Mumbai, June 22 (IANS) The Chennai Bulls are back at the top of the points table, and the Hyderabad Heroes’ juggernaut was brought to a halt by the dynamic Bengaluru Bravehearts. And in the final game of the day, the Mumbai Dreamers, who had an impressive lead at one stage, squandered their position and had to share the spoils with the Kalinga Black Tigers, here in Mumbai, at the Shahaji Raje Bhosale Sports Complex, on Sunday evening, during Season 1 of the Rugby Premier League.
In the first game of the day, the Bengaluru Bravehearts brought the Hyderabad Heroes’ winning streak to a halt, defeating them 26-21. The Bengaluru Bravehearts hit the ground running, and how. International stars Akuila Rokolisoa and Philip Wokorach were combining well together. While Rokolisoa added a try and a conversion, Wokorach scored a try, giving the Bravehearts a 12-0 lead. For the Heroes, Wolfram Hacker responded with a try and Manuel Moreno also converted his kick.
However, before the half-time break Iowane Teba’s try and Rokolisoa’s kick further extended the Bravehearts’ lead. The Heroes, who began the day at the top of the points table, stormed back into the contest with a flurry of points, courtesy Terio Tamani, who bagged two tries and one conversion. With four minutes left, the Heroes led 21-19.
The Bravehearts though weren’t giving up, and Pol Pla added five points to the mix, whilst Rokolisoa added two more, turn the contest on its head. That though was enough on the night for the Bravehearts, who snatched a crucial win.
Game two saw the Chennai Bulls jump back to the top of the points table after a comprehensive 24-7 win against the Delhi Redz. The Delhi Redz, who have had a recent uptick in their fortunes, started off the game in solid fashion. Strong and compact in defensive set-ups, and robust in attack, the Redz picked up the early lead through Matteo Graziano’s try and Matias Osadczuk’s corresponding conversion.
However, the Bulls began to show glimpses of their old form again, as Vaafauese Maliko scored a couple of tries, to put his side in a slender 3-point lead at the half-time break. After the break, the Bulls decided to go through the gears, and Maliko completed a hat-trick of tries. Filipe Sauturaga backed him up with clinical conversion, to give the Bulls a 10-point lead.
Haakon Oess then added five more to the tally, and had Sauturaga scoring his conversion too, which helped the Bulls register a big win and return to the top of the points table.
In the final game on Sunday, the Kalinga Black Tigers came from behind to clinch a 17-17 draw. The result gives the Mumbai Dreamers their first points of the season.
The Kalinga Black Tigers had the better of the early exchanges on the night, as Asis Sabar scored a try and put them in the lead. However, the Mumbai Dreamers, who were still looking for their first points in the season, first equalised through Elias Hancock’s try, and then Waisea Nacuqu made the conversion count. The two sides broke for half-time, with two points separating them.
Vuiviawa Naduvalo and Henry Hutchison scored two brilliant tries for the Dreamers in the next quarter, which extended their lead to a 12-point one. The Tigers had their task cut out, and they responded with a try and conversion from Ethan Turner. In the final minutes, Perry Baker equalised with a try for the Tigers, who snatched a tie from the jaws of defeat.
–IANS
aaa/