LENNOXVILLE, Que. – For the first time since 2009, the Bishop's Gaiters men's rugby team will play in the RSEQ University Championship.  They travel to Montreal to face the Concordia Stingers on Saturday, Nov. 10 at 2 p.m.
 
At Stake
The 2018 RSEQ University Men's Rugby title is on the line. Bishop's will look to hang a rugby banner in their gym for the first time since 2003.  They last had the chance in 2009 when they lost to the McGill Redmen in the final.
 
Meanwhile Concordia is the defending RSEQ champions and are on a 16 game winning streak.  Their last loss of any kind came in 2016 when the Gaiters came back to stun them 33-26 in overtime in an RSEQ quarter-final.
 
The winning squad will also qualify for the Canadian University Men's Rugby Championships that the University of Victoria is hosting from Nov. 21-25. The event is in its second year of existence and is run in collaboration with Rugby Canada.
 
We Meet Again
Saturday will mark the second time the Gaiters and Stingers step onto the rugby pitch. The foes met on Oct. 5 on Coulter Field with Concordia rolling to a 48-16 victory thanks to a strong second half.  The visitors held just a nine-point advantage at the break but outscored the Gaiters 26-3 in the second half for the convincing win.
 
Tyler Murphy (Bromont, Que./Massey Vanier H.S.) kicked through three penalties and a convert to record 11 of the Gaiters points, while Robert McGovern (Brigham, Que./Champlain College Lennoxville) scored an electrifying try after stealing a Stingers pass and scampering 70 yards.
 
Thomas Goetz was one of six Stingers to score tries.  He put two on the board.
 
How we got here
Bishop's ended the season with a 4-2 regular season record, that placed them third in the conference. Their only blemishes were against the two teams ahead of them.  It resulted in a semifinal game at McGill (5-1) last Saturday.  Bishop's jumped out to an early lead and weathered a Redmen push en route to a 19-17 win in frigid temperatures. It was the first time Bishop's got McGill's in the post-season since the '03 final.
 
Concordia was the team to beat once again in the RSEQ.  After an undefeated campaign last year, they were even more dominant in 2018. Once again they went perfect in the regular season, earning bonus points (for scoring four or more tries) in five of six contests.  They ended up with 258 points for and allowed just 44.  They topped Sherbrooke 17-0 in their semifinal.
 
Coach's Corner
"It feel great to be preparing for a championship," said Gaiters head coach Charles Goode. "We have been going pretty light this week; we aren't going to change fitness in a week. The finals come down to set pieces, scrums and lineouts, your defensive line and your goal kicking.
 
"Guys are loose; we really have no pressure on us. I think we are going to surprise them and if get a little luck like we did last week against McGill maybe we'll pull one off in the end.
 
"We know what Concordia does. They try and bully, you from the get go. The way you prepare for them is you have to take every bounce you are given and every line break you are given and you have to capitalize."
 
W2W4
Gaiters' captain Carter Filion (St. Catharines, Ont./Ridley College), an RSEQ all-star was a force last week against McGill. He scored once and set up a second try while playing some top-notch defense. Andrew Harrison (Calgary, Alta. /William Aberhart S.S.) was named Provigo, Robert Lafond Bishop's Gaiters Athlete of the Week after playing his best game of the year.  He recorded 11 tackles from his loosehead prop position and set up Jack Oatway's (Peterborough, Ont./Adam Scott C.V.I.) try. RSEQ Most Outstanding Player Josh Bray (Lennoxville, Que./Bishop's College School) also made his presence felt last week as he has done all year.  He booted through a pair of converts.
 
For Concordia Jonathan Banks handles kicking duties.  The RSEQ second-team all-star registered 60 points, second most in the conference, all off his foot.  He converted 24 converts and 4 penalties. Seven Stingers earned first-team all-star selections: Stephen Martinez, Julien Alexander, Charles Debove (the 2017 RSEQ Most Outstanding Player), Thomas Goetz, Jackson Marquardt, Elliott Goussanou and Lucas Hotton.
 
Last week Hotton and Malcolm Baird scored tries while Moritz Wittman was successful on a dropkick and Banks converted twice for the Stingers in their semifinal versus the Vert et Or.
 
Playoff meetings
The Gaiters are 7-8 all-time against the Stingers in the post-season.  That includes a 1-2 record in the championship game although the two teams have not met for the title since 2000.
 
2016    Bishop's 33, Concordia 26 (QF) – Lennoxville
2011    Concordia 13, Bishop's 10 (SF) – Lennoxville
2010    Concordia 13, Bishop's 12 (SF) – Montreal
2009    Bishop's 15, Concordia 12 (SF) – Lennoxville
2006    Concordia 14, Bishop's 0 (SF) – Montreal
2005    Concordia 20, Bishop's 7 (SF) – Lennoxville
2004    Bishop's 18, Concordia 13 (SF) – Montreal
2003    Bishop's 24, Concordia 14 (SF) – Lennoxville
2002    Concordia 20, Bishop's 8 (SF) – Montreal
2001    Concordia 38, Bishop's 10 (SF) – Montreal
2000    Concordia 19, Bishop's 16 (F) – Lennoxville
1999    Concordia 17, Bishop's 8 (F) – Lennoxville
1995    Bishop's 16, Concordia 8 (SF) – Montreal
1993    Bishop's 32, Concordia 3 (SF) – Lennoxville
1992    Bishop's 36, Concordia 0 (F) – Lennoxville
 
Title Talk
Bishop's has six conference championships to their name while the Stingers have won seven times.
 
RSEQ Champions since 1989

Années	Champions
2017	Concordia
2016	Montréal
2015	McGill
2014	Concordia
2013	McGill
2012	McGill
2011	McGill
2010	McGill
2009	McGill
2008	McGill
2007	McGill
2006	McGill
2005	Concordia
2004	McGill
2003	Bishop's
2002	McGill
2001	Concordia
2000	Concordia
1999	Concordia
1998	Bishop's
1997	McGill
1996	Concordia
1995	McGill
1994	Bishop's
1993	Bishop's
1992	Bishop's
1991	McGill
1990	Bishop's
1989	McGill

 
Tickets
Tickets for Saturday's final are available by clicking here.
 
Can't Make It? Watch Live!
Saturday's final will be webcasted live at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/cumo/.
 
Stay tuned to www.gaiters.ca and #GaiterNation and @BishopsGaiters on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for enhanced coverage as the Gaiters stride toward 2018 RSEQ Championship. 
 
-30-