CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – Anyone who enjoys Halifax Tars-Hunter’s Corner Mudmen RFC matchups are in for a treat.
This weekend there’s a double dose as the Mudmen A and B sides tangle with the Tars for their respective division crowns in Rugby Nova Scotia senior men’s playoff action.
The division two championship game is Sunday, at 3 p.m., in Halifax, while the division one title game is today at Co-op Field in Charlottetown.
Game time is 2 p.m. and the Mudmen’s Phil Gallant wants a repeat of the squad’s regular season victory over the Tars.
“The key to beating the Tars in the regular season was hard-nosed defence. (In the first game) our scrum out-matched them and we inserted doubt. They had a quick 14-0 lead on us in that game. It’s our job to come out hard and fast and gain control early. We need to play stout defence and give them nothing. Playing for a full 80 minutes is key and not letting up,” said Gallant. “Both sides are interesting as their teams run similar systems and styles. The Tars have a lot of veteran guys who know how to do all the little things right. They always have a strong scrum and can slow the game down to control it. You don't see them make many mistakes and they are ready to pounce if you do.”
In the division one regular season the Tars (6-1) finished second to the Mudmen (7-0), losing its only game to the Island squad 27-24 in Halifax. Both squads earned automatic semifinal berths.
In the semis, the Mudmen thumped the Dartmouth PigDogs 51-5 while the Tars downed Pictou County 41-27.
The division two Mudmen (6-1) earned its berth in the final after the Windsor Hants County Machine forfeited the semi. The Tars (6-0-1) joined the Island squad with a win over the Valley Bulldogs.
“We always expect some surprises from the Tars and in years past that may have rattled us but going into this weekend we have a very different mindset. That’s something we’ve had to get to over in years of losses to the Tars. We have a mental belief that is strong, and we feel our guys are the team to beat. So instead of focusing on who they have or don't have our focus is on what we are in control of and that's our game and how we play. I think that mentality has been the key to our success.”
Phil Gallant of the Hunter’s Corner Mudmen RFC on dealing with the Halifax Tars loading its roster with high-level players in the playoffs.
The Mudmen spent several seasons trying to get over the Tars hump, losing in championship and playoff games, before beating Halifax last season in the semis en route to its first division one crown.
So Gallant and company intend to ride that history to its second consecutive division one trophy.
“The people view the clubs as rivals, but it is a bit one-sided. The Tars tend to rival anyone in the league where we rise to the occasion when we play them. They did not have four straight years of losing yet to build up a bitterness that we have. We worked hard over the years to get the McCurdy Cup and we don't plan on letting it leave the Island.”
Should the Island squads win, it would be a sweep of Nova Scotia for the titles after the Charlottetown RFC women’s Tier and B teams won their respective championships in late August.
For Gallant going 2-for-2 in titles games is something he wouldn’t have imagined just a few years ago nor possibly hosting Maritime championship games next month.
“If the Mudmen can win two titles this weekend it will be an historic season. The fact that only a short time ago we were striving to just win second division and to look and see the opportunity of winning two is unimaginable. It could potentially mean two Maritime championships hosted on P.E.I. on Oct. 13,” Gallant said. “Some of our veterans like Marcus Dunphy, Brody Noonan, Kyle Robertson, Brodie MacDonald, Mike Deighan and Justin Ellis have all seen where this came from and where it is now. A big part of enjoying this success is going through it with those guys.”
