Amidst a forecast of rain, the clash between the Twilighters of Burnaby Lake and the Northwest Old Boys of Seattle commenced under an unexpected canopy of sunshine in the Pacific Northwest.
The match kicked off with the NOBs sending a short kickoff into the steady hands of the Twilighters. The Twits embarked on a promising offensive drive, maneuvering the ball skillfully towards the NOBs’ try-line. However, their efforts were thwarted as the NOBs capitalized on a counter ruck, seizing possession. In an attempt to gain ground, the NOBs launched a kick downfield, only to see it intercepted by the charging Tim, who bulldozed his way over the line for the first try of the match, giving the Twilighters an early lead of 1-0.
The subsequent kickoff saw a momentary lapse in coordination among the Twilighters’ receivers, allowing the NOBs to swiftly regain possession. With a deft kick along the touchline, the NOBs attempted to push the Twilighters back, but Rob’s quick reflexes ensured the ball stayed in Twilighters’ possession. Amidst the fluidity of play, Dale seized on a mishandled NOBs penalty kick, setting up Fizzle for a try off Lance’s assist, keeping the ball in play and extending the Twilighters’ lead to 2-0.
As the first quarter drew to a close, Luke made a swift breakthrough, scoring a try and further solidifying the Twilighters’ dominance at 3-0.
The second quarter commenced with a flurry of rucks in the Twilighters’ territory, culminating in Lance breaking free and delivering a precise pass to Luke, who sprinted over the line for another try, extending the Twilighters’ lead to 4-0.
The ensuing kickoff saw the NOBs relentlessly driving towards the Twilighters’ try-line, ultimately breaking through for a try, narrowing the gap to 4-1.
In a moment of confusion during the next Twit kickoff, Gord, playing for the NOBs, inadvertently played the wrong sport, allowing Lance to capitalize and score another try, pushing the Twilighters’ lead to 5-1. Lance then orchestrated a seamless passing sequence to Luke to Anthony, concluding the first half with the Twilighters comfortably ahead at 6-1.
The second half began with the Twilighters kicking off to the NOBs, who initially fumbled but recovered possession. A wayward pass, however, fell into the waiting hands of Luke, who intercepted it and raced to the try-line for his third try of the match, extending the Twilighters’ lead to 7-1.
A collision between Teddy and Moose during the ensuing kickoff resulted in a knock-on, leading to a scrum from which Cory emerged with the ball, breaking through the NOBs’ defense to score another try, increasing the Twilighters’ lead to 8-1. Luke, not to be outdone, initiated a series of precise passes, setting himself up for a sprint towards the try-line, only for his final pass to stray out of bounds.
The third quarter concluded with a penalty awarded to the Twilighters, setting the stage for a dominant fourth quarter.
Returning to their strengths, the Twilighters employed effective pod formations, with Doug powering through for an easy try, extending their lead to 9-1. The NOBs, however, continued to apply relentless pressure, driving towards the Twilighters’ 22. Amidst the chaos of a scrum, Lauren, Tim, Luke, and Deryck orchestrated a sequence of passes, culminating in Luke’s fourth try of the match, pushing the Twilighters’ lead to 10-1. A subsequent kickoff saw a repetition of the playbook, this time with Cory delivering the final pass to Dustin for a decisive try, concluding the match with a resounding 11-1 victory for the Twilighters over the NOBs.
Twits Man-of-the-Match: Dustin Bourdeaud’huy for his excellent work as the jumper in lineouts.
