Stars Misaligned in Capital Selects Men’s & Women’s Rugby Win
Doug Coil
On January 29, 2017 the Capital Selects Women’s and Men’s teams hosted the Stars XV. This was the second year in which the teams have met and each year the Capital Selects have used second half attacks to break open otherwise close matches.
In the Women’s match, the Capital Selects came back from a 12-7 deficit to win 45-17. The Women’s development match ended in a 5-5 tie, while the Capital Selects Men had a narrow 17-15 lead at halftime and emerged with a 34-15 win.
Capital Selects Women’s Rugby v Stars XV
The Stars XV drew first blood in the 11th minute off a lineout when Frieda Fetu’u went in for a try and a 5-0 lead. The Capital Selects countered with a converted try after a Stars player was sent to the bin and the score was 7-5. The Stars then reclaimed the lead after a second try by Frieda Fetu’u that was converted by Cyndi Campbell. At halftime the score was 12-7 in the Stars favor.
Early in the second half the Capital Selects scored two quick tries to grab a 26-12 lead with thirty minutes remaining. Chelsea Garber, scored the later, her third try of the match. The Capital Selects then added another converted try before the Stars Emily Orr took a quick tap from a penalty to narrow the score to 33-17. The Selects then added two more tries to gain a 45-15 win.
Capital Selects Women’s Rugby Development Side v Stars XV Development
The match was a defensive battle as both sides traded first half tries. The score was 5 all at halftime and the score did not change as the match ended in a draw.
Capital Selects Men’s Rugby v Stars XV
The Stars Rugby Men, just like the women, jumped out to an early 10-0 lead during the first 15 minutes from tires by Mike Fletcher and John Murray. It was only with ten minutes remaining in the first half that the Capital Selects got themselves on the board with a penalty kick. The Stars David Coleman then executed a grub kick ahead in the in-goal area and added a try increasing the lead to 15-3. The Capital Selects then stormed back after a penalty and a set lineout play to add a converted try of their own. Another converted try was added prior to halftime to seize a 17-15 lead over the Stars.
During the second half the Capital Selects took advantage of two yellow cards by the Stars to add 17 additional points and walked away with a 34-15 win.
Chuck Moore, one of the Capital Selects coaches added on the DJCoil Rugby Facebook page that “The 2 Yellow cards were both on the Capital team 20 seconds apart and they played for basically 10 min 13 V 15. The Capital pulled together and had about 3 try line defensive stances in that time not letting in a point. They Capital even ended up scoring a try just before they got back to full strength.”
Jim Rogers, a USA Rugby referee, added on Twitter that there were “No Yellow Cards for the Stars. Selects were given all 3 for dangerous tackles.”
