Season over
Senior rugby squad falls in semifinals to P.E.I. Mudmen
The Pictou County Senior Rugby Club saw the end of the semifinals with a loss at the end of a long, hard-fought game at Scott Weeks Field on Sunday to the P.E.I. Mudmen. Pictou County found a lead late in the game, but ultimately was defeated 25-20. This defeat came at the end of a closely contested game that Coach Scott Taylor described as “a good battle.” Late in the game P.E.I. got a try, Taylor noted — a turning point that led to their win. “At one point we were up 17-13, and then they scored late in the game — they got that comeback and beat us,” said Taylor. “We played some really good defence throughout the game, though.” Taylor said Pictou County was up against some very physically fit opponents, but “were able to hold them back quite well.” “Their fitness … was what brought them the victory in the last 10 or 15 minutes of the game — ours wasn’t quite as good as theirs,” said Taylor. “They were able to put pressure on us that we couldn’t sustain, and then were able to take advantage of that.” Taylor said there were a couple of mental errors in Pictou County’s plays that P.E.I. was able to capitalize on, adding that P.E.I. “took advantage of those, and were able to score on our mental mistakes.” Although the loss was a setback for Pictou County, eliminating them from the finals, Taylor said “that’s the way it goes in a good game of rugby like that.” The players with Pictou County have been challenged this season, Taylor noted, giving a good showing of talent in Division 1 — an upper division in the league. The team ended up finishing fifth place in the Division 1 — a standing that brought them into the second division. “I think (playing this season in Division 1) gave us confidence that we took into that last game — and you could see that in the way they played,” said Taylor. “We are playing against the entire province when we play against P.E.I. A small county like us, we went in and stuck to our game, and it went very well.” Pictou County’s next game will be an exhibition match against St. Francis Xavier University’s Division 1 team, on Oct. 14. Looking forward to the next season, Taylor says he hopes to practise more as a team and ratchet up the focus on team fitness. “A lot of our younger and older players gelled well together. With a bit more extra practice time, I think we would have been able to do better and shine through,” said Taylor.