In the spring rugby season, the Squamish Axemen had trouble getting players out and, despite some close games, couldn’t muster a win.
It’s safe to say the tables have turned with the team now off to the playoffs, having wrapped up a successful fall season on Saturday at Don Ross Middle School with a win over a depleted Chilliwack Crusaders side.
The victory gives them a 5-1 record in BC Rugby’s division 3 play this fall.
“We lost our first game, but ever since we’ve been on a winning streak, and we’ve been winning decisively,” said coach Paul De Groot.
On a messy Saturday afternoon, with the Axemen already having wrapped up a post-season berth, the team gave some younger players a chance to get in the rotation.
“I try to round out the lineup,” he said. “Everybody gets a chance to play.”
At first the Axemen started slowly, despite forcing the visiting Crusaders back in their own end regularly, but it was the visitors that hit the scoreboard first with a try and conversion to go up 7-0.
Squamish soon got on the board and tied it up with the conversion.
Chilliwack added another try while Squamish added three points off a kick, then a try minus the convert to take a 15-14 lead before the half.
Blake Mahovic, who has played overseas, had sat the first half but came off the bench in the second to push the Axemen ahead further with another try. The team added another quickly but failed to convert on either.
As the game wound down, Mahovic broke through Chilliwack coverage with ease again and made his way to the goal but handed off to veteran Matthew Smee at the last second for the final try of the afternoon for the Axemen. The team added the extra points with the convert.
In the waning minutes, Chilliwack was able to make a last goal-line push for a try on the last play of the day. With the conversion, the final score was 32-21 for Squamish.
The Axemen are looking to expand their base, including a team for women’s sevens play. The team also plays touch rugby on Thursday evenings starting in May, which De Groot says is a good way for anyone interested to come and try the sport.
The team is a mix of players who have played the sport internationally at higher levels, others with maybe a season or two under their belts and even high school players.
“We have a really talented group of individuals,” De Groot said.
As coach, he sees his job as finding ways to build camaraderie and keep the emphasis on having fun, though winning some matches does not hurt either. Neither does having enough players on the pitch and the sidelines, especially in light of how the situation has been in the not-so-distant past.
“We couldn’t get the numbers together,” he added.
For now, the team will go into this weekend’s division 3 semi-final against a tough SFU team on Saturday.
“They’re young, they’re fit, they’re undefeated,” De Groot said.
