By Les Tan/Red Sports
Jay Koh of ACS(I) feels the full brunt of a tackle by Ahmad Ibrahim of St Andrew’s. (Photo 1 © Vanessa Lim/Red Sports)
Padang, Wednesday, April 22, 2009 – St Andrew’s Secondary put together a 3-try performance to beat defending champions Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) 17-10 to capture the B Division Rugby Championship title this afternoon at the Padang.
While some ACS supporters will take issue with the referee for his calls, the Saints forward pack was the dominating factor in the match and ACS(I) composure was missing on the day.
The Saints shocked the watching ACS supporters when they drove straight towards their opponents try line and scored through Jia Jun (#17) in the 3rd minute. Though the try was not converted, the early 5-0 lead was a psychological booster shot for the Saints.
Jia Jun then earned himself a yellow card from the referee for a dangerous tackle as ACS(I) came storming back. ACS(I) pressure paid off with a flowing move which ended with Nazryn (#12) going over near the corner flag to make it 5-5.
But ACS hopes came crashing back down to earth when Nicholas Yau (#7) scored an unconverted try in the 15th minute for a 10-5 Saints lead.
Yet again, ACS(I) came back with an answer from their backline when Marah Ishraf (#7) dove over for a try in the 23rd minute after a good penetrating run by Joshua Quek (#9).
The teams walked off 10-10 at half-time and the underdogs Saints knew they had a chance to cause an upset against an ACS team that had scored 101 tries and conceded only one before today.
The second half was all Saints. Chong Yao missed a chance to put three points on the board with a missed penalty kick in the 4th minute but ACS relief was short-lived when Ahmad Ibrahim scored a try in the 9th minute. This time, Chong Yao converted to give Saints a 17-10 lead.
ACS(I) were struggling and it took them 15 minutes before they finally got past the Saints’ 22m line in the second half. ACS(I) then elected to go for a penalty kick near the 22m line but James Morgan’s attempt was wide and that was the last the boys in blue and yellow would ever see the inside of the Saints 22.
From then on, the ACS composure on the field started falling apart slowly, with Nicholas Tan (#15) dropping the ball twice as he failed to catch the long upfield punts of the Saints backline.
Despite having a perfect 8-wins-0-losses record so far and outscoring their opponents by a combined 593 to 13, including a 35-0 thrashing of Raffles Institution in the semi-final, this was the one game that meant the most to ACS(I).
For Saints, the victory was sweet.
“We feel good! We’ve been waiting for this for a long time!” said captain Bryan Lim. “The highlight was when we scored the first try because it lifted our spirits.”
“The first try was important psychologically,” said Saints old boy Gue Kit Wan, 26, a school captain and ex-rugby player from the 1999 batch. “The Saints are strong in forwards while AC is strong in the backline. But AC mistakes and composure killed them. Saints confined the play to their forwards.”
“The hungrier team won,” said Crosby Ong, 48, an ACS supporter. “The game lacked fluidity with insignificant technical calls. The ref should have let the play go, especially when it James Morgan had a clear advantage in the second half and the ref called it back.”
“It was the human drive, the tiger in them,” said another Saints old boy, Yee Teck Peng, 76. “Both sides are even but the side that was hungrier won. The Saints forwards played extremely well.”
Saints Lineup
Forwards
Props: Ashidiq n Daniel Tan
Hooker: Benedict Tan
Locks: Wang Ren n Mohan Singh
Flanks: Ahmad Ibrahim n Nicholas Yau
8 man: Jia Jun
Backs
Half back: Peeranin
Fly half: Tang Hon En
In centre: Bryan Lim
Out centre: Hendricks Tan
Winger: Taufiq(#14) n Chong Yao(#11)
Full Back: Jonathan Loo
ACS Lineup
Chiew Jun Leong (#1)
Jay Koh (#2)
Amos Tan (#3)
Daniel Chong (#4)
Leon Song (#5)
Kenneth Ang (#6)
James Morgan (#7)
Saul Joseph Ong (#8)
Joshua Quek (#9)
Marah Ishraf (#10)
Md Nazryn B Md Jaffar (#12)
Daryn Sit (#13)
Joey Wee (#14)
Mattias Chia (#11)
Nochlas Tan (#15)
Low Zhende (#19)
Abel Khoo (#16)
Qamarul Bin Arifin (#28)
Julian Chang
Mark Wong (#18)
Leonard Wee
Gideon Chan
Calvin Ying
Jaira Koh
Tan Yuan Ming
lee Jen Wei
Ng Chun Lung
Nazryn of ACS(I) tries to run past a tackle by Taufiq of St Andrew’s. (Photo 2 © Vanessa Lim/Red Sports)
Nazryn of ACS(I) goes over for a try to even up the score at 5-5. (Photo 3 © Vanessa Lim/Red Sports)
James Morgan of ACS(I) attempts but fails to convert the first try. (Photo 4 © Vanessa Lim/Red Sports)
Chong Yao of St Andrew’s looks to pass the ball while Mattias Chia of ACS(I) bears down on him. (Photo 5 © Vanessa Lim/Red Sports)
Hargaven and Wang Ren of St Andrew’s try to bring Nicholas Tan of ACS(I) down. (Photo 6 © Vanessa Lim/Red Sports)
James Morgan of ACS(I) tackles Jia Jun. Jia Jun scored the first try for Saints. (Photo 7 © Vanessa Lim/Red Sports)
Hendricks Tan of St Andrew’s chases Marah Ishraf of ACS(I) but can’t catch him as Marah eventually goes over the try line to make it 10-10 in the first half. (Photo 8 © Vanessa Lim/Red Sports)
Mara of ACS(I) scoring ACS(I)’s 2nd try. (Photo 9 © Vanessa Lim/Red Sports)
A Saints player protects the ball as he pushes past Mattias Chia of ACS(I). (Photo 10 © Vanessa Lim/Red Sports)
It takes 3 ACS(I) players to bring down a Saints player. (Photo 11 © Vanessa Lim/Red Sports)
A Saints player gets trapped as players from both sides fight for the ball. (Photo 12 © Vanessa Lim/Red Sports)
Both team’s player reaching high to try and catch the ball. (Photo 13 © Vanessa Lim/Red Sports)
Ahmad Ibrahim of St Andrew’s tugs at Saul Ong of ACS(I). (Photo 14 © Vanessa Lim/Red Sports)
Joshua Quek of ACS(I) tries to stop a Saints player from getting to the ball. (Photo 15 © Vanessa Lim/Red Sports)
Ahmad Ibrahim of St Andrew’s goes over for the winning try in the 2nd half. (Photo 16 © Vanessa Lim/Red Sports)
Saints supporters cheering on their school. (Photo 17 © Vanessa Lim/Red Sports)
The Saints breaks out in celebration at the final whistle. (Photo 18 © Marvin Lowe/Red Sports)
WE ARE NO 1!!! screams the Saints. (Photo 19 © Marvin Lowe/Red Sports)
A Saint player overwhelmed with emotions hugs his Rugby teacher. (Photo 20 © Marvin Lowe /Red Sports)
A Saints player shouts to the heavens. (Photo 21 © Marvin Lowe/Red Sports)
A Saints player hugs a team mate with tears of joy streaming down. (Photo 22 © Marvin Lowe/Red Sports)
Every Saints player stretching out their hands to touch the holy grail. (Photo 23 © Marvin Lowe/Red Sports)
The Saints singing their school song with pride and gusto. (Photo 24 © Marvin Lowe/Red Sports)
saint,
Sori, last year RI’s team was a much better team than yours. Your
school has the most advantages in term of recruiting players. RI
can only take students with 265 and above even those who come in thru DSA.
Saints can sweep all the students from neighbourhood schs, from
Normal Tech to Express.
Congratulations for winning the B div but you dont have to be so cocky, right?
Win or lose, it doesnt matter. It is just a game after all.
Guys looking at our cdivison we had a chance of grand slam this year as they are pretty good. How about Adiv?
This just shows how much disadvantage saints has when they are not an independent school. Last year Saints loss narrowly to RI in the Semis because RI took away Bryan and Lennie who were one of gene tong best players and they played a key role in the team. This year, ACS had Marah who was the best we had seen for a long time in SAS last time
If I am Marah’s parents, if my kids have the opportunity to go to
an Independent sch, why not? Even if RI wants to take my kids, I will not hesitate to.
My sons is in Primary sch now, I’m also hopeful that they will be spotted by ACSI or RI. As a parent, we also do survey on Seconday schs…
So what if our sch is good in Rugby. At the end, Education is still the most important.
Joke…linesmen can blatantly turn ‘blind eyes’ to offsides, among other things.
If they are not crucial to the game, why have 2 by the sides?
by the way,,
acs took away marah ishraf,who is one of the best product develope by gene tong and st andrew junior school….and to no surprise, he is playing a key role in the back line….
Does anyone have a YouTube video of the match?
To all,
pls stop bitching abt who is the best or who is the luckiest. That is the beauty of rugby and the main reason why i love the game.. because u have to bleed and die on and off the field to win and every dog has its day. I didnt watch the match that day but congrats to the saints for winning.. and rugby is just like that too.. play to ur strengths, minimise ur mistakes, exploit the opponents weakness and the game is urs. the saints simply did it better on that day (according to reports and testimonies).. and the main thing i have learnt throughout my sporting career is that what happens on the pitch stays on the pitch.. the saints and acsi people who bitch on this board are all idiots cos it is just a rugby game after all.. there has to be a winner and a loser eventually.. the b div boys form acsi and sas did not need to come here and read all the bitching by people from dinosaur years ago.. anyway.. to the boys who contested the finals.. congrats for participating in a finals.. this experience, whether of defeat or victory will make u stronger people for the tougher journeys in life that is to come.. anyway.. cheers and UP AND ON!
hey, stop arguing ppl, we won, and that’s the bottom line coz ASIDIK SAYS SO!! SA SA SA IS THE BEST, WHO’S WITH ME GIVE ME A HELL, YEAH!!!!
And also, does anyone know that Saints C Division won the U14 M1 tournament recently? hmmm, it seems that the Saints are doing pretty well, won’t you all agree ? ..I’ll be surprised (with raised eyebrow) if anyone would reasonably say that this B Div win is a flash in the pan or that it was referee/ linesman assisted..
By the way, does anyone know that St Andrew’s Junior School also won the last National Primary School U13 Championship ? For your information, please.
what can a linesman do? give 5 cm more for a line out? did he make any biased calls? no?!
it’s THE LINESMAN. did he get anyone sent off? IT’S THE LINESMAN! did he give the penalties? IT’S THE LINESMAN.
the back row(blind flanker;6..Open Flanker;7..number 8 )groupings from the powerhouse schools in no particular order…
Saint Andrews
6-Ahmad Ibrahim
7-Nicholas Yao
8-Khor Jia jun
These three excell in their superior strength and work rate.Ahmad Ibrahim and nicholas Yao can both close down their man well while Jia jun is an extremely hard runner who in a one on one situation is very hard to be beaten.All three are also very fast although Jia jun tends to slack off halfway through the game.they are the best at the offensive game.
Anglo Chinese School Independent
6-kenneth ang
7-James morgan
8-Saul joseph Ong
Probably the biggest back row among all three schools.their flankers have the abbility to tackle their man as well as turnng over the ball in the process making them extremely dangerous in the tackle.the 8 can skip through tackles well and combined with his size makes him a big threat.their 7 also has a good kicking boot and 6 is great for gaining ground.their deffensive styles are the best suited foe the game.
Raffles Institution
6-Steven Yang
7-Eddy Goh
8-Russel Wong
Three very by the book players who can tackle.their number 8 is also a very fast and hard runner.these three are good when getting the job done and they are always there to to their part weather closing down their man or in attack.
Sant Joseph Institution
6-Max John Heng
7-Tu Tung Yun
8-Jamal
hve their moments of weakness in their defensive styles but their big 8 is a handfull and very hard to take down.possibly the weakest among the schools but if continued playing and developing their potential they could really be great players.
There seems to be an issue abt controversial refereeing with some bad calls in the ACS-SA rugby B finals.
I question the decision of the organisers ( CCAB? ) for allowing 2 ex-saints ruggers to be the linesmen.
There can NEVER be impartiality under such arrangements.
Why did your school (ACS) accede to it?
Controversial refereeing seems to be making their rounds in school sports.
One such incident was posted on 7 April btw Anglican High n RGS B Div basketball, with some(provoking) footage of the game.
I wonder if anyone is able to post video of that rugby finals, highlighting controversies if any.
To maintain the integrity of sports, such glitches shld be eradicated, or at least minimised.
Better governance shld be instituted at school level to ensure fair play.
Refs n linesman found to be deliberately/repeatedly remiss in their duties shld not be let off.
As usual guys, have to remind you all to refrain from being overly aggressive in your comments. We are all here to express our feelings, but some feelings should be kept to oneself.
Enjoy commenting 🙂
??…I know some of the rugby boys in ACSI that were playing on that day were from Sec 4…cause I am from ACSI…sorry…just wanted to be fair in this forum.
Stop being a cry baby ACSI, you lost to a better team.
To Anon:
So what if SA fielded sec 5s players in the game? If you find that unfair, you can suggest to ACS(I) to take their team our of the rugby sports catergory!
I am not from ACS or Saints..I was there at the game, ACSI players were not playing fair most of the time, for example, doing a late tackle to take the saints scrum-half out, also one of the players kicked some Saints supports at the sideline, etc; while the Saints were gentlemanly, thats’ how rugby should be played and Saints showed ACSI how to play rugby that day. Overall it was a good exciting game. BTW, Lose graciously please!!!
Excuse me I play polo…. And pls la stop moaning… How in the world do you justify the half a million spent on rugby… We gave the x-saints the foundation, you just to condition them…. If thats not important then DON’T steal our primary school players….