THE West Vancouver Highlanders left no doubt that they're the top AAA rugby team on the North Shore this season following their smashing 41-7 win over the Argyle Pipers in the Lower Mainland semifinals Thursday at Klahanie Park.
The Highlanders scored early and often, racking up a 24-0 lead at halftime that grew to 41-0 in the second half. A late try got the Pipers on the board but it was much too little, too late to stop West Van from slamming their way into the Lower Mainland championship game with the famed New Zealand Shield on the line.
"It feels awesome," West Van head coach Dan Weidner said moments after his team clinched their berth in the big final. "We worked the whole season to get there, this last game was a huge payoff. It was a big win over tough opposition and it was pretty cool for it to be in that fashion."
Weidner was impressed by the strong showing put on by his team in their win over Argyle.
"I thought it was fantastic," he said. "We're still missing a few players but all the guys who have been on the bench and not starters at the beginning of the season have stepped up. Just the tenacity and aggressiveness they have as a group, I haven't seen anything like it. . . . I think a lot of (other teams) just feel kind of overwhelmed at points. It was a great win."
The victory gave the Highlanders a perfect 4-0 record against Carson Graham, Argyle and Handsworth this season, giving them the unofficial title of top dog on the rugby-mad North Shore.
"We haven't lost to a team on the North Shore so it's kind of nice being in that position, but North Shore rugby is something that people don't really understand because there's almost like an aura around it," said Weidner. "When you play another North Shore team you always rise to the occasion. . . . We only beat (Handsworth, who finished last in the league,) by four points a couple of weeks ago. That's a great example of how tough it is on the North Shore."
The Highlanders were missing James Oswald, a national-level youth player, for Thursday's semifinal because of injury but got strong performances from fellow Grade 12 standouts Johnny Franklin, the team's fly half who is better known as the school's star quarterback, and back row player Jonas Blomberg.
Weidner said his balanced squad is led by their bruising forwards.
"It's a really well-rounded team," he said. "Our forwards work their asses off the whole time, our backs are great at handling and, especially with the injuries we've had, just having a few guys able to step up and take on big roles, that's all you can ask for."
They'll need everyone to step up if they hope to take home the New Zealand Shield in Thursday's championship game because they'll be facing a juggernaut in Vancouver's St. George's. The Saints ran roughshod over the competition during the regular season, including a 46-3 win over West Van, and just took out Carson Graham 54-0 in Thursday's other semifinal.
"They're a very strong team, well-rounded team - best in the province in my opinion," said Weidner, adding he expects Oswald, the team's captain, to return for the final. "In high school rugby anything can happen on any given day. I think that if we stick to what we know we can do, have the confidence and stay disciplined, we could really give them a run for their money. . . . Our game plan is just to play our style of play. We're an aggressive team and no one has really come across a team like us in the breakdown and with our physicality."
Beyond the New Zealand Shield final lies the provincial championships running May 25-June 1 in Abbotsford. The Highlanders, however, have no interest in that tournament at the moment, said Weidner.
"Our goal since the beginning of the season is to take it one game at a time and that's what's working for these guys. You set small little goals - if you play ahead of your next game you're setting yourself up for disaster. Right now our next game is St. George's for the New Zealand Shield, we'll worry about provincials when we get there."
. . . The New Zealand Shield AAA final is scheduled for Thursday, May 16 at 5: 30 p.m. at Stanley Park's Brockton Oval.
