Drive to the line: Molitika Ix-Sui ’27 focuses on the powerful, swift motion of the pass. / Photo by Rebecca Harper
SMC vs. UBC: On the Rugby Pitch, the Gaels Dominate Both Possession and Territory
Saint Mary’s faced off against their foes from the north, the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, in a midweek matchup between the programs’ second sides, and prevailed 31–19.
Saint Mary’s rugby faced off against their foes from the north, the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, on February 19 for a a midweek matchup between the programs’ second sides. The Gaels prevailed 31–19, deploying strong defense and effective set plays. It was not a perfect game from the Saint Mary’s team, but it was enough to come out victorious against a physical UBC side.
The Gaels dominated both possession and territory for most of the match—and this was particularly emphasized for the first ten minutes. Attempting to punch the ball in from five meters out, UBC stayed strong defensively and held on for quite some time. Eventually, the Gaels took advantage of a scrum from the five meter line, getting the ball into the hands of Ethan Younger ’27, who was able to swing it out wide to Nemaia Pua ’26 for the opening try.
The scoring continued early for Saint Mary’s with another successful set play. This time a lineout turned into a maul led to Joseph Manzone ’27 extending the Gaels’ first half lead. A conversion from William L'hommedieu ’26 put the Gaels up 12–0. The team struggled to add points from that point on in the first half, with some handling errors; the halftime score would remain 12–0.
What was a bright spot for Saint Mary’s: defense and the strong structure of the Gaels. Not only did they make their tackles, but they also disrupted set plays consistently. Brian McKeon ’25 intercepted multiple lineouts and Andreas Angelopoulos ’25 helped spearhead the scrums. That kept UBC from taking advantage of any mistakes committed by the Gaels.
The scoring picked up for both sides in the second half, after both teams made adjustments. Just a few minutes into the second half, Saint Mary’s found a gap in the goal line defense of the Thunderbirds. Julian Jimenez ’27 dove across the try line, and another successful conversion gave the Gaels a comfortable 19–0 lead. Adjustments were also made by the UBC side at the half, and those showed when a successful lineout turned into the Thunderbirds’ first try of the afternoon. Saint Mary’s still led 19–5 with 30 minutes to play.
After multiple scoring chances were thwarted by more handling errors, Rocco Pool ’28 found a rare gap in the UBC defense and took advantage. A couple passes later and Sione Tuiileila ’28 added onto Saint Mary’s lead. This time the conversion came from Dan Sweeney ’28, putting the Gaels up 26–5. The wings came to life in the final 10 minutes for UBC and helped cut into the lead, but never fully threatened Saint Mary’s hold on the match. Newfound consistent handling put the nail in the coffin: A Rocco Pool ’28 try made it 31–12 for the Gaels. UBC did manage to score once again, by way of their own new success of set plays and a five meter scrum, translated to a pick and go try. This was enough to narrow the deficit but not to close it. When the ref blew the final whistle, the Gaels emerged with a 31–19 victory.
It was a strong showing from the second side against a solid UBC team while also revealing room for improvement. The Gaels’ top side will take on Central Washington this Sunday at Saint Mary’s Stadium.
UP NEXT: Saint Mary’s faces off against Central Washington University on Sunday February 23 12 p.m. at Saint Mary’s Stadium. Come and cheer on the Gaels in person, or watch on The Rugby Network with a free account.