The Abbotsford Rugby Football Club dropped a 27-10 decision on the road to top-ranked James Bay on Saturday as the CDI Premier League kicked off its spring season.
The ARFC and James Bay come from opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of Premier League pedigree – Abbotsford is in just its second consecutive season in B.C.’s top men’s rugby circuit, while traditional powerhouse James Bay owns 22 Rounsefell Cup league titles.
The ARFC, with a youthful roster almost exclusively comprised of homegrown talent, is working hard to close the gap with top clubs like James Bay, and head coach Jason Young felt his side made strides in Victoria on Saturday.
“We’re only going to get better by playing better teams,” Young said, noting that the recent spate of snowy weather severely curtailed his team’s outdoor practice time. “The results to me aren’t as important as the performance.
“We had our opportunities, and we never gave up. We played well defensively – we made a few mistakes in our first game back after two months off, but I was impressed overall.”
James Bay, ranked No. 1 in a Premier League coaches poll released last week, improved to 3-0 behind tries from Zac Coughlan, Hugo Belanger, Morgan Williams and Adam Drury.
Abbotsford (0-3) got a try from Aaron Flagg and a penalty kick from Connor Hunter, an 18-year-old product of the ARFC junior program who was called up due to injuries.
The Abby side has yet to taste a Premier League win over the past two seasons, but there’s reason for optimism. They earned two bonus points in a narrow three-point loss to Victoria prior to Christmas, which already matches their total from the entire 2010-11 campaign, when they finished 0-7.
“When you have nine guys who are under 21 years of age playing against some of the top guys in Canada, the club’s only going to get stronger,” Young noted.
GAME TIME: The ARFC premier side hosts Meraloma Rugby Club of Vancouver on Saturday (2:45 p.m., Exhibition Park).