Saturday at MacDonald Park, Dave Moonlight – rust free in his second game back – put in a hat trick as JBAA secured a workmanlike win over Velox Valhallians. Twelve minutes in, on a rainless field, as Victoria searches tentatively for Spring, a surge by JBAA prop Big E Forsythe was stopped just short of the left corner – the Bays spun the ball to the other sideline – and Moonlight sliced across to open scoring. 

At 26 minutes, Neil Meechan took the ball from a Velox back in-tackle, and put Ben Johnson away for his first of several up-field rampages – this for twelve meters to the try line. Jeff Williams converted. JBAA 12 – Velox 0. 

The Valhallians seldom play soft – continued to work hard up and down the field – and were rewarded with a try by scrum half Jon Ogilvie six minutes from the break. Nick Scholtz converted. Bays 12 – Velox 7. 

In half two, the Bays, who did not reach the heights of their performance the prior week, played a workmanlike game – point-free D – and five trys at even spaced intervals to pull away. The scoring recommenced at 48 minutes, Big E finishing off a Blue Crush maul. Then Hugo Belanger broke away – pass to Jake de Goede for the score. Bays 22 – Velox 7. 

Near mid-half, de Goede instituted another attack – and Spenny Dalziel secured a ball that seemed to ricochet off several hands, to drive over the Valhallian line. 

Another five minutes, then the signature score in this blue collar game! Jeff Williams lofting an attacking kick high into the Velox right in-goal – Moonlight racing some 30 meters, leaping skyward over the MacDonald Park turf, to take the ball cleanly in air – shocking the Valhallian defender waiting below. Moonlight finished his scoring trifecta as the final whistle blew. Score at game’s end: Bays 37 – Velox 7. 

JBAA Ones 39 – Velox 10: 

In the early game, JBAA’s Ones took a step toward righting their ship – playing try-less D until the 74th minute, and pouring in four trys in the first half, and two more in the second, to secure the win. Score at the half was 29-3. Neither team is yet near playoff form – but on Saturday the Bays dominated. 

This year must be a Leap Year – as Jeff (Raptor) Clarke also went airborne to secure two trys. Scott Humphrey notched two. Jim de Goede (who later started for the Prems) scored a try, as did Brendon McEneaney – while Kyle Laberge kicked 3 converts and a penalty goal. In this game, JBAA also welcomed the return of Russ Ward to Pacific rugby. 

Next Saturday, an amalgam of JBAA Prems and Ones will travel to Cowichan for an exhibition encounter, slated to start at 2:30 PM in the PIggie Dome.