With provincial berths already secured for both teams, there wasn’t much in it for Springbank and Banff community high schools other than who’d take home the Alberta Schools’ Athletic Association South Central Zone Tier 2 girl’s rugby banner.
But they may as well have been playing for the female rugby world championship. In what was the most hotly-contest rugby match of 2015 to date, Banff Bears and Springbank Phoenix slugged it out like a couple of heavyweight prize fighters in the June 1 Zone final at Calgary. With a tad more weight and experience behind them, Banff prevailed 34-17. But not before Springbank dealt a couple of stiff jabs and crushing body blows.
Chances are good they’ll go at it again at the provincial tournament June 5-6 in Edmonton.
“It was fast-paced and everything,” said Phoenix No. 8 Janine Jomaa following the game. “That was actually one of the fastest teams we’ve ever played. Usually we’re the fast team in our matches. That was kind of a surprise.”
Banff’s senior-laden side was dominant in scrums and lineouts; the team’s size and experience showing at every position. With just three seniors in its first 15, Phoenix lost two to upper-body injuries during the match. Jomaa and scrum half Kelly Melrose both exited the game before the final whistle, leaving a plucky group of underclassmen to carry the freight. Marguerite Medwid scored a pair of first-half Phoenix tries on gritty runs down the west boundary, shucking Bears tacklers along the way. Banff led just 12-10 at the half. Springbank kept pace in the second half, tying the game 17-17 before Banff was finally able to pull away.
“Most of our girls are Grade 10,” said Phoenix head coach Gary Moore. “This team is mostly rookies.”
This was supposed to be a “rebuilding” year for Phoenix.
“We have 20 newbies, 18 Grade 10’s. And here we are in the (Zone) final. This is the first time we lost, the first time we trailed, all year.”
So much for the rebuild. Now it’s off to provincials, where Alberta’s top eight Tier 2 girl’s teams will duke it out. Along with Banff and Springbank, teams are coming from Edmonton, South (2), Northeast, Central and North Central Alberta.
“It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog,” Moore surmised.
Jomaa expects to be fit for provincials and is looking forward to the challenge.
“We just have to adapt and change our game to suit the play,” she said. “We’ve never lost a banner game before. So it’s kind of adding to our experience. Now we know what it’s like to lose because we haven’t really lost this season.
“With that experience now we can go in wanting provincials more. We’ll be hungry for it.”
