RECAP: Armstrong, Roy shine, men’s rugby opens season victory against Carabins

Jamie Armstrong needed all of three minutes to open the scoring, as the Gee-Gees never trailed in a 34-20 season opening victory against the Montreal Carabins Saturday afternoon at Matt Anthony Field.

Armstrong was one of four different Gee-Gees to find paydirt, while Glenn Roy flirted with a Gee-Gees single-game record to earn their team a key bonus point as they scored four tries or more.

"It was tough having the first week off with a bye, but we need to be better," said Gee-Gees head coach Andrew Armstrong. "U de M always play us really tough. We're happy – it's a five-point win that we need." 

The younger Armstrong, who was selected as the team's captain during training camp, fielded the ball in front of his own bench, put the foot down, and galloped 65 yards for a thrilling try. The 2021 conference MVP is the program's all-time leader in points in RSEQ competition, now with 93 in his career.

Ottawa was pushed by the Carabins, who haven't made the postseason since 2019. The visitors responded with a try of their own and a penalty before the break. Connor Williams powered across the try line to help the Gee-Gees to a 14-10 lead at the half. 

The Gee-Gees came out firing in the second half to the tune of 17 unanswered points. The points came predominantly off the bench, with Andreas Dionisopoulos and Mateo Crapigna scoring tries, punctuated by a trio of Glenn Roy penalties.

"One of our strengths is our depth," said Armstrong. "Guys who came off the bench were difference makers and actually changed the complexion of the game. Good on them."

Roy was perfect on his converts on the day, including one from a very tight angle on the game's opening try. His 17 points are the second-most in a single game in the history of the program. Elias Hancock holds the record, having scored 20 points (four tries) in the season opener against Sherbrooke in 2021.

The bonus point was crucial for Ottawa – keen observers will recall the Gee-Gees failed to pick up the bonus point in their season opening win against Montreal in 2022. Moreover, Ottawa and McGill finished level on points at the end of that season, but the Redbirds had six bonus points compared to Ottawa's five, giving them the right to host the conference championship game they ultimately won in front of a boisterous crowd at Percival-Molson Memorial Stadium. 

The Gee-Gees won't have much time to celebrate their win, as they'll have to get set for a conference final rematch. McGill will be at Matt Anthony Field on Sunday, Sept. 24. The Redbirds (1-1) lost by a 20-3 score this weekend to ETS (2-0), which says more about the upstart Piranhas than it does about the 16-time conference champs. 

Kickoff for the McGill game is slated for 7:00 p.m. and tickets are on sale at tickets.geegees.ca. 

Montreal (0-2) are on a bye next week and visit McGill on Friday, Sept. 29.