BANFF – The long-awaited rematch of last year’s Calgary Rugby Union’s championship match was about everything you would expect from two rival teams looking to win it all again.
Like two caged animals, the Banff Bears men’s rugby team and the Bow Valley Grizzlies from Cochrane had waited 10 months to get a piece of each other.
The teams picked up where they had left off, and, just how a good rivalry should be, more gasoline was tossed on the burning fire on Saturday (July 15) in Banff in a no feeling out process, hard-hittin’, trash-talkin’ heavyweight match.
“It’s one of those things where, I think, everyone comes out a little bit harder for Banff, especially when they come to Banff,” said Bears captain Frank Dwyer. “I think we’re one of the most hated teams in the league just because everyone knows they will come down and get a game and it will be heavy-hitting.”
Unfortunately, for the hometown Bears, some costly errors were the difference, as the local club lost 33-19 to the Grizzlies.
Scoring tries for Banff were Ossi Treutler, Ian Standish and Nathan Wilson.
It’s the second loss in a row for the Bears (4-2), which has the team concerned.
“Right now, it’s a must-win situation for the rest of the season,” said Bears head coach Lee Garrett. “The way this season looks like it’s going, it’s one versus two for the final and they’re not going to play any playoff round.”
The Bears, last year’s Calgary Rugby Union (CRU) champions, are currently third (4-2) in the standings, with losses to both teams ahead of them in the Grizzlies and Red Deer Titans.
Banff has six games remaining and three are against the Grizzlies (6-0) and Titans (5-1).
“Our backs are against the wall, for sure,” said Garrett.
Garrett said a few factors are working against them so far in 2023, including other teams forfeiting games and the Bears needing to get on the same page.
“We can only do that if everyone shows up to practice,” said Garrett. “On top of that, we just need to come together as a group.”
As grey, smoky skies blocked out the surrounding mountains on Saturday, the Grizzlies capitalized on several mistakes in their victory, such as two wild passes that were intercepted and cost the home club 14 points on the scoreboard.
The first half was mostly controlled by the away team, which held a 26-5 lead, including one try from Cochrane-based club’s Dave Evans.
Moments before Evans sprinted in a try for the away team, he was engaged in a chirp-fest with the Bears sideline. It must have fired up the Grizzlies winger because he wasted no time hurting the Bears where it mattered most.
In the second half, the Bears began to slowly chip away at the lead with back-to-back hard-earned tries that cut the lead to 26-19. The defence also picked up.
However, as the Bears pressured for a third straight try with less than five minutes on the clock, it was one of those wild pass errors that turned out to be a back-breaker for the Bears with points at the other end. The game-ending whistle sounded shortly after.
“I thought we played pretty well, but they were too good, too big, too physical, and they were more switched on and aggressive,” said Bears rookie Will Maslin. “It’s a must-win game [this weekend] so I think it’s going to be a big day of training [this week].”
The rival teams rematch Saturday (July 22) at Mitford Park in Cochrane. Kick-off is 1 p.m.
Last season, the Bears hoisted the championship trophy by defeating the Grizzlies in the CRU finals. The victory also secured Banff with the inaugural Bears Cup, a trophy for winning the best-of-three in-season battle between the two clubs.
“Hopefully we hold on to that [Bears Cup],” said Garrett. “Next week, if we lose, they take the cup, so it’s a big game and we’ll keep building that rivalry between the clubs.”
