SHERBROOKE, Que. – The eight-time defending conference champion McGill University men's rugby team jumped out to an early advantage and staved off a late rally for a 21-17 victory over Bishop's in an RSEQ conference semifinal, Saturday, before a crowd of 300 at Coulter Field.

McGill took an 8-0 lead in the 13th minute after a penalty kick from Emeric Durand de Bousingen followed by an unconverted try six minutes later by Graham Cummingham. Gaiters' captain Nicolas Charlton, a native Montrealer, made a successful penalty kick 28 minutes into the contest to cut the lead to 8-3. But McGill replied with a pair of penalty kicks of their own from Thomas Stokes and Durand de Bousingen, who struck pay-dirt on the last play of the first half, to give the Redmen a 14-3 advantage at the break.
 
The second half was a different story. McGill was awarded a team try on a penalty that was converted by Durand de Bousingen three minutes into the frame.  Trailing 21-3, the Gaiters rallied with 14 unanswered points, sparked by Mike Izzard of Oakville, Ont., who scored a nifty try on a run of more than 40 yards that Charlton set up then converted.  Just six minutes later rookie Brock Spencer of Stittsville, Ont., scored as the pack pushed forward. Charlton again was successful on the conversion, narrowing the gap to 21-17.  McGill pushed forward but a missed penalty late in the game that gave the Gaiters some last-minute life.  Unfortunately for the hosts that was as close as they got as the referee's final whistle blew punching McGill's ticket to the RSEQ final.
 
"It was a great rugby game," said Gaiters coach Charles Goode.  "Unfortunately sometimes the games don't go your way."
 
See Goode's complete post-game comments here: http://youtu.be/rcdLjfcn5z0

McGill advances to the RSEQ conference final next weekend against the winner of Sunday's other semifinal between the fourth-place Montreal Carabins and division-leading Concordia.

SCORING SUMMARY
McGill 21, Bishop's 17
(RSEQ Semifinal, Nov. 15/14 at Coulter Field, Lennoxville, Que)

FIRST HALF:

1. McGill: PEN.KICK by Emeric Durand de Bousingen, 13:00 (McG: 3-0)
2. McGill: TRY by Graham Cummingham (conversion missed), 19:00 (McG: 8-0)
3. Bishop's: PEN.KICK by Nicolas Charlton, 28:00 (McG: 8-3)
4. McGill: PEN.KICK by Thomas Stokes, 34:00 (McG: 11-3)
5. McGill: PEN.KICK by Emeric Durand de Bousingen, 40:00 (McG: 14-3)

SECOND HALF:

6. McGill: PENALTY TRY (conversion by Durand de Bousingen), 43:00 (McG: 21-3)
7. Bishop's TRY by Mike Izzard (conversion by Nicolas Charton), 64:00 (McG: 21-10)
8. Bishop's TRY by Brock Spencer (conversion by Nicolas Charlton), 70:00 (McG: 21-17)

 

McGill Dress Roster	Tries	Converts	DropGoals	PenGoals	PTS	Y	R	MVP
Durand de bousingen, Emeric	0	1	0	2	8	0	0	0
Cunningham, Graham	1	0	0	0	5	0	0	0
Équipe, Team	1	0	0	0	5	0	0	0
Stokes, Thomas	0	0	0	1	3	0	0	1
Ashe, Rob	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Cuillerier, Mitchell	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Erickson, Stein	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Gibbs, Kylan	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Lamothe, Thomas	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Makischuk, Kyle	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Mckenney, Josse	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Milne, Thomas	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Naqvi, Usman	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Palmer, Christian	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Pinnell, Lloyd	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Pradere, Quentin	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Roussely, Theo	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Russell, Alexander	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Sassie, Joseph	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Simpson, Calvin	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Thompson, Scott	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Wall, Angus	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Wang, Alex	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Webster, Marc	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Wilson, James	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

 

Bishop's Dress Roster	Essai	Converti	Drop	Pénalité	PTS	CJ	CR	MVP
Charlton, Nicolas	0	2	0	1	7	0	0	0
Izzard, Mike	1	0	0	0	5	0	0	0
Spencer, Brock	1	0	0	0	5	0	0	0
Allen, Derek	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Balfour, Alec	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Best, Scott	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Crawford, Darien	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Crawford, Shayne	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Drohan, Blake	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Ferland, Maxime	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Gardiner, George	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Grouette, Max	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Hudson, Lee	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Irwin, Keegan	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Jaco, Tyler	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Macpherson, Luc	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Neeley, Alec	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Nixon, Lt	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Quirion, Josh	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
Roy, Alex	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Rumsby, Chalres	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Shaw, Tyler	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Smallwood, Sean	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Vuksan, Mathias	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Wilson, Jordan	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0