A truly magnificent afternoon for the SCC Tankards ended with their debut Premiership victory, a fine committed 32-20 effort against a good Bedok Kings side who fought right to the end. Meanwhile, the SCC Cougars went down 22-17 to Oldham on the Padang whilst at Dempsey, the SCC Lions were pipped 12-11 against Blacks 2’s and the Growlers continued their thick vein of form with a very lucky win against Wanderers 3s.
The Growlers kicked off first at 1pm giving them barely enough time for lunch, against a Wanderers 3rd team with more ring-ins than a Prince called Albert. The Growlers were straight out of the blocks early doors with fly-half Hayden Matthews making a superb line-break and scoring in the corner, though appearing to injure himself rather badly in the process. The Growlers continued to dominate the first half but had only a David Griffiths penalty to show for it and at half-time it was 8-0. In the second half the younger Wanderers side started to play and the Growlers started to wilt and despite a couple of penalty attempts that a blind man on a galloping horse could have kicked, the Growlers were struggling to keep their lead. Wanderers hit back with a try and then a little piece of magic by full back Nick Francis enabled him to score in the corner to take the Growlers up 13-5. The last 20 minutes was all Wanderers and how they contrived to lose this game is anybody’s guess. After pulling back another try it looked like the Growlers were finished but much to the relief of the tired, old nags, Wanderers dropped the ball over the line, forewent numerous kickable penalties and just couldn’t score. The usual suspects excelled for the Growlers in particular Daryl Harding and Alex Welch and there was an amusing short cameo from temperamental backrower Marc Leavremont. So the Growlers get out of jail and live to play another day.
Next up was the SCC Lions against a very competitive Blacks 2nd XV. The Lions started well with some excellent tactical kicking from fly-half Valmiki and some good linebreaks from big forwards, Gareth James, Matt Love and Ben Edwards. Outside centre Elroy was the pick of the backline with some excellent defence and some impressive counterattacking. Valmiki kicked the Lions into a 6-0 lead and on the stroke of half-time, veteran Luke Fehnert scuttled over to score in the corner, twisting and turning his ageing frame to touch down. An 11-0 margin at half time was a decent lead but probably should have been a lot more.
The match turned out to be a game of two halves with Blacks pretty much dominating the second period, being more committed at the breakdown and counterattacking at every opportunity. They quickly scored and despite the fresh legs of Scott Foster and Mike Farrow for the last 20 minutes, the Lions really couldn’t get back into it. With 10 to play Blacks scored again, and despite two long range penalty attempts in the last few minutes, the final whistle blew and the Lions had been edged 12-11. A losing bonus point but a game that really should have been won by half time was lost. The Lions will need to pick themselves up, dust themselves down and get back on the paddock with confidence and commitment.
Meanwhile on the Padang, the SCC Cougars suffered a bit of a shock defeat going down 22-17 to a fitter, younger and well drilled Oldham team in the balmy 2pm heat. Whilst on paper, the Cougars should be running away with the Championship, a few things are letting them down – including match fitness, a lack of training and discipline on the paddock. An early yellow card enabled Oldham to outnumber the Cougars for the first try of the match. Stemming the tide was some enthusiastic tackling from back-rower Jake Stein and eventually some good phase play out wide saw Greedy Ken Loughnan go over the line to close the gap. While the Cougars had the upper hand in the scrums, they were let down by slow and ineffective cleanouts that resulted in lost possession and turnover ball. A good set of reserves gave the Cougars a second wind in the second half, and the gap was closed to only 2 points. At 19-17, a missed penalty goal would have taken the Cougars into the lead but Oldham scored one themselves to win the match. A disappointing defeat with the absence of match fitness and lack of cohesion after the holidays to blame and veteran skipper Jon Reeve will be sure to rectify these critical issues.
The SCC Tankards finally won their first game in the Premiership after making huge progress throughout the season. The players showed enormous passion and desire to withstand a second half fightback from Bedok Kings, but finally secured a 32-20 win with Mandeep Tahim's injury time try. Oli Rey kicked the Tankards to a 9-0 lead after some excellent attacking play that was only thwarted by Bedok's desperate defence. It was then the turn of the Premiership newcomers to defend their own line for long periods before Bedok scored a well deserved converted try from close range. Sam Sharpe was inspirational in the tight play throughout the game so it was no surprise when he burrowed over from 5 metres, rounding off another sweeping attack involving all the Tankards players. Oli Rey made it 17-7 at half time with his 4th successful penalty.
Throughout the game Fergus Murray, at scrum-half, kept his forwards on the front foot with some great tactical kicking. This set up the Tankards second try early in the second half when the outstanding Gabriel Lee twisted through several Bedok defenders to crash over. Oli Rey converted. The next 30 minutes revealed the amazing character that the Tankards have developed this season as Bedok refused to accept defeat. Two unconverted tries and a penalty for Bedok put enormous pressure on a tiring Tankards side that could only respond with an Oli Rey penalty to keep their noses in front at 27-20. The front row of Chris Cotterell, Javin Singh and Mandeep Tahim led from the front by dominating the set pieces for the entire game, so it was only fitting that Mandeep should have the final say on behalf of the front row union. A fantastic result and a credit to coaches Matt Singer and Damian Pereira who have put in a tremendous amount of work in getting the Tankards to Premiership level, to which the players have responded brilliantly. A landmark victory for the Black and Gold.
1/11/2012
Three out of four for the SCC
Three of out of four wins for the SCC last weekend with good victories for the 1st XV, Lions and Growlers but the Tankards went down 13-12 in an agonizing defeat, knocking the ball on over the line with the last play of the game.
At a remarkably decent looking Dempsey Field, the SCC Lions started well against Wanderers 4ths with the boys firing on all cylinders and hitting hard up against a heavier pack and coming up tops. This seemed to rattle the Wanderers and after 5 mins, fly-half Valmiki Nair slotted a penalty. More Lions pressure through the forwards hitting it up, with big man Matt Nortcliff leading the way created opportunities for the back line who scored two good tries through Valmiki and Arjun. Mid way thru the half, the boys started to take their foot off the pedal and allowed Wanderers to pull back 2 soft tries, though a score before the whistle through Elroy Tan brought in another try and kept the Lions ahead at half time with the score at 20-12.
In the second half, the Lions were put under a lot of pressure but never buckled. Wanderers were able to camp on our line for some 10 phases but were denied their try and Lions countered bringing in another try from wing Arjun and another from Valmiki. With a final score of 32 - 17, the Lions are still right in the chase for the Conference title.
The Tankards were up against Wanderers in the first Premiership fixture of the day on a breezy, beautiful afternoon on the Padang. Perfect weather after months of rain. They started well having the best of the opening exchanges, the forwards putting some good work in, and the back line looking good though without really threatening the try line. Oli Rey made a good debut and kicked the Tankards into a 9-0 lead with three penalties and though Wanderers hit back with a try, the halftime score remained 9-7 to the SCC.
The second half continued much the same with both sides not creating many try scoring opportunities and though Oli Rey pushed the Tankards further ahead, Wanderers stayed in touch with a penalty of their own and then sneaked into the lead with 15 mins to go with a long range penalty to make it 13-12. The Tankards raised their game and hammered the Wanderers line but resolute defence and the odd mistake prevented what would have been a deserved win for the SCC. In the final minute, a lovely move saw Sam Flint break through the defence and he scampered 20m towards the line, a last-ditch tackle brought him down and as he reached over to score, the ball bounced away and the chance for the game winning try was lost. Desperately unlucky for the Tankards who have showed once again that they can compete well at Premiership level. A victory cannot be far away.
The 1st XV were on the Padang with a 4:30pm kick off against a strong and youthful looking Bedok Kings side. It was clear from the outset that this was going to be a scrappy game with both teams being out of action for almost a month due to the Xmas and New Year break, and with both sides missing a few players. SCC scored first after 5 minutes when skipper Simon Etheredge took the ball down the side of the breakdown and scored from 5 m. The game then degenerated into a series of handling errors, free kicks and penalties where neither side could get any momentum or any real territorial advantage. Some neat work by full back Matt Pardo in his own 22 enabled wing Kevin Loo to cut loose and the big man ran a full 80m, outsprinting the opposition defence to touch down, to take the SCC to a 12-0 lead. Bedok hit straight back with the SCC defence messing about in midfield. A mysterious yellow card for Andy Bourke for a deliberate knock-down on the halfway line whilst surrounded by about 20 other players made it difficult for the SCC to gain any further ascendancy and at half-time the SCC were ahead and in relative control at 14-5.
The second half was much the same with the SCC threatening to dominate but never really getting into their stride, and with the number of infringments being committed, it really was disjointed. The SCC went further ahead with a try from stand-off Tom Burns and when the fresh legs of Preston came on he scored with his first touch to take the SCC out of sight. There was still time for the hardworking Bedok Kings to hit back but another try from Loo closed out the match and another good victory for the unbeaten SCC 1st XV. A good game to get out of the way and to iron out the wrinkles as the season reaches the half-way mark. Final score 29-12.
In the evening match at St. Andrews with a kick off time of 7pm especially scheduled for both Southern and Northern TV audiences, the Conference leading Growlers put in a fine performance that leaves them as serious contenders this season. This was a real make-or-break game against a very useful Blacks side.
The Growlers responded magnificently and though were never behind, were never far in front and Blacks looked dangerous whenever they worked some space. The Growlers sped into a swift 2 try lead with playmaker Hayden scoring both and continued to dominate with both forwards and backs throwing the ball around, sometimes with some very suspect gay abandon.
Blacks grabbed a try from their 22, against the run of play but some sage words at half time saw tightening of play and the Growlers ground on hitting 2 pens (Hayden and Liam) - Blacks scored again with handbags flying all over the place. Injuries caused the backs to bolster the forwards with Ian Douglas joining the excellent Darryl in the pack - the latter then repaired unhurt to the backs.
The forwards scored 2 superb Growler vintage tries with Doog and Cookie going over from driving mauls from lineouts, the latter a last minute affair which clinched the bonus point. Special mention to Shoe, who despite gorging himself on Cornish pasties and Tanglefoot for a month to fortify his inadequate Xmas Turkey, Xmas pudding and mince pie diet, managed to soar in the lineout and dominate possession. Grrr.
A great weekend for the Black and Gold and at the halfway point in the season, things are looking good
12/21/2011
Growlers hit the spot but Tankards and Cougars both go down in the rain
The SCC Tankards gave last years Premier Grand Final winners, Bucks a real scare last weekend before running out of steam, the SCC Cougars suffered a shock loss to Blacks in the Championship, while the Growlers ran out easy winners against the SRC.
In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king and so it was on Saturday when at least half the Growlers line-up were in regal form despite suffering from horrible eye infections. The young guys from the SRC never really stood much chance and the Growlers romped home, racking up 45 points by half time and another four tries in the second half.
When David Griffiths stepped up to kick the final conversion of a record Growlers victory, the headlines writers were willing him to miss, but miss he did not and the ball sailed through the posts to take the Growlers to 71-0 win, and leave the headlines, double entrendres and innuendo for another day,
Despite fielding two flankers with a combined age of 101, the Growlers pack were in command from the outset superbly marshalled by James Daniels at 9 and ran in eleven tries in all including the usual forward efforts from Tomer Serok, Alex Welch and Andy Douglas (2) but also some fine back-line tries in particular from wing Steve Keane who rounded off a great team try, and Shadow Leung who scored a superb individual effort as well as others from Daniels,Tom Wyn-Jones, and The Baron.
By the time the SCC Cougars kicked off, it was lashing it down and there was a fair amount of surface water on the pitch. It wasn't a pretty match. It was almost impossible to keep hold of the ball, especially when going to ground, which meant the game was littered with errors and both sides found it impossible to get any go forward or get the ball through hands. Blacks scored first with a breakaway from the halfway line, their outside backs showing real gas to score a good try. The Cougars eventually piled the pressure on and scored just before half-time with a typical pick and drive from a few metres out. Ed Thwaites kicked the conversion and the Cougars went in 7-5 up at half time.
The second half was much the same though Blacks had the territorial advantage for most of the 40 minutes with the SCC Cougars finding it difficult to get out of their own half. Blacks scored again to take a 10-7 lead and despite finally exerting some pressure in the last ten minutes, the SCC Cougars were unable to turn pressure into points, and the game ended in frustration with Blacks winning 10-7.
In similarly wet conditions, the SCC Tankards took on last years Grand Final winners, Bucks on the Padang. The Tankards started well, getting the best of the initial forward collisions and went ahead after ten minutes when a simple back line move created an overlap and wing Chris Harkins went over in the corner for a well-deserved team try.
It was unfortunate that stand-off Ross Morris suffered a bad knee injury after 20 minutes when his kick was charged down by the Bucks No.8. Though the tackle was only fractionally late and it would be fair to say that he was already committed, the Bucks player was so far offside that was the only way his short little legs could carry his tubby frame over that distance. A real shame which caused major disruption for a while in the defence.
Bucks scored a good try shortly afterwards while the Tankards were still regrouping and for the rest of the half the teams slugged it out in the slippery conditions. The Tankards scrum was strong with Mandeep, Javin and Rishi making a massive front row of fine Indian heritage. The line-out also worked well with Javin's throw spot on and Gabriel Lee leaping like a salmon despite the wet conditions. Once again the Tankards midfield defence was outstanding with Brendan Nolan and Oli Hall to the fore, with absolutely nothing getting through them. Bucks scored again just before half-time when their tourist winger,who was outstanding all game, set up another try in the corner despite the full-back clearly being in touch. 12-5 to Bucks at half time.
With another try shortly after half time giving the Bucks a bit of breathing space the Tankards rejigged the line up and mixed things up a bit. Sean Fox moved to scrum half and Ed Thwaites to 10. It was magnificent to see the Tankards competing well against last years Grand Final winners and were unlucky not to get more points on the board in the second half other than a Mohd Ridzuan penalty. Still, in a line up that included three teenagers in Diego, Sean and Ross it was a fine team effort right to the end, and show the club has great youngsters coming through, all three being composed and looking at home at Premiership level. A last minute try from the Bucks winger in town for the Xmas holidays put a bit of undeserved gloss on the scoreline of 24 -8. But with losses against the best two teams in the Premiership so far, the Tankards have shown that they can compete and if they build on their efforts in the New Year they will cause some real surprises.
So the SCC go into the Xmas break once again poised to take league titles and challenge for Grand Finals on all three front. All that remains is to wish all players, supporters and everyone involved with SCC Rugby Compliments of the Festive Season. Merry Christmas !
12/14/2011
1st XV continue winning ways whilst Growlers hit back
Its always a treat for SCC Rugby to have three teams playing on the Padang and so it was last weekend when there was two emphatic wins for the 1st XV and Growlers though the Lions went down in a unlucky loss.
Despite pre-match advice to avoid the driving maul against a big, powerful Bucks Stags pack, the Growlers quickly settled into their groove and scored from the opening play, after a good driving maul and some powerful forward linebreaks, the Growlers touched down. An almost identical try followed from the restart and the Growlers were 19-0 up after 20 minutes without Bucks never having touched the ball.
With the Growlers continued domination it was 31-0 by halftime. No.8 Aaron Cameron picked up an impressive hat-trick of tries - impressive in that he had to fight off his own team-mates at the back of driving mauls as they endeavoured to get on the score-sheet themselves. Try of the day was from Jeremy The Baron Hebblethwaite whose terrific knife through butter run in the centres had the Bucks defence at sixes and sevens and with the writer running out of metaphors to mix, Hebbs swerved his way through and touched under the posts for a superb try. Hayden Matthews continued to show greater mortals how to kick and ended up with 5 out of 6 conversions including 3 from way out wide. A fine victory for the old-timers that puts the season back on track.
Next up on the Padang were the SCC Lions up against a strong looking Wanderers 3rds. Wanderers started with a vengeance dominating the opening exchanges with a more physical, aggressive approach upfront resulting in 2 tries to give them a 12-0 lead. After the first quarter, the Lions started to settle and dominated the rest of the half, showing much more composure and with Valmiki going well at 10, they were able to utilise their speed out wide. However, knock-ons and the odd silly mistake prevented the Lions hitting back despite pressurising the Wanderers line consistently. In the second half, the Lions looked good and scored a well deserved try through the speed of Timothy Teo before Daryl Tan raced through to score. This set up a great finish where everyone was expecting the dominant Lions to score and win the game. But with 5 mins remaining, a loose pass was intercepted in their own half and the winger raced the full 60m to score and take Wanderers to a 17-7 win and heartbreak for the Lions, who will no doubt be better for the experience. You need to take your chances when you can.
Top of the league the SCC 1st XV continued their winning ways with a commanding victory over Wanderers 1st XV. A terrific SCC performance in the first half meant that Wanderers defended gamely for the full 40 minutes but held out as the odd knock-on and forward pass, and some minor infringements meant that it wasn't until the stroke of half time that stand off Tom Burns burst through the defence before offloading to Suhaimi to touch down under the posts. With Suhaimi converting his own try the halftime whistle went with the SCC just 7-0 ahead much to the amazement of all the crowd.
The second half was much the same, with Burns, Pardo and Hairul in the midfield snuffing out any possibility of Wanderers attacks. The line-out was working like a dream with Warby and Petts in imperious form and with Jon Lee, Etho and McFeely making consistent inroads upfield it was only a matter of time before the SCC went further ahead and Burns bravely hauled his portly frame across the whitewash to keep up his try-per-game record this season.
Totally against the run of play, Wanderers hit back with a breakaway try but then the SCC scored the try of the day, the ball flashing across the whole backlines hands before winger Valu drew his man beautifully to put Kev Loo away down the wing. With still a fair bit to do, Loo got those skinny legs into top gear and touched down in the corner. A wonderful try that was converted superbly by Suhaimi. There was still time for Loo to score another, when the ball was turned over on the 22 and Loo scampered home to put the game beyond doubt. Final score 28-7, and an emphatic win for the 1st XV.
12/7/2011
Plastic imitation never a substitute for the real thing
With the continuing torrential rain that has played havoc with the rugby pitches, only two SCC games survived the downpours, having had their venues changed to the artificial plastic surfaces at Republic Poly and St. Andrews. It wasn't pretty.
Under the blazing midday sun, the hot and sweaty Growlers were put to the sword by Bedok in the Conference. It was hotter than a Brick Lane Vindaloo and despite mandatory water breaks, the Growlers wilted in the intense heat though should have won it in the last five minutes.
Bedok raced into a 10 point lead after as many minutes, as a direct result of having the audacity to field a team with the average age of 24. But the Growlers rumbled back with a penalty try after a 40m rolling maul was pulled down. Matt McManus added the extras but Bedok scored again just before half-time to take a 17-7 lead at the break.
After regrouping and rehydrating, the Growlers came back well, dropped the tempo and started to control the game upfront. The busiest guys on the pitch were the stretcher bearers as the young Bedok pack learned all about 1980's rugby. Another rolling maul from 40m saw the 52 year-old second-rower, Jon Robinson playing in the back-row for the first time in a long, undistinguished and quite unremarkable rugby career, rumble over for a well-deserved try. Game on ! But Bedok hit back again and despite another try from Andy Douglas held out for a 24-19 win after defending their line under tremendous pressure for the last five minutes. Notable Growlers debuts from Alex Welch in the row, David Griffiths in the centres and a knockout performance from Craig Mounsey at No.10.
In contrast, after four hours of persistent tropical rain, the 1st XV kicked off in much cooler temperatures against the much-fancied Bucks on the artificial turf at St. Andrews. The first half was littered with knock-ons, mistakes and scrums though with the SCC dominating the latter, it meant that despite Bucks territorial advantage they could only muster the one penalty in the opening half. In contrast, the SCC were able to counter attack with gay abandon and scored a fine try after John judges broke away and exchanged passes with most of the back line before Kev Loo touched down. A glimmer of sunshine on a grey grey day.
The second half was hardly inspiring in the persistent drizzle but the SCC defended well, throwing everything at the Bucks attack. It was a real team effort and showed great character in keeping Bucks tryless for the whole game. Between them roomies, McFeely and Tom Burns conspired to keep the score as close as possible, the former opting to concede a series of penalties, and the latter missing more kicks at goal than a Jaded Jonny with the wrong ball. Further tries from Burns and Matty Head showed a winning mentality and despite a desperate comedy moment when veteran centre Andy Bourke butchered a 4 on 1 overlap, the SCC held out to win 15-12 and to stay unbeaten at the top of the Premiership.
11/30/2011
New season kicks off with bumper 31 try haul for the SCC
The first full weekend of the Singapore rugby season showed that SCC Rugby continued where it left off last season, with a stunning 31 tries being scored between the five sides. There was also a ground-breaking debut for the SCC Tankards in the Premiership where they went down in a close, combative encounter to the SCC 1st XV on the Padang.
First up was a real battle in the mud at Dempsey where the dirty Growlers were confronted by Bedok 3rds, a side at least half their average age. Nevertheless a huge performance blew the opposition away. Tries from Adam McArdle (2). Andy Douglas (2), Aaron Cameron (2) and one for the backs from Nick Francis set the SCC on their way to a comfortable 37-7 victory in horrendous conditions.
Next up was the SCC Lions who destroyed Padang neighbours SRC 1st XV by a massive 68 points to 7 with Brendon See scoring an impressive hat-trick of tries, and nine other Lions players touching down. A great comeback after their tight defeat the week before against the Growlers. The first try after 15 mins, from Luke Fehnert, who is still providing inspiration to the Lions well into his mid-40's, lead to an avalanche of tries with Matt Love,Brendon See, Sid Bhalla, Gareth James and one of the backline bringing the half time score to 40-0. The 2nd half began and again SRC decided that tackling was optional and let the boys through at will allowing Matt Norcliff to score, which was followed by further tries from Richie Rich, Amos Seow, Mark Vincent, Muhd Fadhil and another two from Brendon. The win puts the Lions back in fine fettle for the rest of the season.
Meanwhile on the Padang, the SCC Cougars under the masterful watch of coach Jarrod Howe, eventually saw off a spirited Bucks side who eventually succumbed to sustained Cougars pressure in the last quarter to record a good 35-5 win with a couple of great tries by Vighnesh Krishnan and Joe Hudson; Joe’s coming from a clever kick from Greedy Ken Loughnan. The first three tries came from evergreen forwards, Steve Hager, Marc Lansonneur and Matt Allanson who all scored trademark pick and go tries. Good coordination and communication saw the backs put together some plays that gained good ground and possession returned – despite the inclement weather. Notable performances in the backs came from Nick Goodchild and Dan Cullen, with new kid in town, New Yorker, John Gorman making an impact in the final minutes.
The SCC Tankards made a terrific start to their inaugural Premiership campaign against last seasons league champions SCC 1st XV. They tore into the 1st XV with passion, physicality and aggression and on a wet pitch went in front with a great try from young winger Sean Fox, that was converted by Mohd Ridzuan. The 1st XV hit back with a pick and drive from big Alan Kent but the Tankards went further in front with a well-deserved try from flanker Andrew Starkey. The 1st XV pulled bck with a good try form Murray Wylie but the Tankards continued to tackle like demons especially backrowers Starkey, Simon Bourke and skipper Gabriel Lim, and in particular Brendan Nolan in the centres who was superb in defence. Two minutes before halftime the Tankards still led until an unfortunate sin-bin left them one short, and Prems's stand-off Tom Burns, showing that his public school education was money well-spent, used his quick-thinking to dance through the backline to score under the posts. Half time 17-12.
The second half started and the 1st XV moved up a couple of gears and scored two quick tries from Ben Hopkins and Matt Pardo which just about finished the game as a contest. The Tankards , back to 15 men, battled gamely but never really threatened again and in the last minute, winger Valu scored a superb try that he started in his own half and finished superbly to take the score to 38-12 at the final whistle. Some quality rugby in difficult conditions from both teams which sets up the rest of the season nicely.
3/14/2011
Grand Finals Day ! Two wins out of three...
A great day for SCC rugby last weekend with two Grand Final wins out of a possible three, with the SCC Lions doing the Conference double, a remarkable achievement in their inaugural season. The SCC Tankards won the Championship Grand Final for the third year in a row, though the SCC's quest for total domination of Singapore rugby fell short with the SCC 1st XV losing out to Bucks in the Premiership Grand Final.
The day started well with big support for the Black and Gold. It was great to see so many familiar faces from the club supporting the teams all day and the encouragement and support was much appreciated by all involved in SCC rugby.
First off was the unbeaten SCC Lions who were up against a tough St.Andrews outift who had just lost once all year in the opening match of the season to the Lions. The SCC lions were immediately on the front foot and were rewarded with an early penalty that was successfully converted by the excellent Ross Morris. Saints were a well organised side and surprisingly matched the Lions forwards but the SCC backs played well with several breaks led by our fly half Morris, who put in a man of the match performance. Big centre Mark Cheong soon scored to put the Lions 8-3 ahead before Siants puleld back with a penalty.
The game plan of introducing some big units in the forwards in the second half worked well - Chris Wright and Matt Norcliff had some barnstorming runs whilst big boy Eldon added some more weight to the scrums. Another try by Mark Cheong after some good pressure from the forwards took the score to 13-3 and another penalty by Morris took the Lions to 16-3 and too far ahead to be caught. St. Andrews scored a consolation try in last few minutes leaving it 16-8 for the final whistle.
A great team effort with some excellent balance in defence and offense. Besides Ross' brave man of the match performance at fly-half, there were some notable performances including Mark Cheong (center) two tries to add to some incredible line breaks, Daryl's amazing try saving tackle that took out two players at the same time, Titi's try saving tackle on the ground in the second half and Edwin's excellent defense .Special mention to vice-captain Simon Goodman who has been inspirational all year and showed some great utility by covering for fly-half and then flanker in the final. SCC Lions - Conference league and Grand Final winners ! Congratulations to all the boys and to coaches Carl PIllay, Swunny and Alfred. Doing the double and gong unbeaten in their inaugural season iks a terrific feat.
The Championship Grand Final between league winners the SCC 3rds and runners-up the SCC Tankards was a feisty, competitive encounter that should have not come as a surprise to anybody. Lots of big hits and inter-club niggle which made for a compelling game of rugby. The early running was all 3rd XV and pressure was eventually turned into points via a penalty kick by James Leow. The Tankards then piled on the pressure, and with Asrie, Oli Hall and Melvin all combining well in the backline it wasn't long before before Kevin Loo and Asrie had scored a couple of tries. A horrific leg break and ankle dislocation to Sam Randall stopped the game for a while and the good news is that after a long operation in hospital on Saturday he will be off the crutches in six weeks and playing again next season. Halftime 14-3 to SCC Tankards.
The 3rds came storming out of the blocks in the second half and put the Tankards under a lot of pressure, Fergus Murray pulling back a great try from the back of the scrum before skipper big Jon Reeve barrelled over to take the 3rds 17-14 in front with twenty minutes to play. Game on ! But the Tankards upped their game again and the excellent Simon Bourke scored a good try before Mohd Ridzuan added a penalty and the Championship Grand Final belonged to the Tankards. A great effort by the SCC Tankards - skippered by Rusty Chalon and coached by Matt Singer and Damian Periera, they have put an early season blip behind them and have never looked back since the new year, winning matches comfortably and raising their game when needed. There is some great talent in the Tankards and will be interesting to see if players can make the step up next season. The 3rds have been fabulous all year. Skippered by Jon Reeve and coached by Jarrod Howe, they often have not had the rub of the green when it has come to player selection but they have put in some fabulous performances, have prodcued a team spirit second to none and in Vignesh Krishnan, Ed Thwaites and Sean Fox have three young players who will surely shine next year.
Premier league winners the SCC 1st XV faced league runners-up Bucks at 7:30pm and by that time a large crowd of around 700 had gathered to watch the Premiership Grand Final, for the first time being contested by teams who had finished in the top two since the Grand Final format was introduced in 2003. The game started well for the SCC who retained most of the possession and territory but failed to make any real headway in the opening quarter. It was a strange game - very committed, big hits and physical exchanges but little rugby being played at all, often the case in a close final,with almost the full 80 minutes being played in the middle of the park. With the referee finding more infringements than an over-zealous traffic warden in his first day in the job, continuity from either side was scarce.
The Bucks fly-half had a great game. In the three previous matches this season, when it came to kicking for points, he had proved as much use as a one-legged man in a butt-kicking competition, but come Saturday he was simply outstanding, putting in a man of the match performance with the boot. Superb effort. Four long range penalties gave the Bucks some comfort room and they scored a good try with a blindside move from a scrum on the halfway line, the winger running in from a good 40 yards out. A Tom Burns penalty put the SCC on the scoreboard and at halftime it was 19-3 to Bucks.
Most of the second half was all SCC and tries from Pete McFeely and big Jon Pettemerides pulled the SCC back into the game, but another 40m penalty from Bucks and an extremely fortuitous bounce on the halfway line that led to another try put the Bucks out of sight and the match finished 27-13 to Bucks, deserved winners of a closely fought contest. It was disappointing for the SCC considering they never had to defend in their own 22 all game other than the breakway tries but the set-piece was sloppy and they never really got going. And a disappointing end to Premiership rugby for the 45 year old front rowers, Marc Lansonneur and Andy Douglas. An anti-climatic end to what was another outstanding season for the SCC 1st XV, beaten just once in the league all year. Congratulations to Bucks on their Grand Final win and a special mention must go to the evergreen Martin Schlonger Williams who won his first Grand Final for Bucks after almost 20 years of sterling service to Singapore rugby. A great moment for one of Singapore rugby's true characters and a real sportsman through and through.
But a great season nevertheless. A season that started with a narrow loss to HK Champions Valley at Dempsey and a euphoric win over HKFC in Hong Kong. A season that saw the SCC Lions going unbeaten all season to win the double in the Conference, the 3rds win the Championship league losing once only - to the Tankards who finished runners-up - and the Tankards who won their third Grand Final on the bounce. The SCC 1st XV won eight matches in a row, playing with style, scoring tries for fun with a great team spirit and some top performances. Another fine season for SCC Rugby, fielding five teams every week, a great effort and a hugely succesful club.
2/21/2011
1st XV take Premiership league title
Four good wins for the SCC last weekend and in the 34-17 victory over Bedok Kings, the SCC 1st XV secured their second consecutive Guinness Premiership League title that puts them through to the Grand Final on March 12.
The weekend started well for the SCC with the novelty of a Friday night match with the Tankards playing the unbeaten Oldham 1st XV. It was a critical match for the SCC Tankards, defeat meaning they would not be com,peting for either the Championship or Grand Final for the first time in four years. Oldham fronted up well and played some good rugby and it was a close match. The Tankards nudged ahead through tries from Melvin, Asrie and Kevin Loo, with Ridzuan scoring a fine touchline conversion but Oldham hit back to make it 17-5 at the break. Shorly after halftime, Oldham scored again and it looked like the Tankards were tiring but further tries by Justin Lum and another by Kevin Loo put the game beyond doubt, secured anotehr critical bonus point and sets up a mouthwatering encounter against table-toppers the SCC 3rd XV this weekend. Oooooh.
Much had been said of the Oldham IIs, who are new to the Conference this season but have done very well so far and going into the game against the SCC Growlers, they were two points behind but with a game in hand. It was a must win game for both teams and the Growlers were fired up for a tough game. The Growlers got the perfect start with a scrum in the centre of the park, which began a thoroughly miserable afternoon for Oldham IIs pack. Growlers secured the ball and the forwards quickly powered up field to within inches of the try line, before Tomer touched down with barely 2 minutes played. And so it continued. The Growlers front five of Ian Coull, Lindsay Franker, Adam McArdle, Tomer Serok and Travis Howells were outstanding and utterly dominated to the point where it did not really matter who had the put in at the scrums. It is arguable if any SCC team has ever fielded an uglier, more neanderthal front five but the back row of Aaron Cameron at 8 and Marc Leaver and Swarthy Chris had the ideal platform from which to run the ball at Oldham. They got about in the loose to tidy up and recycle ball and generally frustrate Oldham's efforts to get some ball. The line outs were solid and Oldham had no answer to the Growlers' driving mauls. In one phase of play, the Growlers mauled the ball from 22 to 22 and were only prevented from taking it all the way by the referee blowing for a Growlers penalty as Oldham tried to collapse it.
When Oldham did get the ball, they tried a kick and chase , only to see Steve Keane take it at full back and launch Adam Knight off on a mazy run through the mid field to score under the posts. Other first half tries were added by James Daniels who picked their Number 8's pocket, plucking the ball from his hands to dive over; and Ian Coull from a text book catch and drive to give a half time score of 24-7.
The backs had an equally impressive afternoon. James Daniels as always was outstanding and kept the ball moving forward and bossed the game. He barged over for a second in the second half. Ed Thwaites at 10 marshalled the back line and kept Oldham guessing as to what was coming next. There were plenty of options. Tom Wynn-Jones ran some beautiful lines off the blind side wing to cross for a brace. Daryl Harding at inside centre had a great game smashing it up and sucking in defenders to leave the space out wide or to allow the forwards to take it on again. Rex Chan on the wing was fast and solid in defence. Other tries came in the second half from Aaron Cameron and Marc Leaver both of whom were full of running as always. Final score 50 - 7 and a bonus point win to keep the Growlers on track and to set up next weeks all SCC clash between the Growlers and the Lions. Aaaah.
The SCC Lions had a good win against Bucks Stags last Saturday at CCAB. The first 20mins was fantastic with some great runs from Ross and the forwards tackling well and dominating the scrums. The Lions were able to put up 4 tries on the trot but we went to sleep towards the last 10mins of the half and let in a try from a penalty 10m out. Score was 24-7 at halftime.
Second half started with too much forward play and again we let in a try, but the boys woke up and once we started to shift the ball our wide, we put in another 2 well worked tries coming from some great hands from the boys. Final Score: 34-7 Great game from Ross Morris, Timothy Teo, Darryl Tan and our stand in No. 8 Luke Fehnert and great tackling from James Leow and Bryan Lim.
The Premiership against Bedok Kings was switched to Dempsey at the last minute due tio the possibility of lightning at YCK. The 1st XV were aware that they had started badly for the last few games and had to rely on strong comebacks in the second half to win the games. They warmed up well and were switched on from the opening whistle and almost immediately had Bedok under pressure with Warby scoring from some good hands (not his though) from 5th phase ball to run over from short range in the corner.
Fly-half Burns converted superbly from the touchline. Bedok tried to unleash their fast backs but danger man Valu nicked an interception and galloped in from 60 yards to score, Burns again converting. The score was 14-0 after 6 minutes and a great start for once. Bedok then hit back with a penalty.
However SCC quickly came back with Alex Chew scoring on the left wing after several phases of play working the way up the pitch. Centres Euan The Etrain Kenworthy and Bourky made a lot of yards and it was all SCC for most of the first half. The back row of Etho, McFeely and Jon Lee were everywhere and our front 5 were also noticeably mobile with Warbs and Gabe putting in a lot of physical graft.
A key aspect was that the set piece was working very well. SCC had complete dominance in the scrum with Chris Cottrell using his impressive weight and even more impressive technique to give the Bedok front row a horrible afternoon. As a result SCC were playing front foot rugby throughout, giving them an excellent platform for McFeely and Su to launch their attacks from the back row. It is rumoured that McFeely even passed the ball on one occasion but that remains an unconfirmed runmour. With the lineout operating smoothly both on our ball and disrupting Bedoks, Burns took advantage of this and placed several long range rolling kicks into the corners and giving SCC territorial dominance in the 1st half.
Fatigue started to show in the second half, with players overrunning passes and the game being too open for the conditions. One such mistake let Bedok in for a try. Bedok's backs made a lot of good breaks in the second half, stopped only by cover tackles from Valu and McFeely.SCC scored 2 more tries but were unable to cross the 40 point mark and finish it off, despite being camped in the Bedok 22 for most of the second half, probably missing half a dozen good scoring opportunities due to the slippery conditions. In the last 10 with the game lost, Bedok showed their all round pace and fitness by running everything and they scored an impressive consolation try on the whistle. Final score 34-17.
So the 1st XV remain unbeaten and finish Premier League winners with one game left to play. That's two Premeirship league title wins in two years. The Grand Final awaits on March 12.
2/18/2011
SCC Nomads torpedo US Navy Ship
The SCC Nomads took the pitch last night for the first time in 2011, under the floodlights at CCAB against a large outfit of Yanks from the USS Abraham Lincoln Navy ship. This was the inaugural match for new Nomads captain Jake Stein, as such, the skipper laid down his pre-KO speech, that was worthy of an Oscar in itselfm, to get his squad switched on.
The first quarter was a bit loose on both sides with numerous knock-ons, 50/50 passes, and school boy errors committed. Both teams surged inside the 22 yet the score remained 0-0. In the second quarter SCC put their foot on the gas pedal and played some genuine team rugby. The forward pack dominated the scrums and played like juggernauts. The very lippy Fergus Murray slashed through the Navy boys like a knife through butter on a great 50+ meter try. The team opened it up from there onwards spreading the ball in a balanced manner across the forwards and backs, and with rolling subs, the SCC showcased their true firepower.
In all eight tries were scored by the rampant Nomads with skipper Jake leading the way and further tries being added by Paul Debourdeau, Shoe, Swarthy Chris, young Daryl Tan, & youngster Declan Martens. In the end, referee David Martin blew the whistle and SCC emerged victorious with a score of 46-5. The match was played hard in the spirit of rugby - true grit. A fantastic start to Nomads 2011 season.
2/17/2011
1st XV labour to win over Bedok Kings
The SCC 1st XV maintained their top spot in the Guinness Premiership on Wednesday night with a four-try 32-8 win over Bedok Kings at CCAB.
Midweek matches are sometimes difficult to get fired up for and this was certainly the case on Wednesday with the SCC, who are notoriosuly slow starters, taking even longer to get into the groove against what was a young, spirited and well-organized Bedok Kings side. Bedok had much of the early play with the SCC mainly on the defensive with little possession. Tom Burns nudged the Black and Gold ahead with a massive 45 metre penalty, and followed up a few minutes later with an easier one 30m out. Bedok hit straight back to leave the match poised at 6-3. Bedok then deservedly went ahead with a scrappy try caused by some casual defending, a fly hack through not being fielded and the Bedok wing touched down. A soft try if ever there was one. SCC hit back shortly afterwards with wing Alex Chew scoring in the corner after a good run by Valu and some excellent quick recycling. An injury to centre Craig Mounsey meant a reshuffle in the backline with John Judges coming in at 12. Half time was 11-8 to the SCC despite a performance that barely reached the heights of mediocrity.
In the second half, the SCC were a much better team - they upped the physicality, the teamwork and the set-piece worked a lot better. Ten minutes in, after some excellent pick-and-drive by the forwards led by Simon Etheredge, big Andy Douglas drove over from 10 metres to score and woth Burns conversion took the contest to 18-8. Thereafter the SCC dominated with further converted tries being quickly added by Matty Head and Alex Chew in the next five minutes. The SCC now had their heads up and were playing well. Some great runs by Greedy Ken Loughnan, McFeely and Warby meant that the SCC finished the game playing some fine rugby but it took a long time coming. With two games left, the SCC sit clear at the top of the table with 32 points, with Bucks in second on 21 with a game in hand.
