Victoria 34, Concordia 21: Yellow Card and Rough Second Half Sink Stingers

Improvement From Last Season’s Rugby Nationals, But Stingers Fall in Bronze Medal Game

SportsDawn Kagan-Fleming — Published November 26, 2018

Thanks to an early missed kick by the Stingers, it was the Vikings who drew first blood at the ten minute mark. But after that the Stingers looked like the more dominant team for the first half.

The Stingers not only answered back eight minutes later to take the lead but fended off multiple deep pushes into their own zone against a seemingly frustrated Vikings squad. It looked like the Stingers were happy to show off a defence that allowed a hair over a try per game on average during the regular season.

The home team had several chances to score late even, and turned down an easy kick in order to try to push through the Stingers back line before the half came to an end.

Instead, the Stingers turned play around and drove to end the half 14-5 on a try by Thomas Goetz.

The second half opened looking like it would be much of the same as Michael Laplaine Pereira ran for an easy try just two minutes into the latter half of the game.

Unfortunately for Concordia, it would be the last time they put points on the board.

Just a few minutes later, Stingers captain Lucas Hotton warned a yellow card and the team found itself short a man, missing one of their key players.

It was the turning point the Vikings needed as they drove home two tries during the span that Hotton was forced to sit out, pulling the game to a 21-19 score.

The Stingers seemed rattled and allowed what would be the winning try on a solo run from midfield amongst a collection of missed tackles.

The Vikings would add another try and penalty kick in the dying minutes to score 29 unanswered points in the second half and take home the bronze medal.

Despite the loss, the RSEQ champions finished the tournament in fourth place, an improvement from last year’s difficult trip to nationals.