The Bayside U16 boys rugby squad won its third game in a row last weekend, edging a talented Capilano team 13-7.
With the win, the Sharks remained unbeaten and atop the standings in the U16 spring league.
Against Capilano, the Sharks were buoyed by three under-age U15 players – Trevor Purcell, Warren Gendall and Keaton Young – without whom the South Surrey side wouldn’t have had enough players to field a team. Due to injuries and illness, four regular members of the team were unavailable to play.
The team played through torrential rains – which tested the ball-handling abilities of even the surest-handed players – and Bayside trailed 7-5 at halftime, with Reid Davis scoring the Peninsula side’s only try.
The Sharks wore down the Caps as the second half progressed – in large part as a result of the play of Danny Vasica and captain Ronan Clark – and the team took its first lead when Gavin Morrison successfully drilled a penalty kick through the uprights to put his team ahead 8-7.
The Sharks stayed ahead by just one point until the final minute, when Tommy Blackburn cleared the ball with a well-placed penalty kick, pushing Capilano deep into their own territory. After some good ball movement by Bayside, Carter McDonald took the ball and, from 20 metres out, ran to the corner, broke a handful of tackles, and dove across the line for a try with just seconds left on the clock.
