LENNOXVILLE, QUE –
Martin Laval scored a game-high 13 points as the McGill men's rugby team cruised to a 38-24 road victory to spoil the Bishop's Homecoming party at Bruce Coulter Field, Sunday.
It was the Redbirds seventh consecutive win over BU since a 19-17 loss in 2019. The offensive outburst was McGill's highest point total over the Gaiters since a 76-15 road victory in 2012.
The Redbirds tallied a season-high five tries to earn a bonus point in the standings as they improved their undefeated record to 4-0 atop the seven-team RSEQ conference, with two games remaining before playoffs. McGill sits four points ahead of ETS, which sits second at 3-1. Bishop's dropped to 1-3 and is in a dog-fight with Montreal (1-2) for the fourth and final playoff berth.
The Redbirds jumped into a 28-0 lead before a shell-shocked Bishop's squad replied and took a 28-7 lead into halftime. McGill made liberal substitutions in the second half, which BU won 17-10.
Laval, a 5-foot-11, 182-pound fly-half, went 5-for-5 on his conversion attempts and made one of two penalty kicks to merit player-of-the-game honours for McGill. The 22-year-old master's student in retail management currently ranks second among the league's scoring leaders with 37 points in just three games and sits four points in arrears of
Paul Arditti, who has played one more game with the ETS Pirhanas. Last year, Laval finished second in the scoring race with 63 points in six contests.
Matthew Corkum, a mechanical engineering freshman from London, England, led the McGill try scorers with two. Single tries went to
Ian McDowell, a neuroscience senior from Dorval, Que., and another pair of U.K. imports, senior
Alexander Armstrong and junior
Robert "Will" Storey.
Responding for the Gaiters was
Mederic Audet-Chalifour and
Michael McGuinness with two tries apiece. The last try was scored with three minutes remaining, which gave Bishop's a bonus point in the standings. Extra points are awarded to teams that score four tries and or lose by seven points or less.
Benjamin Rea converted two of the four BU tries.
Next Sunday (Oct. 5), Bishop's (1-3) hits the road to play the Montreal Carabins (1-2), while McGill (4-0) hosts Ottawa (3-0) in a much-awaited matchup of undefeated teams. Both games are slated for a 3 p.m. matinee.
SCORING SUMMARY
McGill 38, Bishop's 24
(at Coulter Field, Sept. 29, 2024)
| No. |
PLAY |
SCORER |
TIME |
SCORE |
|
FIRST HALF |
|
|
BSH-McG |
| 1 |
McG TRY #12 |
Alexander Armstrong |
5:30 |
0-5 |
| 2 |
McG Con #15 |
Martin Laval |
|
0-7 |
| 3 |
McG TRY #7 |
Will Storey |
10:15 |
0-12 |
| 4 |
McG Con #15 |
Martin Laval |
|
0-14 |
| 5 |
McG TRY #6 |
Matthew Corkum |
17:00 |
0-19 |
| 6 |
McG Con #15 |
Martin Laval |
|
0-21 |
| 7 |
McG TRY #8 |
Ian McDowell |
23:45 |
0-26 |
| 8 |
McG Con #15 |
Martin Laval |
|
0-28 |
| 9 |
BU TRY #9 |
Mederic Audet-Chalifour |
28:30 |
5-28 |
| 10 |
BU Con #15 |
Benjamin Rea |
|
7-28 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
SECOND HALF |
|
|
|
| 11 |
BU TRY #9 |
Mederic Audet-Chalifour |
47:00 |
12-28 |
| 12 |
BU Con #15 |
Benjamin Rea |
|
14-28 |
| 13 |
McG PEN #15 |
Martin Laval |
52:30 |
14-31 |
| 14 |
BU TRY#7 |
Michael McGuinness |
55:45 |
19-31 |
| 15 |
McG TRY #6 |
Matthew Corkum |
73:00 |
19-36 |
| 16 |
McG Con #15 |
Martin Laval |
|
19-38 |
| 17 |
BU TRY #7 |
Michael McGuinness |
77:00 |
24-38 |
RSEQ STATS & STANDINGS
SOURCE
Earl Zukerman
Sports Information Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
CELL:
514-983-7012
E-MAIL:
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca
