After scraping together a full side, the Cowichan Piggies played host to a fully staffed University of Victoria Norsemen side last Saturday, and ended up on the wrong side of a 41-10 final score.
Cowichan got off to a good start in the First Division match, scoring the first points on a penalty kick by Owen Wood, and the score was still close at the midway point of the first half.
“We were in it from the beginning of the game,” Cowichan head coach Andrew Wright said.
The Piggies dressed three players from Cowichan’s over-40s side for the match, while the Norsemen were loaded with energetic 20-year-olds, and that ended up making a bit of a difference.
“We didn’t have enough of those guys on our side,” Wright admitted.
The Piggies were plagued by a lack of consistency during the match, as has been the case for much of the fall. With the rugby season now on hold until after Christmas, Cowichan will regroup for the second half of the year.
“It wasn’t a loss of a half-season,” Wright said. “We got some good wins. We’re looking forward to what’s at hand after the holidays.”
With several players sidelined or nursing injuries, the nearly two-month break should give the club time to heal.
The team will continue to focus on the concept of kaizen, or continuous improvement involving everyone, as it prepares for the next game Jan. 18 at Castaway Wanderers.