A scoring surge late in the second half wasn’t enough to salvage the Port Alberni Black Sheep’s Div. 1 men’s rugby season on Saturday.
The fourth-place Black Sheep had travelled to Duncan for the B.C. Rugby Union Vancouver Island Cowichan Cup semi-final playoff game against the first-place Piggies, but lost 29-21.
“We had too many turnovers in offence. We were deep in their end in the first half,” Black Sheep head coach Jas Purewal said.
Cowichan was on the scoreboard just four minutes into the game; they dominated the first half 24-0.
“We pressured a great deal but they had two tries against the flow,” Purewal said.
The Black Sheep coughed up the ball inside Cowichan’s five-metre line just before halftime and the Piggies scored.
The start of the second half was no better for Port Alberni: the Sheep kicked off, but a bad catch translated into a Cowichan possession and they ran the ball all the way back to go up 29-0.
The Black Sheep mounted a huge comeback after that, but “we just couldn’t do it,” Purewal said.
Jack Rokotuiwakaya, Anthony Selva and Brennan Tourangeau all scored tries, converted by Ty Shannon, to bring the Sheep to within eight points, but they ran out of time.
The Black Sheep will hold their windup banquet soon.
In the meantime, touch rugby starts this Thursday, April 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the rugby club at the top of Argyle Street, and continues every Tuesday and Thursday.
Follow Port Alberni Black Sheep Rugby on Facebook for updates and information.
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