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)
the game had finished hours ago!
stop arguing ACS ppl.
you all lost.face it!
it just seemed that you all don have the sportmanship.
I am disappointed that ACS(I) lost in the final and know that Saints used their strength in the forwards to win a closely fought contest. The Saints boys are to be congratulated. The utter emotional distress of the ACS boys at losing showed how much they cared. It is right to care and both teams showed how much it meant to them.
I find it totaly wrong in comment 107 to personally attack (reference deleted). This does not give rugby in Singapore a good name and truely upsets me.
Rugger…what u said is very insensitive and immature and u are just degrading urself by saying all those words…and secondly is because of ppl like u that AC has a reputation of being highly arrogant and snobbish even though some AC boys arent.a loss is a loss so be a gracious loser and just come back stronger next year..there is nothing more to talk about,the better team won..and one more thing, if u are so full of yourself and extremely proud why dont u come out in person and say all this?why must u hide behind a computer and spout all this rubbish!?…..a rugger i doubt, a COWARD most certainly
Rugger as you may call yourself. Is what you said a consolation to your team that lost the finals? I think you’re just a sore loser who are unable to accept defeat and someone who is so full of himself. Probably time to change that cocky mind of yours!
to response no.114
u are a typical ACSian man….
to reponse no 114, rugger
u r a typical ACian man….
There is nothing to worry AC, everyone played to their very best and tried very hard.
Ed’s note: Comments edited
photo 2: saints player number #11 is Taufiq, not chong yao. thanks
question to the acsi people who visit the site- still got holiday?
well done guys.. both teams played a fantastic match and ACS(I) shouldnt be disappointed… better luck next time and hope to see many more epic finals between the two teams…
Not so much putting the blame on the refree but he did make some controversial calls that was pivotal in the outcome of the game.
SAS is already school with lots of talent in the rugby team , they deserve to win because they have put in alot of effort , and for acsi , not everyday is sunday that all , be humble to win a game dun be too cocky think that u could win sas ! SAS THE BEST !
Bila Bila SA!!
well, face it. AcsI just couldnt be compared with Saints. They only have (name deleted). who isnt up to the standard of the players on the saints team, on the bench. Both sides played well. But too bad for ACS. they just arent on par with the saints. The Saints are just too good.
I was surprised to hear that the linesmen were ex Saint player. What type of fairness that can be,i relly doubt in it. If the badminton ‘C’ division boy had the same issue abt unfairness in the umpire,why can’t we bring up this issue abt unfairness. Clearly, on the day itself, there were many offsides that we overlooked. This really shows how unfair the linesmen were. Cheer up ACS(I) boys, you are always the best!
awesome pics u have here of a very well played match by both teams altho acsi made some costly mistakes but kudos to them anyway.
Totally agree w Crosby tt we shld not slam the opponent with nasty remarks especially on social-networking sites like Facebook and here.
I”m truly glad to have taken time off from work to catch this meteoric match. Thanks to both teams for that GREAT time at the padang yesterday.
come on guys. the game is over. players have shook hands and whatever was on the pitch should be left on the pitch. if some of you have so much smart comments on how the game was refereed why dont you do so next time and lets see how well a job you do.
Lol it’s so disappointing to see the comments everytime, and I’m an ACS(I) student. Sure, I’m disappointed we lost. But big deal, stop making excuses. Saints played well. Congrats to them.
I was hoping to see some actual discussion about the game, since I’m not exactly very rugby-smart.
hey, i am an acsian. i think that although acs was favourites to win, i thought that Saint put up an excellent fight to win. if saint are better, they ought to win and they had shown it in the field that day
okay you know what?? ACSI should just face the result that they lost. and they should just be good sportsmen and move on and work hard. st andrews really deserved the win..they worked very hard and trained long hours. all their effort paid off i guess. both teams were brillliant i must admit..however..in a game, it all depends on whether you put what you’ve been training to good use or you just get nervous and make mistakes. yeah..i’ve had bad experiences with ACSI guys..they rubbed it in SA guys faces when they won..so..yeah..congratulations to ST ANDREWS! YOU GUYS ROCK! SAINTS FOREVER!!!!!