By Les Tan/Red Sports. Photos by reader Mr Wee Ban Bee
An ACS(I) player rides a tackle by an SAJC player. (Photo 1 © Wee Ban Bee)
ACS(I), Friday, April 27, 2007 – Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) beat St Andrew’s Junior College 34-11 in a rain-delayed game this afternoon at ACS(I). This game was a replay of the game on Wednesday, 25 April which was abandoned due to lightning with ACS(I) leading 25-12 with 15 minutes to go. Today, lightning again forced the first half to be stopped with SAJC leading 6-5, the Saints scoring from two penalties and ACS getting their points from a try by Eric.
When play resumed, SAJC scored a try within two minutes but failed to convert to bring the score to 11-5 in their favour. But ACS came driving back at them with a try by #15 Shannon to bring the score to 10-11. Under continued pressure, an SAJC player then made a mistake when he dropped the ball in his own half on the wing. The ball was scooped up by #11 Khairul Bunny of ACS who passed it on quickly to his team mate Shannon who ran the ball in for another try, leaving the SAJC players in his wake. The conversion was successful to put ACS up 17-11
before half time.
SAJC’s weight advantage and kicking game strategy helped them to put points on the board with their two penalties and a try in the first half but as the game progressed, they found the ACS defense line tough to penetrate. In the second half, SAJC’s #15 showed his running ability when he slipped through an initial wall of ACS players before he finally got ground down. Apart from that, SAJC seemed intent on using their heavy forward to pound their way through the ACS defense but they just could not find a weakness.
It was therefore a matter of time before ACS piled up the points and this happened when their speedy winger Khairul scored another try to put his school 24-11 up. Another try by his team mate soon after made the score 29-11.
In another display of speed and agility, Khairul caught a long punt from an SAJC player and started a run 15 metres inside his own half. As he began his run, the ACS supporters roared in anticipation. He slipped one SAJC player, then another, and then a third. The fourth SAJC player caught him and as he was going down, he dished the ball out to his team mate, #12 Justin Boey, who took off and had a free run to the try line. 34-11 to ACS.
In another moment which had the ACS supporters bench up and cheering was when #13, Blandon, of ACS lift-tackled SAJC’s #15. He lifted his opponent a clear two feet of the ground before dumping him down on the ground to loud cheering and hooting from the supporters.
In the last five minutes of the game, SAJC drove deep into the ACS half and got as close as 1 metre from the try line. But try as they might, they just could not put the ball over, always opting for their forward to drive it in and never once passing the ball out along the line, perhaps acutely aware that the ACS defensive line was disciplined and strung out all along the try line.
In a light hearted moment near the end, #8 David of ACS had his pants ripped by an over-enthusiastic SAJC player but he continued to play on to much laughter and hoots from the supporters.
"Eh, no need to carry me off the pitch lah! Paiseh!" Blandon of ACS(Ind) lift tackles an SAJC player much to the delight of the home crowd. (Photo 2 © Wee Ban Bee)
An SAJC player tries to fight off two ACS players. (Photo 3 © Wee Ban Bee)
An SAJC attacking run towards the ACS try line is brought to an abrupt end by an ACS player. (Photo 4 © Wee Ban Bee)
"My ball! No, my ball! No, mine!" The ball hangs in mid-air, waiting to be grabbed by someone. (Photo 5 © Wee Ban Bee)
Editor’s note: If you know the names of the players I’ve referred to only by their jersey numbers, please let me know their names. Also, if you recognise yourself or your team mates in the pictures, let me know the names so that I can update the captions too. Thanks.
Right on Conspiracy!
Leave the baggage on the field! If you win drink yourself silly. If you lose drink yourself silly as well.
Anyway still too young to drink for the players! (They are not the silly ones – only the supporters are!) but it all in good fun!
GREAT WORK. This is what Singapore Sports is all about.
eh enuff la.its gettin boring.n tis is on d net.foreigners evrybody oso cn see.cmon hav fun.CHEERS.
Conspiracy Says:
May 2nd, 2007 at 2:59 pm
“Saints want this to stop?, Sure,..drop that bag of stones and have your bag of nuts take over and be a gentleman.”
get real…saints did that ages ago…u carried it on.
WillyNilly
maybe because the other sports/schools do not have a long history of rivalry in both sports and academics like SA, Raffles and ACS.
and in boys’ schools,..boys being boys,..grown men tend to become like boys when it comes to school matters
maybe it is the only way, we can re-live those good old school days.
yeah rite on Game Time!
Drop the bag of stones bring your nuts onto the field
hmmm,….So this is true, Rugby is a ruffians’ game played by gentlemen.
I would not have push this if this wasn’t started in the first place in the other thread. We should just contribute to the picture story on Redsports and whether you are a saint, acian or rafflesian, leave the insults on the field. After the game all of us just go out have a good drink. This is what Rugby fans do.
The spirit of sports should transcend across nations and schools. Rivalry exists only on the field. In the end, all of us struggle in the rat race.
Saints want this to stop?, Sure,..drop that bag of stones and have your bag of nuts take over and be a gentleman.
peace
the other sports are boring ? hehehhe… i agree some pple here take the banter too serious.
All these comments really make things interesting. So long as no insults are hurled, I think it is healthy and good fun. I checked the other reports but hardly found no other comments.
To Game Time:
hmmm……..whatever !
To Saint1862 and all the other Saints out there:
Lest it be seen that we ACSians are a quarrelsome lot, just trace back on both threads (this and the one on the B div final) and you can easily see which side started the ball rolling….or was it stone throwing?
In this thread, all of a sudden Saint1862 is a Raffles fan! That, honestly in my opinion, was uncalled for!
In the “B” div thread, we have Kopmaniak calling ACSians pansies….
Kopmaniak was graceful enough to stop. For that, it is much appreciated…
Yeah, maybe Les should remove that thread (which he correctly did) and yeah…it’s about time you drop that bag of stones that you’ve been carrying all along…
so hw hav d a div ‘giants’ done so far ah?wnione knw?
Rugby is such a loving male bonding game..! why fight ! 🙂
hmmm.. i think conspiracy likes the SA motto much better than ACS… *cheeky*
🙂
maybe Les should delete the the comment by that ACSian that insults people school motto. If i am not wrong, it is not the 1st time you have insulted other schools. Rugby is not everything. if we ever lose our A-Div title, so be it. what’s the big deal? the title can’t lead you to heaven.
Up and On! Says:
April 30th, 2007 at 2:51 pm
Gosh… mr Conspiracy, i thought the motto issue has stopped over at the report of the B div match, it also doesnt mean that a SAINT has started it there, you must do it here.
please, for your own sake, stop it.
Quoted for truth.
Gosh… mr Conspiracy, i thought the motto issue has stopped over at the report of the B div match, it also doesnt mean that a SAINT has started it there, you must do it here.
please, for your own sake, stop it.
Guys Guys! Rub all you want but let’s leave the respective schools’ mottos out of it…OK?
I am looking forward to an ALL ACS Final in the A Div. Way to go guys! Our Hearts, Hopes and Aims are One.
ACS Forever.
what time is the rj vs ac match?
Hi McMohan,
Thanks for the suggestion. I’ll probably update the Champions page a little later when I have more time. 🙂
les