With the Calgary Rugby Union (CRU) Div. 3 men’s regular season in the bag, it’s off to Div. 2 playoffs for the Bow Valley Grizzlies. At least, that’s what it looked like in the Cochrane-based team’s Div. 3 first-round 40-10 win over a very Div. 2-ish looking Calgary Saracens side Sept. 13 at CRU Field.
With some Calgary-based clubs not making Div. 2 playoffs, the higher-division players trickle down to the Div. 3 clubs in the postseason. As long as the players are carded, regular-season participants, it’s allowed.
Bow Valley, meanwhile, just keeps bringing the same battle-hardened group to the pitch – and winning, now 14-0 combined regular season and playoffs for those keeping score.
“I think it’s typical,” Grizzlies second-row veteran Nick Lowry said following the playoff win over Saracens, a team Grizzlies beat 36-7 and 29-0 in the regular season. “They didn’t make playoffs in the higher division, so it’s kind of a different team we played today than a couple of weeks ago. I think every team kind of does it when they can.”
The Grizzlies dominated the first half, leading 26-0 by the half-time whistle on strong forward play and searing speed from the backs. Bow Valley’s stout defence was nicked for just two tries in the second, as fatigue crept in late in the match.
“I think the second half, it was 14-10 (for Bow Valley),” Grizzlies head coach Ty Hawes said.
“It’s hard to motivate guys when they’re up by 40 points.”
As for the second-division look to the Saracens, Hawes replied: “I think they brought a better side than they did in the regular season. They did drop down a lot of their Second-Div. guys.
“But the boys responded and obviously put up a good effort.”
Grizzlies scores came from both levels, with forwards Ash Nicholls and “Sockless” Dave Evans getting across, and backs Ian Ames and James Patterson scoring. Evans kicked five of six conversions from seemingly impossible angles.
