Steve Hextall and Ross McLean ran rampant Sunday, each scoring hat tricks as the Comox Valley Kickers men’s rugby club throttled Powell River Otago 52-0 at Cumberland’s Village Park.
For winger McLean, who is new to the club this year, his three-try effort matched the hat trick he scored two weeks ago in the Spring League opener against Saanich.
Veteran centre Hextall notched a hat trick in the first half and added another late in the game – his first four-try day as a Kicker.
Hextall already has a hat trick from the fall season and 12 tries overall this year making him the club’s overall top try-scorer for the year. However if McLean keeps his pace, Hextall will have reason to worry.
Ryan Ware, Nathan Holley and Doug Wynd scored the other tries while Eli Cummins kicked one conversion.
The 10-try win, the Kickers’ second victory of the new year, came at the expense of an Otago club that is going through lean times. Despite being overwhelmed, the visitors continued to compete until game’s end and indeed played much better in the latter stages than they did at the beginning of the match, while the Kickers did things the other way round.
The hosts enjoyed total domination in the first half with their forwards providing a plethora of ball for the backs to run with at their leisure and open up a 32-0 lead.
“We came off the boil in the second half,” said coach Aaron L’Arrivee. “We need to work on our systems and our decision-making skills. Against better teams we won’t be able to get away with some of the things we did today.”
The Kickers take on James Bay AA in Victoria this weekend.
Rainy Day
Amid the dreadful rainstorm on Saturday the Kickers’ women’s team took on the Burnaby Lake Buffalos at Cumberland’s Village Park. Miraculously, no one drowned as the two teams fought to a 12-12 draw.
Kicker scrum-half Laura Locklin scored a try early in the match which she converted giving the home side a 7-0 lead. Deb Capps replied for Burnaby to make it 7-5 and later Capps gave the visitors the lead when she touched down again. This time Michele Young converted to nose the Buffalos ahead 12-7. Late in the game Morgan Van Karrobroeck scored to tie the match, but the conversion attempt went wide.
“It was a really good game despite the weather,” said Kickers’ coach Steve Russell. “Our handling seemed to be better than theirs and we managed to spin the ball quite well in the backs. So all in all a good day of rugby.”
“It’s the most fun I’ve had since I was a girl playing in mud puddles,” said prop Ona Thorington with a huge smile on her face.
Kickers’ Lindsay Mallette won Woman of the Match honours for a superb all-round game. The Kickers’ women have a bye this weekend.