Brown Holds On Against Queens in Tense NCR D1 Final

12.14.2024

A dominant scrum, some tenacious defense, and smart game management saw Brown edge Queens 23-20 Saturday night to win NCR's D1 championship.

This is Brown's 2nd title in three years, and Queens will have to settle for two runner-up finishes in the same period.

Brown got an early lead from a long-range Raphael Lansonneur penalty, but that lead was short-lived. Queens equalized a few minutes later through scrumhalf Hilton Olivier. Brown wouldn't lead again for abour 50 minutes.

But Queens took some measure of control in the first half with a perfectly-weighted kick into in-goal that bounced over Lansonneur's head and was nabbed by wing Juan Boyd. A deserving try for Queens and Boyd would continue to be the Royals' most dangerous attacker. Olivier converted to make it 10-3.

Brown responded and worked their way down to the Queens tryling. After a long stand by the Royals, Brown was held up. Still they kept the pressure going and finally settled for a Lansonneur penalty.

Queens scored their second try off some good play out wide and a Boyd chip down the field rolled into in-goal. The chase was on and the ball bounced around just out of outstretched Brown U. hands. Somehow center Gideon Wessels won the race and snaked his hand further than those of Kaspar Pitbaldo to score. It was a brilliant try but we didn't see this attempt to beat the Brown defense again. Olivier's conversion attempt was wide, but still Queens led 15-6.

Lansonneur attempted another penalty, but that one sproinged off the post. Queens survived a long period backed up to their own goalline, but it cost them a yellow card. Still they held on into halftime up 15-6.

Momentum, however, seemed to be on Brown's side.

Lansonneur slotted a penalty early, but Queens answered. Boyd field a clearance kick and raced down the sideline before popping a nicely-timed pass inside to Olivier, who was in at the corner.

Up 20-9 Queens had a two-score lead. But the makings of trouble were their. They were getting shoved back in the scrum quite badly and when the penalties start coming in the scrum there's not a lot you can do. The succession of scrum penalties finally led to Brown being able to work in close and a quick-tap produced a try for Leo Clayburgh. Lansonneur slotted the conversion nicely, and it was 20-16 with about 20 minutes to go.

Brown continued to control possession and Queens got into serious penalty trouble. Penalized for a collapsed maul, they were then guilty of a series of scrum penalties before another collapsed maul resulted in a penalty try and a yellow card.

All of this took a long time, and was energy-sapping for Queens. Now they were behind 23-20 and were the team worried about the comeback.

Much of the final 10 minutes or so was Queens trying to solve the Brown defense, and Brown getting into the face of Queens attackers. Brown was fortunate, they were scolded for slowing the ball down but only pinged for a penalty a couple of times. A deliberate knock-on resulted in a penalty, but not a card—there were several 50-50 plays like that. Brown were yellow-carded late for a high tackle. Meanwhile, Queens got down to the Brown line on three occasions. Mistakes, and a double-movement penalty killed their chances. They opted to pass up kicking for goal, although none of those penalties were in sympathetic spots.

Brown, even shorthanded, defended like animals. They did a superb job in making their first-up tackles and their tackler-assists forced Queens to put resources into every ruck.

It was tense, close, difficult to judge, and, ultimately, when they held up a Queens runner to force a scrum, the night was Brown's.

The win caps an undefeated season for Brown in which this game was undoubtedly their closest match, as a final should be. For Queens, patience and brutality near paydirt was lacking at key moments.

Brown 23
Tries: Clayburgh, Penalty Try
Convs: Lansonneur, Penalty Try
Pens: Lansonneur 3

Queens 20
Tries: Olivier, Wessels, Boyd
Convs: Olivier
Pens: Olivier