MONTREAL – Monty Weatherall scored 10 points and Zach Auger added a pair of tries as McGill rallied for a 20-18 victory over Bishop's in an RSEQ men's rugby sudden-death semifinal before 597 boisterous fans at Percival Molson Stadium, Saturday.
 
It was a thriller from start to finish, with the  lead changing hands six times.
 
Bishop's led 3-0 early on and improved that to 11-7 but McGill roared back to take a 17-11 lead into halftime. The Gaiters regained control early in the second half when Caelan Abbott of Toronto scored a try, converted by sophomore fullback Luke Ayoub in the 54th minute. Ayoub, a native of Montreal, who led BU with a game-high 13 points, added one try and a pair of penalty kicks.
 
Weatherall, a six-foot, 183-pound fly-half from the UK, who tied for the RSEQ league scoring title, connected for the game-winning tally with 13 minutes remaining on the clock on his second penalty kick of the afternoon – from a distance of 39 yards – to give the Redbirds a teetering two-point cushion. The 22-year-old international development studies senior also converted both tries by Auger, a senior outside flanker from Ottawa.
 
McGill, which finished atop the league standings with a 6-1 record, punched its ticket to host the RSEQ championship game against second-seeded Ottawa on Friday, Nov. 4 in a 7 p.m. kickoff.  

The Gee-Gees, who posted an identical 6-1 regular season record, defeated third-place ETS 31-24 in the other conference semifinal, Saturday. McGill only crossed paths with the Gee-Gees once this season, a 31-19 victory on Sept. 17 at Molson Stadium.
 
SCORING SUMMARY
McGill 20, Bishop's
(RSEQ Semifinal)
 
FIRST HALF:
1. BSH: Luke Ayoub (Penalty Kick) 4' (Bishop's 3-0)
2. McG: Zach Auger (TRY; converted by Monty Weatherall) 16' (McGill 7-3)
3. BSH: Luke Ayoub (Penalty Kick) 29' (McGill 7-6)
4. BSH: Luke Ayoub (TRY; convert missed by Luke Ayoub) 32' (Bishop's 11-7)
5. McG: Zach Auger (TRY; converted by Monty Weatherall) 36' (McGill 14-11)
6. McG: Monty Weatherall (Penalty Kick) 38' (McGill 17- 11)
 
SECOND HALF:
7. BSH: Caelan Abbott (TRY; converted by Luke Ayoub) 54' (Bishop's 18-17)
8. McG: Monty Weatherall (Penalty Kick) 67' (McGill wins 20-18)


SOURCE
Earl Zukerman
Sports Information Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
514-398-7012 (Tel.)
www.mcgillathletics.ca
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca