Cowichan News Leader and Pictorial

Plenty of fight in these Piggies

For all their shortcomings in terms of experience, Cowichan Rugby Club’s Premier Piggies have been anything but pushovers for Island heavyweights UVic and Castaways-Wanderers.

Cowichan has also showed it can play the game wide open or tight defensively and still be competitive, as witnessed in the last two games.

After dropping a 69-31 decision the previous week to UVic with most of the difference coming in a second-half burst, Cowichan locked horns with the mighty Castaways Saturday and only trailed 6-3 into the late stages when the game’s lone try gave the Herd Road Grounds visitors a 13-3 victory.

“It was another inspiring performance from the Cowichan guys,’’ said coach Chris Evans.

Castaways boast six Canadian internationals.

Kicking off into a stiff breeze and the bright sun, Cowichan expected to be hemmed in its own end but that didn’t happen.

Castaways slotted a penalty at 12 minutes to take the lead.

“We came storming back into it,’’ said Evans. “Again, it was a question of our guys getting up into their faces.’’

After a period of sustained pressure, Andrew Wood equalized with a penalty. Castaways added another penalty with three minutes left in the half and it remained that way until they scored a try almost on full time.

Cowichan’s Third XV ran its record to 4-2 with a 49-5 trouncing of Powell River.

Josh Peterson led a host of try-scorers with a pair. Singles came from Cam McCulloch, Steve Cowie, David Cowie, Jamie Cuthbertson and Dennis Murphy.

The Cowichan women beat UVic 22-12 on three tries by Carolyn Gudmundseth. Caity Genereaux kicked a penalty and two conversions.

“It was really a very hard game,’’ said co-coach Steve Cowie. “We probably had about 25 per cent of the possession. They were in attack a lot of the time.’’

Cowichan U18 women have been doing well.

They recently beat Abbotsford 41-10, with try-scoring by Cassy Stevens (3), Nicole McKenna, Danielle Scott-Polson, Monica Dunlop and Robyn Broekhuizen.

Cowichan then beat United 17-12 in Vancouver. Scott-Polson was a standout with two tries and joined Lauren Jessup to force United to turn the ball over.

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