LRC men bringing the playoffs home

The Lethbridge Rugby Club is bringing a playoff game home. The LRC Division II men’s team toppled the Calgary Saints 41-12 as the teams wrapped up their Calgary Rugby Union regular season schedules Saturday in Calgary.

The win caps off the LRC’s season at 6-6 and, more importantly, guarantees the first post-season game in a few years at the LRC.

“We’ve landed third or fourth, but either way that lands us a home playoff game,” said LRC head coach Nevin Morrison.

In Division III play Saturday, the LRC also set themselves up nicely for playoffs, defeating the Calgary Saracens a 56-10, potentially clinching second place and earning a bye in the first round.

“Everything went really well,” said Morrison. “We won both games by pretty good scores. The second Division game was probably one of the most complete games I’ve seen us play. I felt like we started off a little bit shaky for the first 15 minutes or so.”

That as due in part to an early injury to Lethbridge’s Darian Morrison, the coach’s son.

“For about five minutes after that it seemed like the guys were on edge and not playing and then it seemed like all of a sudden we realized we were capable of playing, got our act together and did some good things after that,” said Morrison, adding his son’s injury doesn’t look too serious. “But it was one of those moments where you get that injury to a key guy and the guys are in shock for a few minutes. Even before the injury I thought we were a bit tentative to start the game and not organized, and then in the last 65 minutes of that game we played some of the best rugby I’ve seen us play, especially defensively. We gave up those early 12 points and we didn’t let them score after that. The boys played a really good match.”

That effort Saturday will bring the post season to the LRC two weeks against an opponent to be determined.

“We haven’t had one for quite a while,” said Morrison. “And the last time we had one I think we were facing some injuries.”

In preparation for the playoffs, the LRC didn’t head to Calgary with a full roster.

“It allowed some of our key guys like Tyrell Graham and Ryan McKeown, who didn’t play this week, to get healthy,” said Morrison. “They have the long weekend and we should be getting those two keys guys back come that home playoff game. A home playoff game makes all the difference because teams just travel different. It’s a completely different game when we play a home game against Red Deer and in Red Deer. When you get the home game you have fans there, too, and it’s just a different mentality.”