Jacobs’ Bold Call Falls Just Short as Canada Drops Thriller to Scotland
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By Noan Gagnon
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Summary:
- Brad Jacobs opted for strategy over statistics during Monday’s battle against Scotland’s Bruce Mouat.
- The Canadian’s final-runback triple was inches away from scoring three but resulted in a deuce.
- Bruce Mouat sealed a 6-5 victory in the extra end, improving Scotland to 4-0; Canada fell to 3-1.
The BKT World Men’s Curling Championship saw Brad Jacobs rely on instinct rather than statistics in Monday’s clash with Scotland’s Bruce Mouat.
The Canadian’s decision came extremely close to bringing him a victory. However, Mouat’s precise hit in the extra end brought him his victory.
Instinct Over Numbers
Instead of trying to steal in the 10th end, the Canadian decided to take a chance and concede a point in the ninth, making sure that he had the hammer while trailing by two.
RUN TRIPLE!!!!!!!
— Curling Canada (@CurlingCanada) March 31, 2025
WHAT. A. SHOT.
Skipper comes in clutch for @TeamBradJacobs to force the extra end against Scotland!#WMCC2025 pic.twitter.com/MQYv9JK5iN
His controversial decision almost paid off, as his runback triple was seen just inches away from securing three points and a win.
However, a Canadian stone rolled out, leaving the team with a deuce. Mouat wasted no time in the extra end, producing a hit that brought Scotland a 6-5 win.
“We had that opportunity and man, if we hit that a little thicker or a little thinner, we get three” said Canada’s vice, Marc Kennedy, who added the crowd at Temple Gardens Centre “would have loved” the “entertaining finish“
Despite the end result, the near-sellout audience erupted in a standing ovation, acknowledging Jacobs, Kennedy, Brett Gallant, and Ben Hebert for their resilience.
Jacobs: “I Don’t Think You Could Get Any Closer”
I don’t think you could get any closer, probably there to stick that shooter back for three and get all three of theirs going.
The win helped Scotland improve to 4-0, while Canada suffered its first loss of the tournament, dropping to 3-1.
Scotland’s consistent runbacks kept the pressure high, particularly in the second end, when Jacobs attempted a thin double-takeout that left Mouat with an easy draw for three.
Canada responded in the third, as Jacobs executed a double takeout that forced Mouat into an unsuccessful double attempt of his own.
That allowed Jacobs to secure two points. The scoreboard remained static for several ends, as four consecutive blanks led to an eighth, where both skips opted to throw away their final stones, giving Scotland a single point.
In the ninth, Mouat made a well-placed tap to sit three, forcing Jacobs into a tough decision. Rather than drawing for a single, he conceded the point with a double takeout, setting up his final-end strategy.
Up next, Canada will have a critical showdown against defending champion Sweden and a matchup with Italy on Tuesday.
The top six teams from the 13-nation field will move forward to the weekend playoffs, where the battle for gold will truly intensify.
Will Brad Jacob’s and Team Canada make it to the playoffs? Can they win the BKT World Men’s Curling Championship? Get all the latest odds ahead of the action on selected Canadian sportsbooks.
