Continuing a longstanding tradition, the Cowichan Secondary Thunderbirds played host to Carson Graham last Thursday in a hotly contested senior girls rugby match.
Always one of B.C.’s top girls rugby programs, Carson Graham has played a game at Cowichan for each of the last 20 years, and it provides the T-Birds with an indicator of where they stand early in the season. The Eagles beat the T-Birds 31-7, but Cowichan coach Sherry Spence didn’t feel the score told the whole story.
Carson Graham scored four unanswered tries in the first half, but things were more balanced in the second half.
“I think the girls were too worried about the outcome and forgot how to tackle,” Spence said of her team’s play in the first half. “After regrouping at half, the girls really stepped up.”
Standoff Kaitlyn Crichton scored and converted Cowichan’s lone try, and Brianna Margerison had a strong outing in the forward pack.
“Carson is a very well-drilled team,” Spence noted. “But Brianna got in there and drove their forwards back.”
Overall, Spence was pleased with her team’s performance.
“It was a tough game, no question,” she said. “But after reflecting on the game, all the girls felt that we could have beat them, which is exciting that we could compete with the best in B.C.”
Cowichan’s junior team also faced Carson Graham, and ended up on the winning side of a 34-29 score thanks to a try on the last play of the game.
“The junior game was very back-and-forth,” Spence said, noting that the score was 10-10 at halftime.
Jaxon Baker finished with four tries, while Macy Wiebe had two and added two conversions. Baker scored with about two minutes left in the match, and Wiebe’s convert tied the score. Upon receiving the kickoff, the T-Birds ran the ball back in for the winning play.
The senior T-Birds will host Shawnigan Lake this Thursday at 4 p.m. The juniors have this week off, then travel to Courtenay to face Mark Isfeld next Monday.
