In addition to the win, Laval University Rouge et Or needs to gain an 18-point lead to have any hope of hosting the Dunsmore Cup at home on November 11th. From what perspective do the reigning Vanier Cup champions approach this second leg against the Carabins of the University of Montreal, which will be played in the metropolis on Saturday?
In the first duel between the two teams on September 17th at PEPS, the Carabins took advantage of seven turnovers to secure a 31:14 victory. The Rouge et Or must therefore win by 18 points in the final game of the regular calendar and defeat the University of Sherbrooke’s Vert & Or to play the ultimate RSEQ home game.
“We dug ourselves a hole in the first game,” admitted head coach Glen Constantin. We have to score in three series to close the gap. We are therefore aiming for victory without taking into account the points deficit. The most important thing is to play good football and perform at our level.”
Constantin has no plans to throw the dice in the air at the start of the game. “We won’t jeopardize the game by making moves that are too risky,” he explained. It would be crazy to try long plays only to find ourselves in situations that we couldn’t finish. That would put our defense in a bad position.”
Kevin Mital sees things from the same perspective. “It’s possible to win the game by 18 points, but it’s not necessary,” said the slotback, who took over last Sunday against the Concordia Stingers after suffering an ankle injury. If we have to win the Dunsmore Cup in Montreal, we will try.”
Similar bell sound
In the blues camp the message is the same. “Our victory with a 17-point lead changes absolutely nothing and the game on Saturday starts with a score of 0-0,” explained head coach Marco Iadeluca. We want to win and play well. The point difference is something you think about at the end of the game.”
“Nobody talks about the 17-point deficit in the locker room,” added star linebacker Nicky Farinaccio. It doesn’t change our approach. All we think about is going for victory. Even though our coaches tell us to take it one game at a time, we all think about the perfect season. We all want to have a perfect season.”
Despite the win at the start of the season, Iadeluca believes his charges can do much more, especially on offense where they only scored one touchdown. “I’m not happy with our first half,” he said. Laval had a good plan to stop us and we made adjustments in the second half.”
The Rouge et Or offense has been up and down since the start of the season and is often slow to get going. “We moved the ball well at times in the first game, but we made some costly mistakes. “We have to present a more balanced offense, start the game strongly and reduce mistakes,” explained Constantin.
Still, Iadeluca is cautious about the Laval offensive. “Like us, Laval had ups and downs offensively, but in Kevin Mital they rely on an elite receiver who we have to offer different coverages, a very good quarterback.” [Arnaud Desjardins] and a good group of running backs. And no one in Canada has to envy their offensive line. The departure of the veterans [Nicolas Guay et Nicolas Thibodeau] requires a period of adjustment.”