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Cowichan Piggies pick up bonus point in close loss to James Bay

Rugby team optimistic about final games before break

Despite a loss in Times Cup rugby competition last Saturday, the First Division Cowichan Piggies earned one valuable bonus point in the standings and came close to picking up a second.

The first bonus point came for scoring four tries, the first time the Piggies have reached that mark in a Times Cup match this season. The second would have come for keeping the final tally within seven points, but a late try made it 34-27 for host James Bay.

“We came damn close,” Cowichan coach Andrew Wright said. “But luck wasn’t on our side.”

It was a rare visit to the Bays’ home pitch for the Piggies, who have served as hosts for the last couple of meetings between the old rivals, and Cowichan played hard from the start.

“It was probably our best performance as a team all season,” Wright commented. “We were missing a couple of players who have been around most of the year, but we had guys filling in from the thirds. It was good rugby. We were working our systems, very urgent.”

The Piggies opened the score on a try by prop Arthur Gray within the first 10 minutes. Bruce Moss also scored off a scrum, and when the first half ended, the teams were deadlocked at 10-10.

Bays started the second half with three quick tries, but the Piggies found their feet again, getting a try from Robbie McDonnell, which Owen Wood converted. Bruce Moss scored on an open-field play to earn the first bonus point. The Piggies were within eight points with time winding down, and Wright was optimistic that, even if victory was out of reach, they could collect another bonus point.

“I thought we would get a penalty and get the second bonus point, which would have been a good accomplishment for the boys on the day,” he said.

With three matches before the winter break, the Piggies will visit Abbotsford for a province-wide First Division match this Saturday, and the team is hoping to finish 2018 on a roll.

“They’re all definitely games we’re able to win,” Wright said. “I think everyone is looking forward to the next couple of weeks.”