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Congratulations to the Winnipeg Wasps, on their win in today's Final.... And, congratulations
on what must certainly have been a very rewarding season for their club.
Although it is not the final result that we wanted - our guys can certainly feel
proud of their performance today - in what was our very 'first' visit, to the Rugby
Manitoba 'Division-1' Finals.
Following the match, the comment heard from many spectators present at MGRP was
-- "It was a great Final"... (And it was).
For us, one of the main reasons that our guys played so well today - is simply because
we knew that we had a good chance of winning.... Our guys knew that the match would
be a real 'battle' - it certainly couldn't be anything less. And they were ready
to meet the challenge 'head-on'.... Sure, the Division-1 Final was 'new territory'
for the Brandon Barbarians - but we were there to win!
The Wasps did have the better start today, and did maintain an advantage in play
during the opening 10 minutes of the match - and with it an 8-0 lead on the scoreboard...
Giving-up points early in the match was something that we wanted to avoid; however,
our guys quickly responded in positive fashion and with a great deal of confidence...
By the interval, we had reduced the deficit to 4 points; and trailing 13-9, we still
felt very confident about our chances.
We knew that the opening stages of the Second-half would be critical for us - and
we wanted to open the half with immediate pressure, and work to gain control of the
match... To our credit, our guys did produce exactly the type of start that we needed
- and they played very determined and composed rugby.... However, the Wasps defended
very well under pressure, when necessary.... Over the opening 20 minutes of the Second-half,
we maintained a strong advantage in both Territory and Possession, and we constantly
pressured their defence - but unfortunately for us, we couldn't turn 'pressure into
points'.
As so often happens in important, closely contested matches, the team that wins -
is the team that can produce at least one 'big play' that turns the match in their
favour. And, the long-range 'intercept try' that was scored against us at 65:00,
most certainly 'tipped-the-scales' in favour of the Wasps... I know that our guys
didn't feel intimidated or overwhelmed as they suddenly trailed by 12 points. If
anything, the moment left them feeling even more determined, I would say... However,
they knew that 'time' was becoming a factor.
The way that our guys were playing in the Second-half, I felt very confident that
we would respond in positive fashion and produce a try - which we did... But with
only 6 minutes then remaining in the match, the time factor was becoming 'huge' -
and the Wasps remained committed in their defence.
Losing in a Final is always a disappointing experience... However, today's loss aside,
I believe it was critically important for the continued development of our club -
to have earned the opportunity to make a genuine challenge for the Division-1 Title...
Our move to the Division-1 competition in 2007, was not made simply to expose our
players to a better calibre of rugby... The change was made to challenge our players
- and give them the opportunity to succeed, both individually and collectively, at
a higher level of play.
The 2009 season for the Division-1 Barbarians was full of 'struggles' and 'character
tests' for our entire squad - and it was great to watch our guys work, and persevere,
and always remain committed to the collective goal - of competing in today's Final.
See you in 2010.
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