SMU vs NTU
The opening match for the 1st Tri-Universities Rugby Championships 2008 kicked off at ACJC yesterday afternoon. With a sizable crowd of supporters and WAGs turning up for the game, the audience was prepared for an exciting game. However, the game turned out to be of a slower pace and with both teams being very reserved in their approach to the game.
In the earlier part of the game, both teams were eager to play a territory game and continuously resorting to booting the ball down the field. However, in the 20th minute #8 Daniel Marc Chow, broke the deadlock by picking up the ball from the base of the scrum to score an easy try, almost unopposed. Standoff Amos Siow failed to add the extra 2 points, missing the conversion. (5 SMU 0 NTU)
From the restart, NTU turned up a gear and tried to pile the pressure on the City Boys and were finally rewarded with a chance to get onto the score sheets with a penalty in front of the posts. But, NTU's Standoff Daniel Thiam sliced it and sent the ball wide, keeping the score 5-0 in favor of SMU.
In the second half, SMU looked to take the game to NTU and were camping in their half for almost a good 10mins, but a resilient NTU defence stood their ground and prevented SMU from coming close to scoring a number of tries. However, the Boon Lay Warriors eventually tired out from the pressure and conceded a penalty which SMU's Standoff Amos Siow slotted it home to extent the lead to 8-0.
With a conservative lead, many thought that SMU would take control of the game and put NTU to the sword with 10mins to go. But SMU's Prop was sinned bin in the 65th min for an off the ball incident and left the side with 1 man down.
NTU made full use of the numerical advantage and gained huge ground when NTU's Daniel Thiam made a break that saw SMU scrabble back frantically to defend their tryline. In the final minute of play, a scrum was awarded to NTU 2 metres from the SMU tryline and NTU's Prop Giresh picked it up and bulldozed his way to the line. The referee was quick to award the try, despite appeals that two of the SMU's players were seen holding him up and with their hands under the ball. ( 8 SMU 5 NTU )
NTU's Daniel Thiam did the necessary and slotted the conversion home with a typical quick drop kick to end the game 8 - 7 .
SMU vs NTU
Final score: 8-7 to SMU
SMU
Try: Daniel Marc Chow
Penalty: Amos Siow
NTU
Try: Giresh (#24)
Conversion: Daniel Thiam
Table Standings
Please go to Redsport.sg for pictures and more match reports. (http://redsports.sg/2008/01/27/tri-uni-smu-ntu/#comment-13046)
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