Saturday, November 11
1pm
Nixon Field, Queen's University
Guelph Gryphons vs Queen's Gaels
Online:  www.oua.tv
 

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GUELPH – The saying goes that the cream always rises to the top. In the world of OUA men's rugby, the cream refers to the Guelph Gryphons and the Queen's Gaels, who will meet this Saturday in the championship final for the fourth consecutive year.
 
Cory Hector was an assistant coach with the Gryphons in 2014 when an upstart side made it to their first final since 1998, against one of the historic programs in the sport at this level. The Gryphons would lose that game, and one year later in a rematch, they fell to Queen's again 24-23.
 
In 2016, the script changed.
 
"Three years ago, we wanted to win but we were just happy to be there," says Hector, now the Gryphons' head coach, who admitted that the Gaels were simply better in a 32-23 win. "And in 2015, we thought we could get the better of them because we had beaten Queen's in the regular season for the first time in forever. To come up one point short was pretty devastating.

"Last year, we focused on righting that wrong."
 
Hector says that beating the powerhouse Gaels 25-24 (in the second round of penalty kicks) at Varsity Field last November was an incredible leap forward for the program, a moment that would not only provide immediate satisfaction for a veteran group of players but also lay a foundation for future Gryphon sides to build on. As Guelph heads into its fourth consecutive final, with a roster missing key components from the 2016 championship team and 21 new players in all, the players and staff are in a good mental space.

 
"We're not chasing," Hector says. "We have guys in their fourth and fifth years, so this was an expectation when we started the year and there is an expectation on the newer guys to learn what's required in order to win."
 
Despite the turnover in personnel, the Gryphons are stocked with talent. The side includes a number of key contributors, like rookie fly half John Sheridan (tied for the OUA lead in points with 82), flankers Marcello Wainwright and Erich Milne, winger Jordan Hofstra, inside centre Kyle Lagasca, and captain Jack Caylor. But Hector and the players know that they'll have to earn it if they hope to repeat as OUA champions. The team's only loss this year was to Queen's back on Sept. 30, a 34-26 defeat at Nixon Field, the site of the title match in Kingston.
 
The Gaels, coached by David Butcher, who has held several provincial and national program positions, are big, strong, and have a veteran core.
 
"They have a lot of strength in the scrum," says Hector. "The set pieces becomes very important in big games. When they can dominate those set pieces, it really makes it difficult for other teams to control the ball. Their game is built upon possession and breaking teams down over the course of the match. They're well-polished and they don't make a lot of errors.
 
"It really comes down to who makes the least mistakes and who can capitalize on the opportunities they get."
 
Hector says the Gryphons defence will have to come up big. He was encouraged by how sharp they played after the Queen's defeat, outscoring Laurier, Trent and Western by a combined 152-0, before beating an excellent McMaster side 26-18 in an OUA Semi-final. And knowing the Gaels so well, especially in the big matches, will provide the experience to not so much eliminate mistakes but to utilize their tools when they happen. Hector mentioned how in last year's final, a red card left the Gryphons with 14 players for 15 minutes.
 
"Previously, that would have flustered our team but having gone through it in a number of different scenarios, a number of times, the guys know how to manage those experiences that maybe a younger team would not have been able to," he says.
 
Hector says that the turnover on this year's roster made for a steep learning curve. While that foundation had indeed been established by the outgoing veterans like Eric Charest-Pekeski, Jeremy Wright, and Canadian national team hooker Eric Howard, it took a while for this edition to find its stride.
 
"There were some frustrating times for the players with me and me with the players," Hector admits. "But after that Queen's game, we seem to connect and figure out how this team was going to be successful.
 
"Last year was more about management and this year has been about growth, more hands-on work. We really had to work our butts off to be here."