RECAP: Men’s rugby loses playoff matchup with Stingers

Despite a strong start, the University of Ottawa men's rugby team fell to the Concordia Stingers 32-21 in the playoff semifinal Saturday afternoon at Concordia Stadium in Montreal.

Theo Espagnol and Duncan Hladik scored the tries for the Gee-Gees.

Ottawa got off to a flying start, with Espagnol and Hladik finding the try zone within the first quarter of an hour. The Gee-Gees dominated the opening stages of the match, with the powerful Stingers offence managing just a penalty.

However, the three-time defending champions came into their own in the latter stages of the first half, scoring two unanswered tries to give themselves a 22-14 halftime lead.

Espagnol got the Gee-Gees humming again with a try early in the second 40, and the score remained 25-21 in Concordia's favour until the 70th minute. 

In the dying stages of the game, Concordia took over and pulled away with two more tries.

Starting scrum half Kieran Blair missed the game with an injury. Sullivan Murphy played the majority of the match at scrum half, with veteran James Shaw taking over for the final minutes.

The loss brings the Gee-Gees men's rugby season to an end. Several players appeared in their final career match in Garnet and Grey, including captain James Flemming, Sam Mace, Elias Hancock and James Shaw.

Concordia advances to the RSEQ Final to face McGill or Bishop's.