Jones's 'boring' play ends in wins

Wheat and chaff begin to separate at Scott tournament

Adam daifallah

National Post

Tuesday, February 24, 2004

We're getting to the point in the week at the Scott Tournament of Hearts where a little daylight is starting to show between the 12 teams in Red Deer, Alta.

It is becoming clear which teams have no chance at making the playoffs and which ones have a decent shot at winning the title. And as with almost every other year, it is the same provinces near the top, and the same ones near the bottom.

Colleen Jones, despite a loss yesterday morning to Nova Scotia's Heather Smith-Dacey, is looking rock-solid on the ice and brimming with confidence. And for the first time in a while, she seems to be have changed her strategy to a more aggressive style of play -- more guards, more draws, fewer takeouts.

It is hard to think of a skip who has attended as many Scotts as Jones -- this year is her jaw-dropping 18th appearance -- and can still be improving strategy and execution. Jones is, and she hasn't lost her hunger for winning, either. She claims her Halifax team with vice Kim Kelly, second Mary-Anne Arsenault and lead Nancy Delahunt still loves competing, and craves a fourth straight national title.

Jones has long earned the ire of curling observers for her perceived ultra-defensive style of play. It is the main reason she has developed the reputation of being curling's version of Rodney Dangerfield.

She is always underestimated, and always overachieves.

In the past, Jones appeared to bide her time, waiting for the other team to make a mistake. She would often start ends by drawing the first stone into the rings, leading to a bland end of back-and-forth takeouts.

It was a bore to watch, and some observed that Jones' preference for the hit game is what had caused her so much trouble at the world level, where the four rock rule -- now used in Canadian curling play -- has been in place for years. Jones is a dismal one-for-five in world championship play.

Still, while the experts might bellyache, her strategy has worked well for her and she has always been comfortable with it.

Her quest for a sixth Scott, however, is going to be her toughest yet, as Smith-Dacey proved yesterday.

The newly-assembled Nova Scotia team, with Smith-Dacey skipping and former Canadian junior champion Meredith Doyle throwing last rocks, was 4-1 and in first place before last night's draw. Jones' Halifax-based rink was in a group of four at 3-1.

(Perhaps it is just coincidence, but Nova Scotia is producing some darn good woman curlers these days. In addition to Jones and Smith-Dacey, Bluenoser Jill Mouzar skipped her rink to the Canadian junior girls championship a week and a half ago.)

Aside from the rinks of Jones and Smith-Dacey, there are three other teams capable of playing in the Scott final this weekend. Saskatchewan's entry, skipped by veteran Sherry Anderson, was a pre-event favourite because it has been a bridesmaid at the Scott and elsewhere so often in the past, including at the trials for the 2002 Winter Olympics. Anderson started 0-2 but has won three straight games since.

Ontario's Sherri Middaugh is never to be counted out because of her aggressive style and the experience of her team. And after a disastrous showing in the final of the Continental Cup last November, where she won zero out of 60 available points, Middaugh wants to prove herself and finally win a national title.

The other team to watch is Alberta's Shannon Kleibrink. While Jones beat her handily in their round-robin game Sunday night, Kleibrink was off her game and will be looking to avenge that setback.

The Tournament of Hearts is still Jones' to lose, but she is going to have to work mighty hard for it.