Match Reports

October 6, 2007

Seattle Beats Chuckanut Bay

SRFC 1st XV 47-7

On a rainy day in Ferndale Washington the only 2 American teams in the B.C. Division 1 met in a match of growing rivals. Chuckanut Bay and Seattle RFC played a fast and hard game with Seattle getting the result 47 - 7. Seattle started out playing their field position game plan then quickly created overloads then Center Eric Stacey and Winger Tony Ursino scored the first 2 tries. After dominating the lineouts flanker Travis Shultz scored the next try. A few moments later while Seattle tried a quick throw in an ill advised pass was intercepted by Chuckanut and resulted in the only score for the home team. From then on Seattle controlled possession and played stellar defense en route to the 47 - 7 final. Head coach Villi Lino was "Pleased" with the effort but stressed the execution needs to be sharper. Captian Tony Ursino said of Chuckanut "They are a young physical team and the game was much closer than the final score. We have a lot of work to do in the final 5 games of the half but we have improved with every game." Seattle improved their record to 3 - 2 and are in striking distance to make strong push for first place in the Coulter League. The Orcas are 2 games behind Richmond and Abbotsford with games remaining with the leaders. Seattle's next game is at (2 - 2) Kamloops, with the next home game against Simon Fraiser University on October 20th. Chuckanut fell to 0 - 4 and their next match is at United RFC.

March 31, 2007

Seattle Men Win Decisively over Surrey

SRFC 1st XV 41-16

Seattle had a successful weekend all around with the Orcas winning convincingly over Surrey in the BCRU league and with 12 Seattle players representing the club in the hard-fought Rugby Super League win over the Chicago Griffins.

Although players were split between the two leagues, Seattle came away with a 41-16 win over Surrey and is in the playoffs for the BCRU in the coming weeks. This weekend sees Seattle play Kamloops in Chuckanut for another BCRU league match.

March 10, 2007

Seattle Men Continue Winning Run with Victory over United

SRFC 1st XV 47-11
SRFC 2nd XV 36-12

Seattle continued its winning run with a decisive victory over United from Vancouver, B.C. It was a tough game with some hard hits, and some "high spirits" resulted in two yellow cards and a red card.

For once the weather was dry and Seattle was able to open up its game plan more than in previous weeks. There were some good tries out wide from wings Burt and Ursino, and some strong running from the centers produced two additional tries, one for Cash Carlos and one for Taki. The forwards were three short due to injury but still managed a dominating display with some good scrummaging and drives from the lineouts to produce two tries. The end result was Seattle 47, United 11.

The coming weekend sees Seattle playing Vancouver Rowing Club at home. But with the USA Rugby super league starting this weekend, Seattle may see itself short of some players that will be joining OPSB to play in the league this spring.

March 3, 2007

Seattle Men Win Muddy Victory over Cowichan

SRFC 1st XV 17-6
SRFC 2nd XV 5-0

Seattle men won a muddy victory against a solid Cowichan side down from Vancouver Island. In terrible conditions, both teams struggled to have any continuity in the game and many errors were made by both sides.

Seattle came through with some strong running from the centers and then finished with some good drives close to the lines from the pack. However Cowichan did not give up and kept the Seattle team on their heels the whole game. This weekend Seattle faces United in a bid to try and maintain their unbeaten record this half.

February 24, 2007

Seattle Men Win over Langely

SRFC 1st XV 17-5
SRFC 2nd XV 8-5

The Seattle men traveled to Langley, B.C. in terrible conditions to try and defeat the only team who has defeated them since September.

The 2nd XV opened the day with a stellar performance in terrible conditions. With some excellent defense and solid play going forward, Seattle overcame the Langley side for a well-deserved win.

In the 1st XV fixture, Seattle overcame the conditions and defeated Langley 17-5 in a hard-fought match. Seattle executed its game plan well and kept the Langley defense on the back foot with some good kicking and then turning this territorial advantage into points with strong drives from the forwards. There was also some good defense, and although Langley was against the ropes in the dying minutes, they scored a great try from their half with some strong running and good support.

Seattle faces Cowichan from Vancouver Island this weekend which should also be a battle to win.

October 14, 2006

Seattle Men Ranked Top in BCRU with Wins over Chuckanut Bay

SRFC 1st XV 29-5
SRFC 2nd XV 46-17

After a bye week in the BCRU, the Orcas of the Seattle Rugby Club traveled the short trip to Ferndale, Wash., to take on Chuckanut Bay in an important BCRU Division 1 match. Seattle came into the game undefeated and Chuckanut had one win. A victory would put Seattle in good position to win the fall season and get an automatic berth in the playoffs in the spring.

The match started as expected with the home team coming out hard and Seattle trying to settle into their game plan. The Orcas spent a good portion of the first 15 minutes spinning the ball out to the wings. Winger Tony Ursino had some nice runs up the sideline, but Chuckanut Bay was ready with good cover defense and Seattle could not score. SRFC keep the pressure on, though. Fullback Evan Hauge took a nice gap as he broke 20 meters, only to end up 1 meter short. But with good support and a quick ruck, Seattle got on the board with a try by outside center Kevin Flynn. Play resumed with more of the same Seattle pressure, but the BCRU first division upstart Chuckanut began soaking up that pressure and forced the Orcas into some mistakes, running off of those and almost scoring twice. Seattle make-up defense was able to save these two tries, and shortly thereafter, Anthony Chaffey broke into open space and scored a try. With about 10 minutes left in the first half, Seattle started to put together phase upon phase, the forwards picking and mauling their way down the field. Hauge again was on the receiving end of a nifty play called by flyhalf Ryan Bishop and this time Hauge was not to be denied his try as he crossed the line under the posts, with Bishop converting. With time running out in the half, Seattle tried to get the ball wide once again but the Chuckanut #13 knocked the ball down, recovered it and made a nice run to the try zone, and the half ended with Seattle ahead 17-5.

The second half saw Chuckanut playing hard and challenging Seattle. For a good part of the second half, the Orcas defended in their own 22, but the Seattle defense was up to the challenge all game long and Chuckanut could not cross the line. Evan Hauge and Anthony Chaffey both scored their second tries, with Chaffey’s coming as time ran out in the game and as two Chuckanut players found themselves on the ground after devastating stiff arms.

In the end, Chuckanut played a very hard and psychical game but still only has one win as Seattle remained undefeated in the BCRU, winning 29-5. The Orcas walked off of the field knowing they got everything they could handle and are looking forward to the rematch in Seattle next spring. In the second division, Seattle ran all over Chuckanut 46-17 and climbed into first place in the BCRU Division 2.

After the match, Chuckanut Bay showed the utmost class by presenting Seattle RFC with a plaque commemorating their 40th anniversary. Next week, Seattle travels to Canada to play Kelowna in very important 1st and 2nd division matches.

October 7, 2006

Seattle Women Lose 7-24 in Territorial Playoff Match

It was a sunny fall day at Fuller’s Farm in Portland for a noon kickoff of the PNRFU #2 Emerald City Mudhens versus the PNRFU #3 Seattle Breakers. This was to be a make it or break it game, with the winner taking the third seed to Sweet Sixteen and the loser out. The game started off well for the Breakers. They maintained possession 90% of the time and played with great fluidity and confidence. They spent much of the first 10 minutes attacking close to the try zone. Some hard work from the forward pack allowed the backline to gain the overload and outside center Haldre Rogers was able to run it all the way under the uprights before touching it down. Winger Marty Quick took advantage of this with a conversion to start the game 7-0. The opponents answered back with a break through our line by the fullback for the first Mudhens score. The try was converted to even the score 7-7. Seattle almost regained the momentum with another score but was unable to execute before the whistle blew to end the first half.

The second half started with the opponents in possession the majority of the time. After a long 10 minutes defending their try zone, the Breakers allowed an overload that resulted in an unconverted try in the corner by the wing. Amanda Barney replaced Rose Baker at 8-man and made her mark with three beautiful scrumhalf tackles off the set piece. Unfortunately, the ref didn’t agree and Barney found herself in the sin bin. With the Breakers one player down, the two teams traded kicks for some time and the opponents were able to use their other winger to score another unconverted try in the corner. The Mudhens tried bringing the ball up again, but a hard tackle by winger Carolyn O’Neill stopped the game for a number of minutes as the opposing flyhalf was checked out. Barney came back in shortly after, but Seattle was unable to get back their momentum and gave up two more tries before the final whistle blew.

Gizmos
Backs: Emily Battle, flyhalf
Forwards: front row (Heather Jennings, Erin Hunter/Tara DeZao, Dom Lewis)
Tackle: Carolyn O’Neill, wing
Extraordinaire: Margo Carn (captain), lock; Rachel Suits, flanker

September 30, 2006

Seattle Men Beat United in an Unexpected Away Game

SRFC 1st XV 15-10
SRFC 2nd XV 14-12

New Westminster, British Columbia … Anyone, anywhere, anytime – that was the theme of the day as Seattle RFC played a scheduled home game away against United RFC. In the middle of the week, Seattle found out that United would not travel due to "lack of players" but would field two teams if Seattle traveled to Canada. After discussion and a check of availability of Seattle players, the Orcas decided to take on the challenge of an extra away game.

The 1st XV took the field to start the day, and right away Seattle took it to United, playing in their half for the first 10 minutes. At the 15 minute mark, Seattle mauled off of a lineout and drove it more than 15 meters for a try. The Orcas continued to play in the half of the “home” team but could not come up with any more points. Seattle had many 5 meter scrums but could not put the ball across the try line. The back line did not help the cause much, knocking on at least eight balls in the first half alone. The United try in the first half came directly from an ill-advised and poorly executed kick and chase. The Canadians took the kick 70 meters for a try and made the score 7-5 with Seattle in the lead, and that is how the half ended.

In the second half, Seattle came out strong and continued to play in United’s end, but untimely penalties and continued knock-ons by the backs kept Seattle from taking advantage of their field position. United then started to apply some pressure and finally broke the try line and took the lead 10-7. The Orcas then began playing to their potential, making breaks in the back line and controlling the rucks, and found themselves with a scrum 15 meters out. A United penalty gave Ryan Bishop the chance to tie the game at 10 and he slotted the kick through the posts and Seattle started to get the momentum back.

The game was dirty as the Canadians tried to intimidate the visiting Americans. Seattle played great defense and so-so offense, especially in the back line. A lot of work still needs to be done, but nonetheless Seattle stands atop the BCRU 3-0.

The 2nd XV saw the return of Kevin Flynn at flyhalf. The game went just as the first side did. It was scrappy from the start. It saw yellow cards and numerous scuffles. A number of first-side players also played in the second-side game. A lot of players stood out but none more than fullback Pete Bishop. In the end, Seattle completed the sweep, winning 14-12.

It was a great weekend for SRFC and there is much to work on but Seattle continued the tradition of anyone, anywhere, anytime.

September 23, 2006

Seattle Men Triumph over Brit Lions 23-22

On a sun-drenched Hutchinson Playfield, Seattle RFC and the Brit Lions took the field in a BCRU Division 1 match. The day started with the visiting Canadians not bringing up a second side, though the Orcas brought up only 17 players to play both fixtures against the Lions the previous spring. Not to be discouraged, Seattle set up a second-side scrimmage and there was good rugby played by all. It is apparent that Seattle RFC has the most depth it has had in years.

After waiting for the Lions to show up (KO was delayed 20 minuets), Seattle finally kicked off the ‘06 home schedule. Seattle received to begin the math, and the game plan was to keep it tight in the forwards and give space to the backs. The Orcas did a good job with one-offs and pick balls, and in the sixth minute, much to the dismay of this writer, Dave Piedrahita scored the first try. The action continued as Seattle kept giving up penalties in their end but the Lions could not convert. At the 22 minute mark, Ryan Bishop slotted a penalty to put Seattle up 10-0. With 10 minutes remaining in the half, Seattle began to put the pressure on in the back line, and with the help of a nifty chip by winger Ian Sutton, Seattle was awarded a penalty try to put them up 13-0 at the half.

As the second half started there was a feeling that Seattle was taking control of the game, but the Canadians began to show why they were runners up in BCRU Division 1 a year ago. Five minutes in, Seattle gave up a try (not converted). Still reeling, Seattle gave up another try in the 12th minute (not converted) as the home team began to tire. As Seattle tried to spin the ball wide and let the backs go to work, the forwards began to look like they got their second wind. With the Orcas putting pressure on the Lions in their own end, 8 man Anthony Chaffee dove across the try line to put Seattle ahead again (converted by Ryan Bishop).

Just as the momentum was starting to shift to the home team, the visitors from the north scored a cut-back try with 13 minutes left in the game. Luckily for Seattle, the Lions kicker had a rough day missing on ALL conversions and the last one proved to be costly as Seattle found some energy down 22-20 and drove down the field to put them in position to win the game. A penalty given up by the Brit Lions was the game winner as Bishop calmly slotted the kick from about 20 meters out to put Seattle ahead 23-22 with 8 minutes left.

Seattle played just enough defense to get the ball back as time ran out, and with the victory Seattle improved to 2-0 in the BCRU. Fitness was talk after the match as the Orcas know if they are to reach their goals their team fitness MUST improve.

September 23, 2006

Seattle Women Lose 24-36 in Hard-Fought Match with Mudhens

It was a warm fall day with an early morning start for the second meeting this season of the Seattle Women Breakers and the Emerald City Mudhens. The Mudhens took the early lead with a score in the corner after recovering their own kickoff. Seattle regrouped quickly with good ball retention and beautiful scrummaging to get the ball into scoring range. A few meters from the try line, Seattle created slow ball, sucking in the opponent’s defenders. Winger Marty Quick saw an opening and took a great line to cut inside, scoring the first try for the Breakers. Quick converted her own try to give Seattle a slight edge of 7-5. The Mudhens answered back with their own converted try, but Seattle was able to even the score to 12-12 before halftime.

The Breakers put the pressure on for the next 30 minutes. The backs were getting the ball out wide and Quick nearly scored again, but the ball was held up. The forwards showed their dominance with strong rucking and mauling up the field, and scored off of a quick-tap penalty when lock Margo Carn (captain) launched herself over the aftermath of a ruck at the try line for another Breakers score. Flanker Tonia Winchester’s try widened Seattle’s lead to 24-12. After several injury substitutions and showing signs of fatigue, Seattle wasn’t able to shore up the defense and the Mudhens took advantage by sending their backs through the gaps. At the end of the hard-fought match, Seattle came out behind 24-36.

Player of the Match
Grace Kim, outside center

September 9, 2006

Cloudy Skies at Marymoor Park Reflect Seattle Women's 17-50 Loss to ORSU

ORSU came out strong on the rock-hard pitch at Marymoor Park to post their first points in the ninth minute off of a well-placed grubber kick. They followed up with two more tries before the Breakers came back and scored a try of their own thanks to hooker Erin Hunter. ORSU countered, taking advantage of overloads in the back line to score three more times, ending the first half ahead of Seattle 38-7.

The start of the second half found the Breakers fired up and working hard but unable to keep the ORSU fullback from scoring two more tries. Refusing to give up, Seattle took advantage of a quick tap to send inside center Michelle "Scooter" Bostick into the corner for a try. Seattle followed up with another try in the 35th minute by flyhalf Marty Quick. Seattle continued to pressure up on both defense and offense keeping ORSU to only two tries in the second half. Unfortunately, it was not enough and the final whistle found ORSU ahead of Seattle 50-17.

Player of the Match
Rachel Suits, flanker

August 26, 2006

Seattle Women Begin Season with Decisive 47-5 Win over Abbotsford

For their season opener, the Breakers traveled across the border to Delta, BC, to play an exhibition match against the BCRU Division 1 team Abbotsford. The women were blessed with a beautiful pitch, a beautiful day and beautiful numbers.

Seattle traveled with 34 players that were ready and willing to play. Abbotsford graciously agreed to unlimited substitutions and four 20 minute quarters for this friendly match. The Canadian team was, in fact, lacking in numbers, so many Seattle players spent some time across the pitch wearing red and black. This included Alison Gaffney and Brett Zimmerman (vice captain), who split at scrumhalf for both sides, and Kaisa McCrow, who played nearly the whole match at lock for Abbotsford.

The match started off slowly for the Breakers. It took a moment to get the butterflies out and the flow going. After a few breaks up the field by the backs, Seattle got in position for their first try, scored by flanker Tonia Winchester. This got the ball rolling, so to speak, as did flanker Tara DeZao's try in the right corner after she put a skilled grubber kick past her defender.

The second quarter brought more of the same and the Breakers dominated in both the open play and the set pieces. The forward pack got to show its stuff with a 5 meter line-out drive that turned into another try. Abbotsford almost got past the Seattle defense in this quarter with a breakaway try, but Molly Knapp sped across the field in a corner flag attack to tackle the ball carrier just a couple of meters from the try zone.

The second half started with an almost entirely new side for the Breakers. Many rookies were playing their first game of rugby, but from on the field or on the sidelines, it was hard to tell rookie from veteran. The flow of the game continued smoothly with a score in the corner by Julia McComas off an assist from rookie Wendy Harrison. The only score from Abbotsford came late in the second half when their wing was able to take the ball wide around the outside.

All in all, this was an amazing start to what promises to be an exciting season. The Breakers set the bar high for the season and are already showing signs of exceeding expectations.

Player of the Match
Backs: Molly Knapp, fullback
Forwards: Margo Carn (captain), #8/lock

Gizmos
Backs: Carolyn O’Neill, wing
Forwards: Deb Schaal, lock
Extraordinaire: Grace Kim, center
Tackle: Molly Knapp, fullback