Tad Muendesi Shines as Grizzlies Defeat Durham to Reach Semis

Oshawa, ON -- In a thrilling OCAA Men's Rugby quarterfinal matchup, the Georgian Grizzlies delivered an impressive performance to defeat the Durham Lords 31-20, securing a spot in the semifinals at Humber on Saturday, November 2 at 1 p.m.

The game kicked off with high energy as Parker England (Barrie, ON) put the Grizzlies on the scoreboard just two minutes in, seizing a 5-0 lead. Durham responded with a penalty kick at the 10-minute mark, tightening the score to 5-3. Georgian regained control in the 20th minute, with Andrew Brown (Bolton, ON) powering through for a try, which Ethan Phillips (Minesing, ON) converted to extend the lead to 12-3.

The Lords struck back three minutes later with a try, bringing the game to 12-10. But Georgian's Tad Muendesi (Zimbabwe) dominated the field, adding two consecutive tries in the 32nd and 40th minutes, with Phillips converting the latter for a 24-10 halftime lead.

Durham showed resilience in the second half, narrowing the gap with two tries in the 52nd and 61st minutes, putting the score at a tight 24-20. Yet, the Grizzlies' defense held firm, and Muendesi sealed the win with a final try in the 78th minute, converted once more by Phillips, setting the final score at 31-20.

With this quarterfinal victory, the Grizzlies advance confidently to face Humber, eyeing a spot in the OCAA Men's Rugby Championship.