KINGSTON – Slow starts have been a bit of an issue for the Guelph Gryphons men's rugby team. The OUA champions have been good enough to overcome them with size and depth through the first month of the season. But the Gryphons hadn't met up with a side as good as the Queen's Gaels. The Gaels scored early and took down previously undefeated Guelph 34-26 Saturday afternoon in a rematch of the 2016 OUA championship game.
Queen's, playing on its home pitch, showed they were up for it and jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first 23 minutes of the game. Guelph overcame the bad start and mounted a comeback but the hole was too big.
"They were more physical and played faster than we did," said Guelph coach
Cory Hector. "We were constantly going backwards and when you're doing that, it's hard to defend."
Queen's came out flying and took a 7-0 lead after fourth-year hooker Brendan Blaikie scored a try in just the third minute. The Gaels kept up the pressure and after two more tries from Evan Underwood and Michael Douros, in the 12
th and 23
rd minute respectively, the hosts were comfortably up 21-0.
Guelph (4-1) finally got on the scoresheet in the 30
th minute when second-year prop
Mitchell Gleben ran one in for the Gryphons' first try of the afternoon.
Hector got the Gryphons more focused in a second half where they began to dictate play. Third-year flanker
Marcello Wainwright gave Guelph a big boost with a pair of tries in quick succession. Wainwright scored in the 52
nd minute and added another in the 62
nd, both of which were converted by rookie fly half
John Sheridan.
The tries got the Gryphons to within five points at 26-21 but Queen's would then add a penalty goal, before scoring another try from first-year half Joshua Engelbrecht to retake control of the match.
Third-year prop
Dylan Parson would add a late try for the Gryphons to round out the scoring.
"The second half, the boys showed amazing resiliency to score 19 points to make a game of it," said Hector. "We'll take the positives from the second half and identify what we need to work on."
Guelph is back in action Friday, Oct. 6 to host the Laurier Golden Hawks at Varsity Field. The match gets underway at 6 pm.
