Attack of the Gurniak: Rowers pound Beavers in Surrey

The VRC first division went into Sullivan Park and came home with beaver pelts, beating Surrey on the road 27-5.
An outstanding four try performance at the wing position by finishing specialist Kevin Gurniak led the VRC firsts to a dominating road victory, their eleventh win of the season this past Saturday.

Despite Gurniak filling the score-line with four tries, it took a group effort to get the result in Surrey. Hard play in the forward pack, including good execution in set pieces, allowed for the Rowers to control the game, lead early, and keep it in hand. Tight head prop “Big Papi” Phil Lantier had several strong, punishing carries that put the Rowers in a position to operate in Surrey territory, while back row forwards “Swamp Monster” Colin Cooper and VRC veteran George Richmond had stand-out games, especially on defense.
But from the scoresheet’s perspective, this game was all Kevin Gurniak. His first try came through space created by a clever switch play from Brian Derham in the 6th minute. The speedy winger followed it up in the 22nd minute with an electric return of a kick from the Beavers’ 22m line that he took home un-touched.
Opposite winger Oisin Daly widened the gap just after the half, taking an offload from Derham, who drew the man perfectly to create space and set it up before nailing the conversion to make it 17-5. Gurniak’s final try was a zig-zag through up the sideline through helpless defenders that showcased excellent field vision and a creative use of space. The opportunity was created by hard Rowers defense knocking the ball loose in contact. Gurniak added a final try in the final minute to make himself a lock for man of the match.

 
All photos by Amy Rankin