Blues Sr. Men: Starting XV announced for MacTier Cup Final

August 19, 2017

Blues Senior Men: Starting XV announced for MacTier Cup Final; Photo Credit to J. Ashley Nixon

(CALGARY, AB) - The stage is set for the top two teams in Senior Men’s Provincial rugby to battle it out for the MacTier Cup. The Ontario Blues and the British Columbia Bears continue their rivalry in the 2017 edition of the Canadian Rugby Championship Final. The Blues and BC Bears last met just days ago with the Bears coming out on top of a thriller.

The Ontario Blues’ roster sees many changes from last game, as the normal starters will return to action for the Blues. Rob Brouwer (Lindsay RFC) will lead the team as captain. Some notable additions to the Starting XV include Marcello Wainwright (Toronto Saracens), who had a standout two-try performance against BC on Wednesday. He will check in at blindside flanker in this one. Mitch Richardson (Stoney Creek Camels) returns after a solid performance against British Columbia, as well. He comes in at inside-centre.

The Blues and Bears meet at 9:00pm Eastern in Calgary for the Canadian Rugby Championship final. You can catch the game LIVE on www.facebook.com/rugbycanada. Follow along on www.twitter.com/rugbyontario for updates, as well.

RECAP: Ontario Blues vs. British Columbia Bears – August 16, 2017

In the last game of the Blues’ Round-Robin, the Blues met the British Columbia Bears. The young Blues side looked to have jitters at the beginning of the game, allowing the Bears to score early and often. After a penalty kick by BC's Guisseppe Du Toit and two tries from Aaron McLelland, the Blues frustration was quite obvious. Mike Sheppard and Dan Moor both found themselves in the sin bin, putting Ontario down by two men. BC took advantage, scoring twice before half time. Du Toit converted on both and the Blues found themselves in a 0-31 hole after forty minutes of rugby.

The beginning of the second half saw a couple changes to the Blues fifteen, as regular starting scrum half Andrew Ferguson ran out for the last frame and fullback Kainoa Lloyd also joined him. The two made an impact early on, with Lloyd putting together a few strong runs and Ferguson guiding the team down field.

It was Marcello Wainwright, who really made a difference early on in the second, as he touched down for two tries within the first 10 minutes of the half. Moor continued the momentum after receiving a beautiful Wainwright offload to put the Blues within 12 points of the BC Bears. Andrew Wilson added a try to get the Blues within five points, but an Ontario penalty allowed Du Toit to extend the lead to eight points. The Blues charged down field and Wilson was able to score in the 78th minute, setting the scene for one more attempt to complete the comeback.

Ontario was quick to back to the kickoff. Andrew Ferguson missed the conversion attempt, but they needed three points anyways. The Blues once again marched down field. In a great team effort, the Blues entered BC half. After a couple Ontario passes, Andrew Coe ended up with the ball with no one to beat. He dived in for what the crowd and most fans watching from home thought was a sure try. It was all for not though, as the referee called a forward pass earlier in the phase and the try was disallowed. The final whistle blew signaling the Ontario Blues' first loss of the 2017 season.

BLUES ROSTER VS. BRITISH COLUMBIA BEARS – AUGUST 19, 2017

1. Rob Brouwer, Lindsay RFC (Captain)

2. Eric Howard, Brantford Harlequins

3. Tom Dolezel, London St. Georges

4. Hank McQueen, Balmy Beach RFC

5. Mike Sheppard, Stoney Creek Camels

6. Marcello Wainwright, Toronto Saracens

7. Peter Milazzo, Toronto Saracens

8. Lucas Rumball, Balmy Beach

9. Andrew Ferguson, Crusaders

10. Shawn Windsor, Stoney Creek Camels

11. Kainoa Lloyd, Mississauga Blues

12. Mitch Richardson, Stoney Creek Camels

13. Josh Campbell, London St. Georges

14. Dan Moor, Balmy Beach

15. Rory McDonell, Brantford Harlequins

16. Andrew Wilson, Crusaders

17. Pat Lynott, Bytown Blues

18. Andrew Quattrin, Aurora Barbarians

19. Paul Ciulini, Aurora Barbarians

20. Seb Pearson, London St. Georges

21. Mario Van Der Westhuizen, Guelph Redcoats

22. Kyle Lagasca, Toronto Saracens

23. John Sheridan, Markham Irish

STAFF

Chris Silverthorn - Head Coach

Cory Hector - Assistant Coach

Mark Winokur - Team Manager

Chris Kelly - Athletic Therapist

Rodin Lozada - Video Analyst

Dr. Chris Gallimore - Team Doctor

ONTARIO BLUES - CANADIAN RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE

July 22, 2017 vs. Atlantic Rock - KO 4pm ET (24-17 Win)

August 13, 2017 vs. Prairie Wolf Pack - KO 3pm ET (45-22 Win)

August 16, 2017 vs. BC Bears - KO 7pm ET (31-34 Loss)

August 19, 2017 vs. BC Bears - KO 7 pm ET - MACTIER CUP FINAL

CANADIAN RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP - PAST CHAMPIONS

2016 - Ontario Blues

2015 - Prairie Wolf Pack

2014 - Ontario Blues

2013 - Ontario Blues

2012 - Ontario Blues

2011 - Ontario Blues

2010 - Atlantic Rock

2009 - BC Bears

ABOUT THE ONTARIO BLUES

The Ontario Blues program is the high performance representative program for male and female rugby players in Ontario. Rugby Ontario is represented at the provincial level by the Ontario Blues High Performance program. The program includes representative teams from Under-15 to Senior in both Women’s and Men’s Fifteens. Specifically, the program is designed to develop and showcase rugby players for Canadian representative national teams.

ABOUT RUGBY ONTARIO

Rugby Ontario is the provincial sports governing body responsible for the organization of rugby in Ontario. Our mission is to establish a stronger identity for rugby in Ontario by promoting the sport’s core values and by fostering a culture of inclusiveness and excellence on and off the field of play.

To learn more, visit https://www.rugbyontario.com/