Bermuda international Jamin Hodgkins scored a decisive late try and conversion as UBCOB Ravens defied a dominant University of Victoria (UVic) display to claim a dramatic 26-22 victory in a rematch of last season's Premier final.
Outgunned at the set-piece, losing half of their lineouts, and starved of possession for long stretches with just 30% of the ball, the Ravens leaned on fierce defensive grit and one clinical late attacking sequence to overturn a 10-point half-time deficit.
UVic controlled the early territory, drawing the Ravens into a tactical kicking battle between Vikes half-backs Cooper Coats and Mike Oughtred and the Ravens' pairing of Hodgkins and Andrew Coe. Ceding ground proved costly, as UVic raced into a 12-0 lead inside 12 minutes. Coats dotted down unopposed following a quick penalty tap before fielding an errant high ball, dancing through traffic, and sending a long pass wide for winger Greg Leitch to cross untouched.
A stern mid-half rallying cry from Ravens captain Hamish Janes sparked an immediate response. Driven forward by high-energy carries from flanker Brian Ndirangu and lock Drew Denford, the hosts returned to their trademark driving maul to get on the board before scrum-half Max Kahler fed Coe through a narrow blindside gap for a 30-metre sprint to the corner, levelling the scores at 12-12 on the half-hour mark.
However, recurring set-piece infringements and overthrown lineouts handed momentum straight back to the visitors. UVic capitalised with a penalty goal and a third try—another sweeping miss-pass finding Leitch on the right wing—to take a commanding 22-12 advantage into the interval.
The second half followed a familiar script, with UVic monopolising possession while the Ravens survived on scraps—yet the hosts made their two rare excursions into enemy territory count.
Straight from the restart, lock Max Boulanger forced a breakdown penalty, setting up a clinical lineout-and-maul sequence that propelled Lois Kassapian over the whitewash to cut the deficit to 22-19.
UVic laid siege to the Ravens' line for the next 25 minutes but were repeatedly thwarted by unforced errors—blowing two clear overlaps into touch and squandering a promising attack with a speculative chip kick—while the Ravens continued to misfire at the lineout and scrum.
With fewer than five minutes remaining, the Ravens finally pieced together the match-winning passage of play. Fielding a loose UVic high ball, Coe straightened the line and linked with Hodgkins and Paddy Kirwan. Recycling quickly to the right, Jake Ikeda sliced through on a hard inside line and delivered a slick one-handed offload to a charging Kassapian.
Swift distribution through Niko Andrianos put the ball back in the hands of Hodgkins, who used subtle footwork and a sharp burst of acceleration to exploit a hesitant defender, diving over under the posts before slotting the simple conversion to complete a remarkable smash-and-grab win.
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