Late try from Lebo lifts Rugby Sevens to a 1-1 day
By: Nina Kersnik
Humber Athletics Communications
BRAMPTON – Humber rugby sevens (7-2, 2nd OCAA) split day one of the tournament on Saturday at Brampton Rugby Club. Rookie standout Aniya Blackman-Moncrieffe has now tallied 21 points through nine matches this season.
Match One: Durham 20, Humber 0
In their first home fixture of the season, the Hawks were outmatched by a powerful Durham Lords side for the second time this year. The top two teams in the conference met again, with Durham entering unbeaten at 7-0 following a win over Humber on Sept. 21.
Right from kickoff, Durham asserted their dominance with hard carries and crunching tackles, pinning Humber deep inside their own half. But a key cover tackle from third-year winger Meghan Aucoin — who leads the Hawks with eight tries and eight conversions this season — momentarily halted the Lords' advance.
Durham maintained pressure throughout multiple phases, recycling the ball efficiently at the breakdown. Eventually, the Lords spread it wide to find space on the wing, grounding their first try just over the line to take a 5-0 lead midway through the fifth minute.
Following a restart from halfway, Humber earned a lineout throw, but a loose ball in the ensuing ruck handed possession right back to Durham. Exploiting the overlap, the Lords' backline executed a smooth offload sequence down the sideline to notch their second try. Humber trailed 10-0 at the half.
In the second stanza, Humber looked to regroup, stringing together better phase play and defensive shape. However, Durham's relentless attack continued, breaking through with a third try after drawing defenders off a dummy run. With their defensive line stretched thin, Humber struggled to realign, and Durham capitalized again, crashing over for a fourth and final try.
Despite spirited defensive stands, the final whistle confirmed a 20-0 defeat for the Hawks against the OCAA's top side, who extend their OCAA win streak to 20 consecutive matches.
Game Two: Humber 17, Loyalist 14
Determined to bounce back, the Hawks showed more urgency in their second match of the day. Early ruck control and quick ball distribution helped Humber push play deep into Loyalist territory, though the Lancers struck first.
A decisive line break through the middle saw the Loyalist runner evade two tackles to touch down for the opening try. Forward Faith Ayres converted to make it 7-0.
Moments later, after a restart, Loyalist worked through several crisp passes, spreading the field before a speedy winger broke down the left flank to score again. Another successful conversion put the Lancers up 14-0 at the break.
Into the second half, Humber found their rhythm. A well-placed grubber kick down the touchline set up an attacking lineout deep in Lancer territory. From there, a slick inside pass from Meghan Aucoin sprung Aniya Blackman-Moncrieffe, who burst through a gap for Humber's first try.
Building on that momentum, Humber gained possession off a strong scrum engagement, working multiple phases before Alison Jordan-Smiley cut inside the defensive line to score under the posts. Aucoin added the conversion, putting the Hawks down by two with four minutes remaining.
As time wound down, Loyalist tried to regain control, but a key turnover at the breakdown from flank Mara De Melo swung momentum Humber's way. In the dying moments, the Hawks maintained composure, and a beautiful offload from Tiannah Baptiste helped first-year Leah Lebo find space out wide to dive over the line for the match-winning try.
The Hawks completed the comeback to defeat Loyalist 17-14.
Humber Highlights
- Meghan Aucoin places second in the OCAA with 58 points so far this season.
- First-year winger Aniya Blackman-Moncrieffe has 21 points in her first season as a Hawk.
What's Next?
Humber will face the St. Lawrence Surge (0-9, 8th OCAA) and Algonquin Wolves (3-5, 6th OCAA) at home on Oct. 5. The games start at 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. You can watch all the action streamed live on Hawks Sports Network.
