Montreal, QUEBEC - On a rainy Sunday afternoon in Montreal, the McGill Redbirds narrowly escaped the Bishop's Gaiters with a final score of 30-27 in an RSEQ semi-final for the ages.

Both teams opened the game quickly, exchanging possessions in the opening fifteen minutes of play. Luke Ayoub (Montreal, QC/Loyola H.S.) got the Gaiters on the board first, converting a penalty in the 16th minute to give Bishop's a 3-0 lead. McGill responded with back-to-back tries in the closing minutes of the half to take a 14-3 lead into halftime. 

After the break, Ayoub converted twice more for the Gaiters while the Redbirds added their first penalty convert of the day. McGill extended the lead, scoring the third try of the game in the 58th minute to make the advantage fifteen. Ayoub kept the Gaiters alive, adding three more points to his total for the day with 20 minutes left to play. It wasn't until the 65th minute that the Gaiters scored their first try of the day but it couldn't have come at a more important moment. Bishop's increased the tempo, pushing for another try to close out the game and the Gaiters did exactly that. With the clock stopped at 78 minutes, the Gaiters scored a second try but missed the convert, tying the game at twenty-four all. This score stood after 80 minutes of play, sending the game to overtime.
 
Overtime in RSEQ men's rugby begins with two 10 minute halves which are to be played in full for an additional 20 minutes of play. In this game, McGill scored the first points of extra time with a successful penalty convert four minutes into the opening half of overtime. The Redbirds controlled the opening overtime minutes but the Gaiters didn't let up, tying the game for the second time in the final minute of the overtime period to send the game to a second overtime.

In RSEQ men's rugby, the second overtime consists of two periods of five minutes and the first team to score wins the game. Both teams were within striking distance numerous times throughout the second overtime, attempting a combined three penalty converts in an effort to end the game but all attempts missed. On the fourth convert attempt of overtime, the McGill Redbirds placed the ball through the uprights and took the game 30-27 after 110 minutes of play.

Colton Bennett (Arundel, QC/Dawson College) and Louis Millet (Toulouse, France/Lycee Polyvalent Bellevue) scored the tries for the Gaiters while Luke Ayoub (Montreal, QC/Loyola H.S.) was the game's leading scorer with 17 points. Louis Millet (Toulouse, France/Lycee Polyvalent Bellevue) was named the MVP for the Gaiters.

Despite the closely contested match-up, the loss ends the Gaiters' 2021 campaign. McGill will host Concordia in the RSEQ Championship next weekend.

Stay up-to-date anytime with the Bishop's Gaiters at www.gaiters.ca or on social media by using @BishopsGaiters.