RUGBY

South East Asian (SEA) Games 2007
Singapore vs Laos; Singapore vs Thailand
Sunday, 9 December 07, Korat, Thailand

Story contributed by Red Sports reader Nicholina Chua.

The Singapore women's rugby 7s team beat Laos 36-0 to get their SEA Games campaign off to a winning start.

Led by captain Serena Yeoh and vice-captain Aslinda Abdullah, the girls scored six tries against Laos in their opening pool game. Standoff Eunice Tay began the onslaught with the opening try and proceeded to convert her own try. Turning over possession at rucks, scrums and line-outs, Jeslyn Lim and Derelyn Chua scored two tries a piece. Prop Kristy Teh added a final try just before the final whistle.

In the much-anticipated second game against arch-rivals Thailand, the home nation put in the first try off a scrum inside Singapore's 22m. The girls' relentless defence kept Thailand scoreless after that and they walked off at half-time trailing 0-7. Singapore then capitalised on a Thai slip-up at kick-off at the beginning of the second half to score through winger Chua. Tay narrowly missed the conversion, leaving the team trailing 5-7.

Superior scrummaging by the Singapore forwards then forced a turnover during a Thai scrum in the home team's 22m for Lim to score her third try of the day. A successful conversion by Tay then put Singapore up 12-7. However, a miscommunication in defence allowed Thailand to equalise a minute before full time.

With scores level at 12-12, Thailand re-took the lead and the game with a successful conversion.

Singapore face Cambodia in the second day of the pool games on 10 December 2007.

Team against Lao PDR: Serena Yeoh, Wang Shao-Ing, Kristy Teh, Aslinda Abdullah, Eunice Tay (1 try, 3 conversions), Jeslyn Lim (2 tries), Derelyn Chua (2 tries), Leung Waimun (S), Chan Wan Cheng (S), Haseena Allapitchay

Team against Thailand: Serena Yeoh, Wang Shao-Ing, Leung Waimun, Aslinda Abdullah, Eunice Tay (1 conversion), Jeslyn Lim (1 try), Derelyn Chua (1 try), Kristy Teh (S), Ang Weiyi (S), Angela Zheng (S).

An interview with Angela Zheng