The University of Victoria Vikes scored four tries in the second half to claim a come-from-behind 34-21 victory over the Concordia Stingers in the bronze medal game at the Canadian University Men's Rugby Championship in Victoria on Sunday.
The Vikes opened the scoring when flanker Ollie Nott dove over the line for the game’s try in the 10th minute.
Concordia answered back in the 17th minute when centre Charles Debove, the only Stinger named to the tournament all-star team, received a pass off the scrum and popped a pass back inside to a streaking Jonathan Banks for the try. Banks also connected for the convert.
In the dying moments of the opening half, Concordia rookie Thomas Goetz sliced through two Victoria defenders and jogged in for the try under the posts. Another Banks’ convert and the Stingers had a 14-5 lead at halftime.
Stinger flanker Michael Laplaine-Pereira increased Concordia’s lead to 21-5 early in the second frame. Laplaine-Pereira found a gap for off the fringes off a ruck and evaded two tackles to get over the line. Once again Banks nailed the convert.
In the 37th minute a yellow card was given to Stinger captain Lucas Hotton and it proved costly. The momentum shifted and the Vikes went on a roll, piling up 29 unanswered points.
“UVic made us pay for every mistake we made in the second half today,” said Stinger head coach Craig Beemer. “We took a yellow card and that resulted in two tries and we started chasing the game from there.”
