Pioneer Junior College edge out Jurong JC 7-5 in A Division Rugby plate final

Contributed by reader Michael Kwok

St Andrew’s Secondary, Tueday, May 12, 2009 – The long, hard A Division rugby season finally came to a fitting climax for Jurong Junior College and Pioneer Junior College. Both teams had entered the Plate Final with outstanding track records in the group stages, a remarkable feat considering that they comprised players who had just started learning the game just a little more than a year ago.

It was PJC that came close to scoring in the early minutes of the first half. A try was disallowed as the referee ruled that the PJC player had touched the corner flag before downing the ball.

Before the dust had even settled, JJC launched a series of counter attacks and penetrated deep into the PJC 22m area, threatening to score the opening try of the match.

In fact, JJC came close to scoring at least six times, but each time it was a determined defence that saw PJC thwart these attacks. The deadlock was broken just before the stroke of halftime when JJC broke through PJC’s line and scored the opening try.

JJC missed the conversion, and had to settle for the 5-0 score heading into half time.

A rejuvenated PJC took to the field in the second half and again, piled pressure on the JJC 22m area. Attempt after attempt was warded off by JJC, and a series of handling errors by both sides saw the ball possession switch from PJC to JJC and back to PJC again.

With no particular team able to break the deadlock, it seemed that the final score would be 5-0. However, the grit and determination so characteristic of this year’s PJC team drew just rewards. A bursting run from a ruck about 15m from the JJC tryline saw PJC score a try 10 minutes from full time to level the score at 5-5.

This time, the conversion was successful and PJC took the lead at 7-5. JJC pressed forward to hunt for the winning try and there were a few close calls and a series of penalties awarded to JJC, giving them a chance to inch closer and closer to the PJC tryline.

Desperate defending and solid tackling by PJC prevented JJC from making any further tactical gains in the PJC 22m area.

When the final whistle blew, the entire arena erupted in cheers as the PJC players rushed to embrace each other in celebration of a hard-fought but well-earned victory. It was a heart-stopping match worthy of a championship final.