’ defensive efforts doubled in the second half as they sought to maintain their hard-fought lead against the Marauders.
Though there were moments where it looked as though McMaster was going to score, a powerful defensive performance from the Gaels shut the Marauders out in the second half of the match.
The Gaels had the noticeably stronger scrum throughout the game and made many impressive tackles, much to the excitement of the crowd. They were unwavering on their own try line and were successful in stopping all try attempts in the second half.
For Douros, the defense set the teams apart.
“Our defense is what allowed us to take back control,” he said. “McMaster was on our goal line a few times but didn’t come away with any points. The guys really stepped up in the last 20 minutes of the game to add some insurance to our lead and secure the victory.”
#3: Kainoa Lloyd’s try at the end of the second half
Kainoa Lloyd (left) chases down the Marauders during Saturday’s game. Photo by Julia Balakrishnan.
For a majority of the second half, the Gaels had maintained control of the ball and managed to get even further ahead with a try from Brendan Blaikie, and a successful conversion, to put the match at 20-11 in favour of the Gaels.
However, the Marauders still posed an imminent threat, keeping the pressure on the Gaels as they pushed for a late try against the Gaels defense.
Leading the OUA in points, Gaels’ Kainoa Lloyd was able to add a little insurance for the Gaels in the closing minutes of the match.
Known for his fantastic breakthrough sprints downfield, Lloyd had a few attempts earlier in the game, all of which were accompanied by loud roars from the crowd. However, it wasn’t until late in the match that he was able to cross the try line.
Minutes after Blaikie’s try, Lloyd got the ball out of a ruck deep in Marauders’ territory and broke through their defense, shaking off three attempted tackles to get the ball down behind the Marauders’ line.
Lloyd’s try was successfully converted, cementing the Gaels victory at 27-11. With the win, Queen’s now sits at third place in the OUA standings.
The Gaels will hit the road next weekend to face the Western Mustangs in London on Saturday, Oct. 1 at 5 p.m.
“We have a tough trip this weekend,” Douros said. “This will be an important week of preparation, but the guys are confident moving forward into this upcoming game.”
Tags
Kainoa Lloyd, mcmaster marauders, Men's rugby, Michael Douros
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