VICTORIA, B.C. - Revenge is served up best at the site of the original slight.

The Vancouver-based Meraloma rugby club returned to the same field they lost the BC Rugby Union's Rounsefell Cup final last spring and won convincingly, defeating the University of Victoria Vikes men's rugby team 38-25 at Wallace Field.

The Vikes have now dropped three straight BCRU Premier Division games.

“We're not playing very well,” Vikes coach DougTate said. “It's concerning. We're going to have to win our last two games to even be considered for playoffs.”

The teams were tied at 18 at intermission, before Meraloma dominated the second half, usually the domain of the younger and fitter university side. Meraloma scored three second-half tries and a penalty goal en route to victory.

“We thought we dominated the first half but they got all the points,” Tate said. “So, 18-18 at half-time, I knew it was going to be tough for that win so... you take away those unforced errors and a couple of penalties, we could have been up 18-3, then you've got a better chance.”

Meraloma loose-head prop Joe Scale scored early in the second half to put the visitors up, 23-18, before UVic lock Toni Wodzicki touched the ball down between the posts on a try that Ben Thomson converted.
The Vikes led 25-23 with just 12 minutes gone into the second half, but that was the last advantage UVic enjoyed.

A grinding maul near the UVic goal line allowed Meraloma flanker-open Greg Georgas to cross between the posts; right wing Mike Hall converted, putting Meraloma ahead 30-25.

The Vikes were whistled for a penalty inside their 22-metre line and Hall converted, giving Meraloma a 33-25 advantage.

At that point, UVic tight head prop Andrew Tiedemann was sent off for 10 minutes, forcing Tate to juggle three players in the Vikes lineup to compensate.

That allowed Meraloma to control play before prop John McKenzie dove over and touched the ball down against the goal line marker, ending scoring.

“Giving up 38 points…we had lots of good passing plays and lots of good opportunities but we just made too many unforced errors,” Tate said.

#Willem duPlessis# scored the game's first try just five minutes into play, taking a nifty backhand pass from a rambling Tiedemann, who broke up the gut from 25 metres out, then put a 'Lomas defender on the business end of a straight arm for 10 metres before flipping to du Plessis, who crossed unscathed.

#Bryn Keys# scored off a lineout on the near side of the field that the Vikes backs then spun all the way across the pitch, shaking Keys free. #Ben Thomson added a penalty goal from between the posts. A brilliant run by rookie inside centre #Michael Fuailefeau# set up duPlessis for his second try of the first half.

DuPlessis led UVic with 10 points off two tries while Thomson added a convert and penalty goal for five points.

The Vikes host Bayside at 2:45 p.m. next Saturday at Wallace Field in a match Tate considers must-win. It will also be a contest where the Vikes national sevens backs will be back in action, including goal kicker and tactical kicker #Nathan Hirayama#, #Sean Duke# and national sevens captain #Phil Mack#.

“They're back on Monday,” Tate said. “We'll see how they play next weekend."