Then there were two.
The Bow Valley Grizzlies overcame last season’s semi-final hoodoo to reach the Calgary Rugby Union’s (CRU) Division Two City Championship, smashing the Calgary Canucks 59-3 on Sept. 17 at Mitford Pond.
The crushing victory means the Grizz have set a date with destiny against the Calgary Saracens – a team who finished tied for first with them in regular-season action (the Grizz won a tie-breaker to take first overall).
“It was a good win for the boys,” said Grizzlies head coach Tyler Hawes. “We played well and stuck to our system which is always good to see.”
From the get-go it was evident the Grizz were relishing home field advantage and they stormed out of the gates, not letting up against a Canucks side who looked winded.
“When we played (the Canucks) the previous weekend in our last regular-season game, they didn’t play well in the second half,” Hawes said. “We had set standards. We looked to improve on that game and we did just that and came out flying.”
This is uncharted territory for the Grizz who heartbreakingly missed out on the City Championship last season, falling in the semi-final to the Calgary Hornets. While there are members of the current squad who have made it to the City Championship in Division Three play, this is the first time in the club’s history they’ve reached the Division Two final.
“The goal was to get past this stage last year and now the goals we set for ourselves have been achieved,” Hawes said. “We’re firing on all cylinders now and the guys are looking cohesive. There’s some really skilled guys in the squad, they’re recognizing space and exploiting it.
“We’re playing awesome rugby at the moment and seeing massive improvement.”
The only thing standing in the Grizzs’ way now are the Saracens – a team whose style of play is very similar to the Canucks.
“It’s going to be our toughest test of the year – hands down,” Hawes said. “We’ll see what (the Saracens) bring to the table. They’re a big side and quite physical. We’re going to need to out-skill them and work the space. It’s going to be a forwards game so, we’ll see what happens.
“Anything can happen on the day.”
The City Championship will be played Sept. 24 at Calgary Rugby Park.
Kick-off is 2 p.m.
