Banner Season: Gryphons eyeing three-peat against familiar foes in Turner Trophy tussle
Burlington, Ont. – Despite another team stepping in as finalist a year ago, the last two teams standing on the conference pitch over the past decade have largely been the Guelph Gryphons and Queen’s Gaels. The former enters with hopes of claiming a third consecutive Turner Trophy, while the latter makes their return to the banner season stage for this familiar final fixture. In a matchup steeped with recent history, all eyes will be on the University of Guelph’s Varsity Field on Thursday, November 9th, when the powerhouse programs collide for the 2023 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Men’s Rugby Championship.
Championship Details:
When: Thursday, November 9th at 6:00pm
Where: Varsity Field (University of Guelph)
Participating Schools (2): Guelph Gryphons (host), Queen’s Gaels
Watch: oua.tv
Defending Champions: Guelph Gryphons | ALL PAST CHAMPIONS
Student-Athletes to Watch:
Thomas Dallan, Guelph Gryphons | The Gryphons offence was on another level this season, and a big contributor to their output was Dallan. He ranked third in the conference in scoring, back largely by his 20 conversions, and he also added a trio of tries. He helped keep the Guelph train rolling in the semifinals with another try and six successful converts, and he will undoubtedly be called upon for more of the same come game time on Thursday.
Aiden Emmens, Queen’s Gaels | A veteran for the Gaels, the fourth-year prop is familiar with what it takes to win on the conference pitch and has been a consistent contributor for Queen’s during his tenure. He got his season off on the right foot with a try in the team’s opener and another in a late season win over Western. The prop from Brooklin, Ont. hopes to close out his senior season with a win and his first OUA title in hand.
Kobe Faust, Guelph Gryphons | Faust has continued to cause nightmares for opponents on the pitch this season, much like he did a season ago. Ranking just points off the conference lead this year with 73 (nine tries, 14 converts), the Uxbridge, Ont. full back will hope to feast on the banner season stage this season. As a returnee from Guelph’s championship winning squad in 2022, Faust will not only be called upon for his play on the pitch, but his experience and leadership beyond it.
Eric Godden, Queen’s Gaels | Godden has gotten out of the gates quickly this postseason, providing a noticeable impact for the Kingston crew. He scored a try for the Gaels in their quarterfinal win over Trent, before adding another two in the team’s upset win over Brock in the semifinals. It will take a collective effort for the winning ways to continue for Queen’s on Thursday, but more of that offensive output from the experienced fifth-year centre would be a big help.
Jacob Ince, Guelph Gryphons | A standout in Guelph’s semifinal win over Laurier, Ince will look to keep the momentum rolling into Thursday’s championship fixture. The third-year centre from Oakville, Ont. opened the scoring in just the fourth minute to get Guelph out of the gates on good footing, and he would tack on another two tries later in the match. The ability to step up on the big stage is no small feat, and if Ince can impact the finale in the same way he did the semifinals, the Gryphons will be looking good in their quest for back-to-back titles.
James Webb, Queen’s Gaels | The leading scorer in the conference has remained a focal point for the Gaels in their march to the championship. Following up on his OUA-best 76 points in regular season action, Webb has continued to pace the Tricolour offence in their two playoff games, accounting for a combined 25 points in their quarterfinal and semifinal wins. More of the same from the third-year Toronto, Ont. standout would do wonders to keep Queen’s Turner Trophy aspirations intact.
Storylines to Keep an Eye On:
Thursday’s combatants are no strangers to the championship stage or what it feels like to hoist the Turner Trophy. The Gryphons and Gaels have combined to claim the last 10 OUA men’s rugby championships, with several of those triumphs coming in head-to-head fashion on the banner season pitch. Prior to Laurier finishing as silver medalists a season ago, there was a stretch of seven straight OUA Championships that featured these prolific programs, and while Guelph has only claimed two of those titles, they are the most recent victors therein following their 37-28 win in 2021.
The powerhouse Queen’s squad has been a mainstay atop the OUA standings for much of the past decade, and while they do have 25 conference banners to their name, the program was unable to reach the final a year ago and have not tasted championship victory since prior to the pandemic. Queen’s dropped a pair of fixtures during the regular season, but after avenging one of them in their semifinal win over Brock, they’ll look to do the same against Guelph in the championship. It won’t come easy against the undefeated Gryphons; however, as they rolled through the conference schedule with a league-best 363 points for and 35 points against. Guelph are prepared to put that unblemished mark on the line with the hopes of winning a third consecutive Turner Trophy and sixth overall.
When the two teams met earlier in the season, it was Guelph earning the edge over the Gaels. A big part of that 34-17 victory on September 30th was the lightning quick start for the visiting Gryphons, who got on the board with a try in the first 30 seconds of the match. The Gaels took the lead thereafter, but an expeditious response from the Gryphons sparked a run of three straight tries for the two-time defending champions. Queen’s got back to within seven in the second half, but another two Guelph tries late sealed the deal. David Scollon took a starring role for the victors in this one, accounting for four of his team’s tries on the day.
