Ottawa erases an early deficit with three second-half tries to secure the win at home.
The Gee-Gees men’s rugby team took on the Bishop’s Gaiters in their first home game this past Saturday. Following a resounding 31-10 victory over Concordia the previous Sunday, the team looked to remain undefeated to start their 2026 campaign.
First Half
The Gaiters took advantage of an early penalty against the Gee-Gees. Already deep in Gee-Gee territory, Bishop’s halfback Mitchell Darby put his team up 3-0 on the penalty kick.
Ottawa struggled to build momentum early, with the referees keeping them on a far tighter leash than Bishop’s. After another questionable call in the Gee-Gee zone, the Gaiters capitalized again off of Darby’s second penalty kick conversion, giving Bishop’s a 6 – 0 lead.
Eventually, the Gee-Gees found their footing, as fourth-year prop Joshua Seguin powered through the Gaiter defence to score Ottawa’s first try of the day, making it a 6-5 game in favour of Bishop’s.
The Gaiters pushed back, driving the ball all the way to Ottawa’s 10-metre line. The Gee-Gee’s defence held strong, and finally, the referees made a call in their favour. A kick into touch for the Gee-Gees pushed possession all the way back to the halfway line, giving Ottawa a chance to breathe.
The Gee-Gees responded with a long drive of their own. Third-year fly-half Ben Holahan made an excellent kick for touch that gave Ottawa possession near the Gaiters’ try line.
A clash ensued, with the Bishops fighting hard to stop the advance. Both sides were awarded several scrums, and though the Gee-Gee’s were only a couple of meters from the try-line, they could not convert before the half came to a close with a score of 6-5 for the Gaiters.
Second Half
The Gee-Gees came out of the half with a vengeance, quickly controlling possession and pushing the ball into the Gaiter zone. First-year scrum-half Nate Phillips made a huge play, tackling a Gaiter out of bounds to secure a lineout for the Gee-Gees near the Bishops’ try line.
Moments after securing possession, fourth-year flanker Ryan Plunkett surged through the Gaiter line and made a highlight play, diving across the try line to give the Gee-Gees their second try of the match. Phillips was spot on, scoring his first conversion of the game to grow the lead to 12-6.
The Gee-Gees were relentless, dominating possession, and pressing Bishops into their own half. The Gaiters could not gather any momentum, with Ottawa forcing turnover after turnover, not allowing them any time to compose themselves.
Later on in the half, with the pressure piling up on the Gaiters, Holohan contributed once again, grabbing the ball from second-year lock Ben Davis and squeezing through the Gaiter line for another Gee-Gee try. Phillips nailed the conversion once again, making it a 19-6 game for Ottawa.
The Gaiters finally showed signs of life, pressing the Gee-Gees back into their own zone. Ottawa made an incredible stand on defence, with first-year #8 Patrick Maka stopping the Gaiters with several clutch tackles. Unfortunately, Bishop’s finally managed to squeak through the line and score a try as the game clock wound down.
With the score at 19-13, the Gee-Gees looked to put the game out of reach in the final minutes. They found their fourth and final try of the game when first-year prop Josh Billo pushed through the Gaiter line after a long scuffle in Bishop territory.
In the final moments of the game the packed crowd cheered on Phillips as he converted for the third time, giving the Gee-Gees a dominant 26-13 finish.
Looking Ahead
The Gee-Gees will host winless Carleton next Saturday, looking to continue their streak of dominance against the Ravens. The Gee-Gees have beaten Carleton by 36, 31, and 40 points in their last three meetings and will look for a similar result on Saturday. Good luck Gee-Gees!
