The Tigers were playing without star player Ben Simpson who was injured by a kick to the chest in the IRFU Playoff against the Ottawa Rough Riders two weeks earlier.[4][5] Despite his absence, the Tigers started strong and led by a score of 19 to 4 in the second quarter.[5] However, Varsity scored a converted try to end the half, had a strong showing in the second half, and trimmed the lead to two, scoring 13 straight points.[5] The comeback attempt fell short as Hamilton had two rouges to end the game and the final score was 21–17.[4][5]