Week 3: Blacks and SRC maintain bids for finals

Match Reports by Emily Ortega

The third round of the Guinness Singapore Women’s Rugby XV's 2009 was held on Saturday, with all four teams travelling to Republic Polytechnic for their last match of the group stage.

Blacks v RSC 32 - 5

The first match of the evening saw defending champions Blacks RFC take on the gutsy girls of Royal Selangor Club (RSC), who made their second trip to Singapore from Bukit Kiara, Malaysia. Blacks RFC's Fly Half Eunice Tay opened the scoring with the first try of the match, breaking through the RSC defense off a quick penalty. The score stayed at 5-0 with the unsuccessful conversion.

After a few phases of hard work by the Blacks forwards, they were rewarded with the second try of the match in the 28th minute through Prop Nur Azurah Binte Mohamed Khalid. Again, the conversion was off target and the score was 10-0 to Blacks.Just before half-time, Blacks' Flanker Priscilla Abelina Humphries scored the third try but the unsuccessful conversion meant the score at half-time was 15-0 to the defending champions.

In the 6th minute of the second half, Blacks' Out-Center Tabitha Fong finished off her lovely determined run from halfway with a try between the posts. This time, the conversion was good and the score was 22-0. RSC never lost faith and defended well even though the score line was not in their favour. They were eventually rewarded for their hard work when RSC's fullback Normasyirah Zahari broke through the Blacks defense to score their first try of the match, much to the delight of her team mates. Unfortunately, the conversion was unsuccessful and the score was 22-5.

Blacks added on to the score sheet when Centre Chan Jia Yu scored the fifth try off a backline move and replacement Hooker, Wang Shao-Ing, made a triumphant return after an injury with the last try of the match. Both tries were unsuccessful and the final score was 32-5 to Blacks.

SRC v Bucks 50 -0

In the second match, the girls from Singapore Recreation Club (SRC) played against a relatively new Bucks team.

SRC's Fullback Nadiah Ahmad scored the first two tries within 10 minutes of the match. The first conversion was successfully guided between the posts by Flanker Karen Yeoh, but the second conversion was no good, bringing the score to 12-0.

Lock Sophie Ngin Gollifer , with her very visible pink scrum cap, added the third try for SRC. Karen Yeoh’s conversion was spot on, taking the score to 19-0.

In the last few minutes of the first half, SRC's Hooker Tan Sze Yin brought the score to 24-0, which stayed as the half-time score after the unsuccessful conversion. SRC kept the pressure on right from the start of the second half and in the fourth minute, Sophie Ngin Gollifer scored her second try of the match. Karen Yeoh duly converted the try and the score was 31-0.

Bucks were down to 14 players when Centre Siti Nurazyan was shown the yellow card for a high tackle on SRC’s Scrum Half, Agnes Loh. Even though Bucks had fewer players on the field, they put on a gallant show of dogged defending with some crunching tackles, and never looked like they were outnumbered.

SRC's Centre Angelina Liu found a gap and broke through the determined Bucks defense to score SRC's sixth try of the match. The score stayed at 36-0 with the missed conversion, but shortly after, Fly Half Chan Bi Qing received an inside pass from Karen Yeoh and finished off the lovely move with a try. Provider, Karen Yeoh, successfully converted the try and then went on to score and convert her own try in the 26th minute of the second half.

Bucks fought hard and were almost rewarded for their persistence when Fly Half Haseena Allapitchay made a mazy run through the SRC defense. With no support from her team mates, the move was eventually halted by SRC and the final score stayed at 50-0 to SRC.

With the completion of the group matches, Blacks RFC tops the table with three wins in the bag. SRC is in second place, followed by Malaysian team RSC and then Bucks. Next Saturday, the semi-finals will see Blacks taking on Bucks at Yio Chu Kang Stadium, while SRC will travel up to Malaysia to face hosts RSC.

Related Links:

Swalk Album - Blacks v RSC

Rugby in Asia : Round 3 goes with form book

Columns: Quickfire with Olovsson