By Les Tan/Red Sports. Photos by Vanessa Lim and Marvin Lowe/Red Sports
Ng Chun Long of ACS(I) goes over for what turns out to be the winning try in the 8-7 victory. (Photo 1 © Marvin Lowe/Red Sports)
Old Police Academy, Monday, April 12, 2010 – Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) eked out a hard-fought 8-7 victory over St Andrew’s Secondary to wrestle back the B Division Rugby Championship title they lost last year.
A James Morgan (ACS(I) #8) penalty gave the Dover Road school a 3-0 lead nine minutes into the game as a usually fluid ACS(I) team struggled to find their rhythm against their first serious opposition in the championship.
A late hit by Khor Jia Jun (SA #8) elicited a collective “Aaaah!!” from the crowd and it was no surprise when referee Harry Mason pulled out the yellow to flash it at the Saints forward to leave the boys in blue and white with only 14 men on the field.
With the man advantage, ACS(I) threatened and came close to scoring their first try of the game. James Morgan had another penalty opportunity but this time he put the ball to the right of the posts.
The Saints #14 tried to run it out but soon got his team into all sorts of trouble as he fumbled the ball, allowing ACS(I) to recover it. However, ACS(I) could not press home the advantage just a metre from the try line and a penalty call against them ended that drive.
A long punt upfield by the Saints was dropped by the ACS(I) fullback Samuel Teo, giving the initiative back to the Saints from a good field position. A period of sustained St Andrew’s pressure soon followed and although they had a chance to kick a penalty, the Saints opted to kick it out to touch. From the ensuing play, the Saints had another penalty but their attacking momentum was doused by a timely Morgan tackle on the Saints ball carrier.
The ACS(I) supporters thought their team was off the hook but Saints came back again, and this time with a try. The referee called ACS(I) on a scrum infringement and from the free-kick, the Saints forward brought the ball forward before Bryan Chong (SA #5) outran the ACS(I) line to score the first try, the first points ACS(I) conceded in the entire championship.
Naresh (SA #11) kicked a successful conversion from wide out to give the Saints a 7-3 lead. This was a huge psychological lift for the defending champions, coming as it did just before the half-time whistle and with a man down.
Buoyed by their lead, the Saints had the first significant attack in the second half when a handling error by ACS(I) gave Saints hope of a second try but Khor Jia Jun (SA #8) fumbled.
A flowing ACS(I) move down the right ended with the ACS(I) winger falling into a crowd of Saints supporters. Some unpleasantness between the players and fans forced the referees to stop the game for a good few minutes as they had to move the supporters back a safe enough distance before they were happy enough to allow the game to go on.
ACS(I) finally got the winning try in the 49th minute. From a scrum in the Saints’ half, James Morgan (ACS #8) brought the ball left. He held off a tackler and passed it out to a teammate who offloaded to scrumhalf Ng Chun Lung who went over for an 8-7 ACS(I) lead.
The drama did not end there.
Both sets of supporters then held their collective breath when St Andrew’s had the perfect opportunity to grab the lead back with a penalty right in front of the goalposts. As a hush descended on the pitch, David Daniel (SA #11) ran up to take the kick but he scythed the ball way wide of the right post, leaving the Saints in agony. ACS(I) were let off the hook.
But the was still enough time for one final St Andrew’s assault. A series of drives saw the Saints get to within a metre of the try line but the ACS(I) line held. That would prove the closest the Saints would come to turning the game around and the final whistle called time on an absorbing contest between the two best B Division rugby school teams in Singapore.
ACS(I) head coach Adrian Chong was proud of his boys.
“I would say the boys played the best game of the whole season. They were very controlled. They did exactly what we planned for. We worked very hard at catching all the kicks and kicking it back and I think that made a difference. They were trying to exploit all the kicks at us. I think our back three did fantastically well today,” said coach Adrian.
“I feel for the first time in the whole season, they really played like a team that believed that they can win. It was real character to see them fight back and hold until the last play. So I think they showed champions credentials for doing that,” added coach Adrian.
Immediately after the final whistle, a scuffle broke out between the players, causing some supporters to rush onto the field. Cooler, mature and older heads from both the ACS(I) and St Andrew’s side pulled the two sides apart and it was all over as quickly as it started.
Shafiq Zulazmi, a National University of Singapore undergraduate and rugby player, saw the incident unfold and intervened.
“Upon seeing the punch by the Saints player, the ACS old boys rushed onto the field to prevent any further harm on the ACS boy and to prevent the melee from developing into a free for all,” said Shafiq.
“Such an act does not belong on the rugby field. Hooligan behaviour from the young lad. I think it raises the issue of whether schools are teaching their boys just about the many facets of sport – winning, losing, respecting your opponent – or just about winning, failing which one resorts to punching or other forms of thuggery. I was involved in school sports for six years from 1998 to 2003 and had never seen such scenes during that period,” said Shafiq.
In 2006, in a game between ACS(I) and St Joseph’s Institution, an ACS(I) rugger bit an SJI opponent. The ACS(I) player was subsequently banned from the rest of the championship.
The win gives ACS(I) their 10th B Division title while St Andrew’s have 18 B titles to their name since the championship started in 1971.
Since 1997, the B Division championship has been won by either ACS(I) or St Andrew’s.
N.B. A partial story was first posted Monday, April 12, 2010 and now re-posted with full story and photos.
Naresh of St Andrew’s in a desperate attempt to stop Ng Chun Long of ACS(I) … (Photo 2 © Marvin Lowe/Red Sports)
… Chun Long’s forward momentum is too great … (Photo 3 © Marvin Lowe/Red Sports)
… and he goes over for the winning try. (Photo 4 © Marvin Lowe/Red Sports)
Chun Long’s teammate rushes in to celebrate while the St Andrew’s supporters in the background are dismayed. (Photo 5 © Marvin Lowe/Red Sports)
An ACS(I) player get dumped into the Saints’ spectator section. The unpleasant scenes that ensued forced the referees to stop the game for a few minutes to force the crowd to move further back. (Photo 6 © Marvin Lowe/Red Sports)
A Saints player tackles an ACS(I) opponent. (Photo 7 © Marvin Lowe/Red Sports)
Go to next page for more photos
dear HCI, if someone insults ur mum what will you do?
I am sure that tempers and passions were running high aft the match. it is these passions that make us all enjoy the game rugby. It MAKES rugby. So my point is, if acsi wants to toy with these kind of strong emotions after the match, they should face what happens afteer that like a man. Not being a puss and whining and complaining about it. I am not saying what the saints did was right, i am just saying that it was understandable.
Saint lineup
Prop-Terence Chan(#1)/Daniel Tan(#3)
Hooker-Benedict Foo(#2)
Locks-Tan Wang Ren(#4)/Bryan Chong(#5)
Flankers-Lester Wong(#6)/Morgan(VC)(#7)
No.8-Khor Jia Jun(#8)
Scrumhalf-Ervin Ng(#9)
Standoff-Hargaven Singh(#10)
Centers-Maurice Wong(#12)/Jonathan Loo(C)(#13)
Wingers-David Daniel(#11)/Rauf(#14)
Full Back-Naresh(#15)
This is the actual saint lineup.
@Saints: Thanks for the lineup. Post updated.
Standing from a outsider’s point of view, I think neither side should have point fingers to one and other and says that each other is wrong.
SASS claimed that ACSI insulted them, thus the “assault”. Yes it is wrong of ACSI’s insult, but arent you falling just right into the trap of SASS by beating them up? That shows how shallow the team is.
Secondly, the side who lost should have taken defeat graciously. They could have just shake hands and take learning points from the game. What is the use complaining and complaining when you have already lost the game? Reflect and move on, there is still a next year.
Just to point out singing of school songs is not a insult to others, an example of HC singing of their school song even after they lost the water polo final to ACSI. We sang out school song cos we were proud of our boys, and we sang for them because they deserved it.
Forgive and Forget.
Straits times shld get their facts right before publishing such an article, capable of tarnishing St. Andrew’s name. Firstly, the 2 ACSI boys that got assaulted were assaulted, not by SA students but by supporters. Secondly, a fight broke out because one of the ACSI players insulted an SA player’s mother after the match. Furthermore, many of the SA players got badly injured during the game, one was punched in the nose during the game, and another SA student was stomped on during the rug. This is just my account of what happened at the game, i have no idea what happened to ACSI students but this story shld be correct.
So i’m utterly upset with the Straits Times for publishing a one sided biased article which seems to pin the fault on the SA team.
Look, I’m from SASS and I think that both sides, SASS and ACS should stop pointing fingers at each other. There should be a thorough investigation before making assumptions. Personal bias should not be a factor in deciding the culprit. After this incident, we should all shake hands and forgive each other. Only through forgiveness will things get better.
Im afraid under Singapore law, the one that retaliate with his fist will be the accused, not the one who instigated with ‘insults’. haha
omg. leonard insulted daniel so daniel punched him. deal with it. its life. you scold somebody, especially a saint, expect his whole team stomping on you. Although the act of violence was uncalled for, an insult is mere courting of death. Acs will have their story and SA will have theirs. But really, the punch wouldnt have been thrown without being provoked.
Who’s going to remember who won or lost. ACS/RI/Saints? who cares?? Life is more about about how much money you make and how many women u bag. Get on with life please.
well how about stop bitching about who punched who and just shut up. if the acsi player provoked it, he’s an idiot. but even so the saints player shouldnt have retaliated in such a manner. so there’s no justification for both sides. only thing is violence is never tolerated on the rugby field and the saints player is ultimately in the wrong for retaliating. he could have just reported this instead of taking things into his own hands (literally)
Well,how about you reacting on the spot after getting your mom insulted? Report?!?! as if it does anything at all,really._.
An angry man stirs up strife, and a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression (Proverbs 29:22).
A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, and a man of evil devices is hated (Proverbs 14:17).
He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who is quick-tempered exalts folly (Proverbs 14:29).
the writer of this article is obviously BIASED towards the SA players. come on..you guys did not even bother finding out the names of the SA players or their jersey numbers. it is very obvious because your ACS list is FULLY COMPLETED. it just shows that your report is INCOMPLETE, UNRELIABLE and INACCURATE! if you are a PROFESSIONAL reporter, you would do a complete job and be FAIR to both teams. it just shows that you are all ONE-SIDED. be FAIR in your future reports and make sure to get your FACTS RIGHT before reporting anything.
@A Fair Judge: I am not a professional reporter. Just a blogger. This story is my opinion. If you would like to share your opinion of the game, please send it along at http://redsports.sg/tell-your-story/ with your full name and I will post it.
You send it, we post it.
You will notice there is a request for readers to fill in the blanks for the Saints lineup. The reason why I have the ACS list in completion is because ACS prepares a list which they give out.
Apart from the incomplete list of the Saints lineup, I have pointed out the Saints try scorer Bryan Chong and Naresh who converted the kick.
If there are any inaccurate facts in the story, please point them out. I will be more than happy to correct them.
You have alleged inaccuracies in the story but have not pointed any out.
Creating Facebook Groups stating that Saints should have won the match. Its shows the attitude when you ppl lose.
saints did well but acs i did better
In the end AC won and saints lost and that’s all that matters. SA players can scream, kick and punch like babies but it won’t change anything. Leonard may have to be in the hospital for a few days but the guy that punched him may have to spend as much as 3 months in jail… It’s a permanent record… A worthy tradeoff, I would have given my nose for such a loser to really get it.
no offence. i think saints are too overboard in wat they did. i mean it’s just a game right? do u all need to get so physical?
The brawl in the game is still acceptable. What shocked me the most is the sucker punch thrown by a SA guy at two innocent AC supporters. This can be classified as first degree assault. Also, they had the audacity to do it outside the police academy. IMO, this is such a let down from a prestigious school such as SA
yeah, don’t forget what you’ve learnt during your cme.
(HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA)
I would like to remind everyone that last year, you saints had the audacity to sing our school song right in our faces when we lost to taunt us. Did we fight back? No we didn’t. This year, YOU lost, we hardly said anything, and you whacked us up. Well, whatever leonard said or did, u shldnt hve retaliated. And, seeing what ur all saying here http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&ref=mf&gid=118945388115848 about having the refs suck ur nether regions, perhaps we see wat kinda ppl r in SA now. And hitting innocent sec 3s at the bus top was downright low.
Agreed.
Fairly enough, if ACS did sing their school song in our faces yesterday, jeering and blackfaces would have been shown by SA (Which [b]may[/b] have been shown by AC last year), i doubt anything big would have surfaced. You can’t compare a school singing in victory to an insult hurled directly at one.
One is done in glory, and the other is done in taunt.
haizz…you acs people think you all very clever talk until so chim. pls la you all are a bunch of rich loser, win oso luck. everyone know sa is the best in rugby and acs bunch of snob. just because we are not good in study dont mean we are not as good as u, we are power. ur sch is lj. ur principal is cb. acs go and die
it is surprising to see how many saints supporters are trying to defend the horrible actions of some of their players and fans. The reality is that some saints players and supporters are guilty of assault and with a police report, i’m sure they will face the appropriate justice by the law. No matter how you guys try to spin the story into how it was an act of self defence, you have to accept reality and just like what your principal said, there’s no disguising the matter. Therefore, please stop sweetening the story or spinning it into a false story, hiding the vicious, violent, unsportsmanlike and shameful behavior of some of your players and students.
look at how yr fellow acsians acted first. surely there is a reason to everything. No one in their right mind would even attack anyone. So definitely Leonard wee must have started the incident by provoking him.
And what about the two at the bus stop, what the *!@E# did they do, walking to the bus stop, next thing he knows, he’s on the floor and has a killer nosebleed. Someone helps him up, gets slapped around and punched on the nose, what do you call that, provoked by the shirts, what!!!