The Port Alberni Black Sheep will go into the Christmas break on a winning note after defeating James Bay 16-5 in Victoria last Saturday.
“MacDonald Park is a hard place to win,” Black Sheep head coach Jas Purewal said. “I was very proud of the guys for the performance they put in. It was a real gutsy performance.”
The Black Sheep struck first with a penalty kick from Neil Thurley, but James Bay went ahead 5-3 on a 40-metre run for a try.
Brennan Tourangeau scored a try for Port Alberni just before halftime to put the Sheep up 8-5 going into the pause.
“We were inside their 22-yard-line for long periods of time,” Purewal said. “The guys were relentless.”
The Sheep drew a penalty kick which Thurley made good to pull ahead 11-5, then late in the game Anthony Selva found an open Ste Rokotuiwakaya, who ran in an unconverted try for the final 16-5 score.
Despite the pressure the Black Sheep put on their opponent, especially in the first half of the game, James Bay’s defence “reorganized quickly, which is something we haven’t really seen at this level,” Purewal said.
SCRUM NOTES...The Black Sheep black and white game is set for 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 20, followed by the kids’ Christmas party then the adults’ party.
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