Ellerslie Rugby Park - The Cardiac Kids revived another lost cause on the rugby pitch.
Down by 10 points at halftime and teetering on the brink of their fourth loss, St. Albert's second 15 roared back to life to beat the Druids of Strathcona 18-10 Saturday.
"It's St. Albert heart. It's playing for the crest and the colours. That's what it is," declared inside-centre Justin (Bomber) Armitt after the seconds snatched victory from the jaws of defeat for the third consecutive match. "We're not easy to put away. We seem to be a pain in the butt. We keep coming back."
The previous weekend against virtually the same Druids' line-up, the seconds overcame three early tries and a 15-0 halftime deficit with a sparkling come-from-behind 23-18 home field decision.
Their first win was a dramatic 23-21 thriller June 5 against the visiting Fort McMurray Knights (4-1) as game star Frank Lucas split the uprights with a difficult penalty kick on the last play. The seconds trailed 15-0 at the break and 21-13 late in the affair.
"To start 0-3 the way we did and to come back every time to win these last three, they're all satisfying for the boys," said Armitt, a core player from last year's third division Edmonton Rugby Union finalists playing for the first St. Albert second division squad since the 2007 18-1 provincial champions. "It's a different line-up every time and the guys take it as a challenge. They're stepping up."
A sprinkling of players from the first 15 involved in Alberta Cup action in Calgary the same day the seconds hosted the Druids either started or subbed on in the rematch. Matt Herod, a first division winger making a rare appearance at standoff, rallied the seconds with a try in the 42nd minute. He also clutched up to make two penalties and one conversion after going 0-for-2 kicking penalties into a slight breeze in the first half.
"I'm glad I had a couple of chances to make them up. Once the game is on the line those are the ones you really want to make and I felt good after they went through," said Herod, who filled in for Lucas after last year's MVP with the third division squad suffered an undisclosed injury in Thursday's training session.
In the first half and the last-place Druids (1-5) Druids up 3-0, Herod's penalty kick from an angle outside the 22-metre line bounced off the right post in the 11th minute. Three minutes later, the former Stratford (Ont.) Black Swan booted a longer penalty that sailed wide left of the posts. On the last play before the break, he let Paul Flynn tee up a penalty deep and tight to the touchline but the versatile forward drilled it low and wide right.
Missed opportunities summed up the first half for the seconds as they came up one play short for points on more than one occasion. Shortly after the Druids kicked a penalty in the 16th minute, the seconds fumbled away a try in front of the posts as Flynn and Mark Dewes made big strides with the ball pushing forward into scoring territory. Towards the end of the half, a lineout ball at the five-metre line was wasted as the seconds were penalized and the faltering Druids took over possession.
Second-half subs
The seconds subbed on several players to start the second half, including Quinn Brophy at scrum-half and a new front row with hooker Mike Stapleford and props Mike Cobey and Angus MacDonald. The trio of top-drawer forwards helped fuel St. Albert's fire.
"Bringing three guys on like that who are fresh and ready to go for 40 minutes made a huge difference," Herod said. "Angus had a couple of huge runs down the sideline and if you match him up with any forward who has already played 40 minutes, I'll take him in a foot race any day."
Cobey made a mess of the Druids with several destructive runs for massive yardage. He left behind a trail of defenders looking to tap out after getting run over by the tattooed-covered tank.
As a group the forwards physically dominated the Druids despite a rash of injuries in the second half.
"The men of the match should be the pack. The pack set the pace. They pushed their scrum around. They disrupted the ball. They were great," Herod said.
"We're starting to solidify the forward pack and every week they're getting better and better," added Armitt.
Herod's lightning-quick try and conversion two minutes in the second half signalled the beginning of the end for the Druids. They looked dazed and confused while wilting under the onslaught of intense pressure.
"They couldn't handle us once we played structured rugby," said Armitt, 29.
The game-tying penalty kick by Herod in the 56th minute was set up by head-rattling runs into contact by Armitt and Flynn from great feeds by Brophy off rucks the Druids couldn't disrupt.
"As soon as it was 10-10 it was over. They knew it. We knew it. It was just a matter of time before we put those other points up," Herod said of the chip shot from in front of the posts.
In the 34th minute the director of men's rugby at the St. Albert Rugby Football Club nailed a penalty from inside the 22 to break the tie.
"When you get the opportunity you've got to make the most of it," said Herod, a non-kicker with the firsts.
Five minutes later, Nathan Reis motored down the right wing into the try area to put the seconds up eight.
"We're a fit, fast team and the game plan was to push them side to side, which I think we did for the majority of that game," said Herod, 29. "Once we got them moving they created some holes and that's when we started to see some of gains really happen."
A prolonged defensive stand by the determined seconds completed the comeback. The second-half surge catapulted the seconds back into the playoff race. Ranked fourth out of seven teams, the seconds are two points back of second place. They host the sixth-place Norwesters (1-4-1) Saturday at 1 p.m.
