The Rowing Club’s top side was dominant at home. Earning a 34-0 home win against a tough and physical Langley side who were more of an opposition than the final score indicated.
This One Was All Rowers
From the opening kickoff, The Rowing Club 1st Div demonstrated that they were capable of the shape and structure necessary to keep ball in hand and control the game. Langley made them work for it, defending hard, but the VRC put on a clinic. They made the most of opportunity and didn’t let bad bounces get to them to earn their second decisive result against Langley this half.
The 1st Div pack played a hard game, winning all of their own set pieces, and controlling the breakdown with physicality. Stalwart 2nd row forward Justin “JP” Parlato put one over the line in the second half. Parlato was subbed out for prop forward Gus “The Bus” Crowe who rumbled ten or so yards, through would be tacklers, as though he was chasing an ice cream truck, for a crowd-pleasing try of his own.
The back line was prone to handling errors, but managed to mostly lose the ball backwards, and pick the play up with characteristic brilliant footwork and intelligent attack lines into space. Conor Cleary and Brian Derham are the only try scorers from the backs who made their way into our notes, and this blog apologises to anyone whose score we missed.
Veteran Rowing Club winger Kevin Gurniak had a field day with a Langley defense that was simply too slow to catch him, creating the spaces he needed to make yards with expert misdirection, cutbacks and dummy passes.
The win moves the Rowers 1sts to second place in the Mainland Division, with a 14-10 record.
The Rowers Play Next April 14th, Away at Bayside.