Hawks wing Case McFarland thinks the team’s second loss of the season was marked by errors and was disappointing and mistakes were the cause.
“I think the team played hard for the full 80 minutes, but ultimately we just made too many mistakes that Durham capitalized on,” McFarland said.
Humber’s men’s rugby team took their second loss of the season after taking a 52-14 drubbing from Durham Lords on Sept. 23. The Hawks went scoreless in the first half but had a late rebound, scoring all 14 points in the second half.
The loss to Durham makes it the Hawks’ sixth loss in a row dating back to last season. It’s also been a full calendar year since their last win, when the Hawks had the Bruins’ number, beating them 36-6 in their only meeting last season.
Head coach Fabian Rayne felt the loss was representative of the Hawks effort in the second half after a rough first.
“They were just better than us on the day. I was a bit disappointed with the team’s effort in the first half,” Rayne said. “We actually had a much better second half and I believe it was more indicative of our team and what we’re about.”
Rayne credited the OCAA for bringing tougher competition in recent years.
“This league is way more competitive than years before and we need players to play more outside of Humber,” he said.
“Durham has guys that all played together for a while. They are well coached and they have great players,” Rayne added.
Hawks rookie wing Timico Smith carrying the ball during 52-14 home-opener loss to Durham on Sept. 23. Photo credit: Humber Athletics
McFarland thinks the team is taking steps in the right direction despite a rough start.
“We’ve already made some big steps but I’d say the biggest changes that we need to make involve our defensive structure, and we need to stop taking so many penalties,” he said.
The home opener was exciting despite the loss, with quite a turnout due to the game taking place during the Humber Hawks Alumni Weekend. Hawks wing Timico Smith was disappointed they couldn’t pull out the win for their fans.
“Definitely not the outcome we wanted, but it was a good feeling having our supporters on the sidelines cheering us on,” Smith said.
“It gives you a boost when you have everyone there supporting you,” he said.
Smith said he and his teammates have the talent to change the losing narrative of this Hawks team.
“Nobody wants to lose anymore, so we’re going to try and pull it together,” he said.
“I try not to let it weigh on me because I’m confident in my own ability and in my teammates. We can change that narrative and get that win,” Smith said.
Smith and McFarland are both looking forward to the Oct. 8 game against rivals Sheridan Bruins in Oakville, saying the pressure is on and they understand the stakes.
“There’s obviously a bit of history, but regardless we are treating this as a must-win game where we can really make a statement,” McFarland said.
“I think this game means more to the coaching staff and veterans on the team as they’ve been playing in this rivalry for years, so I’m going to make sure I do what I need to do so we come out with this win,” Smith said.