At 0-6, things are looking up

The team lost both games Saturday in a tournament in Wolfville, 12 - 0 to Horton and 19 - 0 to Central Kings. And last week’s games saw both a high and a low, with a narrow 10 - 5 loss at home to Middleton on April 22 and a crushing 58 – 7 defeat on the Kings-Edgehill field two days later.

The team is now zero and six in the win-loss columns and needs to win two of its next three games to make regional playoffs.

Yet three more students were lining up Monday morning hoping to join the team.

They want to learn the game before next year when DRHS will be in a lower bracket of the Valley High School Rugby League, says coach Alain Saulnier.

“They want to get set for next year,” he said.

He has been encouraged this year by the high turnout for rugby, with a full complement of 35 players.

“I’ve been hoping for this for three years, but it takes time. There are a lot of positive things going on.”

Some of the positive things showed in two of the last games.

In the home game last week, “we played an outstanding game and pressured Middleton all game long. However, Middleton scored a try with minutes left on a controversial penalty call deep in our 22-metre zone.”

Digby’s try was scored by Joe Robicheau.

Saturday at Rugby Fest in Wolfville, the Digby squad scored twice against Horton, yet both were disallowed and Saulnier faults refereeing, which he says is substandard in the league this year.

On one try, Digby had touched the ball down in the Horton end, but it was booted away and the ref—whose view was blocked—called a loose ball. It was right between the posts, which would have allowed an easier conversion, said the Digby coach.

Against Central Kings, the Digby squad didn’t play as well. “The boys were banged up, tired and as slow as a freight train,” said Saulnier.

Last Thursday’s match at King's-Edgehill showed the disparity in the league, with the Windsor school playing what Saulnier called a technically flawless game during a cold and drizzly day.

“Digby’s try was scored and converted by Andrew Walker after four nicely executed phases and a nice pass by Keirden Marshall.”

Digby’s rugby team has this week off, and through May games will all be on Thursdays. When it takes to the field for its next game, the team may be wearing its new jerseys, with green shoulders, white side ribbing and gold front and back—“sort of like Brazilian soccer meets Australian rugby,” said Saulnier.