By Lim Yong Teck/Red Sports
Donovan Choo (#7) of St. Andrew’s Secondary sprints ahead towards the tryline. Donovan scored a try in the victory. (Photo 1 © Lim Yong Teck/Red Sports)
PESEB, Thursday, August 21, 2014 — Defending champions St. Andrew’s Secondary defeated Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road) [ACS] 21–15 in the semi-final of the National C Division Rugby (Cup) Championship, setting up a clash against long-time rivals, Anglo-Chinese School (Independent).
Philip Distor Joseph (#4) scored two tries for St. Andrew’s, while Donovan Choo (#7) added one. Nathan Wong (#18) and Ian Tan (#21) contributed a try each for ACS.
Midway through the opening half, ACS took a 3–0 lead with a successful penalty attempt by Cheng Kai (#10). Moments later, sparked by a long kick from Miguel Erwin Besoro William (#19), Philip Distor Joseph (#4) broke through the ACS defence and scored St. Andrew’s first try. Ang Seow Pinn (#14) converted to give St. Andrew’s the 7–3 lead to end the half.
In the opening minutes of the second half, another well-taken kick from Miguel Erwin Besoro William (#19) allowed Donovan Choo (#7) to score a breakthrough try after a line-out. Ang Seow Pinn (#14) scored his second conversion to help St. Andrew’s take a 14–3 lead.
After a couple of possessions, Hersh Harish Rupawala (#11) managed to advance the ball to within 20 metres of St. Andrew’s tryline and an unmarked Ian Tan (#21) took over to score a try for ACS. Cheng Kai (#10) converted to reduce the deficit to four points.
With about 10 minutes remaining, Philip Distor Joseph (#4) scored his second try and Ang Seow Pinn (#14) made his third conversion to help St. Andrew’s claim a 21–10 lead. In the closing minutes, Nathan Wong (#18) scored the second try for ACS, but it was not enough as St. Andrew’s held on for the 21–15 victory.
“This win means a lot for our team. Our determination as a team pulled us through,” said St. Andrew’s captain, Ezekiel Koh (#6). “I think it will be exhilarating to play at the Sports Hub for the final.”
St. Andrew’s will play Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) in the final, which will be held at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, August 26. The final will be played at the National Stadium.
Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road) will face Raffles Institution for the 3rd/4th playoff game at 3 p.m. on Monday, August 25. The game will be played at PESEB.
Scoring by Half
St. Andrew’s Secondary vs Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road)
First Half: 7–3
Second Half: 14–12 (21–15)
Try Scorers
St. Andrew’s Secondary
Philip Distor Joseph (#4) – 2 tries
Donovan Choo Jun Mun (#7) – 1 try
Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road)
Nathan Wong Kar Wai (#18) – 1 try
Ian Tan Tzee Wei (#21) – 1 try
St. Andrew’s Secondary Roster
Goh Wei En Mark (#1), Alexander Ismail Brown (#2), Choo Jian Hao (#3), Philip Distor Joseph (#4), Navaraj Rajendran (#5), Ezekiel Koh Giap Teng (#6), Donovan Choo Jun Mun (#7), Lee Sze Yong Benjamin (#8), Khairil Ridzuan B Zulkilfee (#9), Renald Lim Sheng Yew (#10), Jelinek Dylan Kirk (#11), Umar B Mohamed Sha’ari (#12), Lim Chang Yuan (#13), Ang Seow Pinn (#14), Ryan Sim Ming Hui (#15), Chan Chung Yan Jackie (#16), Daryl Liau Guo Zhi (#17), Webster Matthew James Wei Yang (#18), Miguel Erwin Besoro William (#19), Chong Dillion (#20), Mohamad Haikal Zafran B M A (#21), Sean Er Zhong Xuan (#22), Ethan Lee Junxian (#23), Morgan Owain Rhys (#24), Brennan Ng Zheng Yang (#25), Jerome Loh Kai Jun (#26), Chua Wei Li (#27), Julian Leow Tze An (#28)
Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road) Roster
Tak Senryu Uchikawa (#1), Rusydi Abqary B Mohd Farhan (#2), Muhamad Haziq Danial B Hydin (#3), Chia Wee Kiat Justin (#4), Paul Wei Jun Allwood (#5), Wong Ye Jun Jeriel (#6), Wee Hong Han (#7), Christopher Tan Junheng (#8), Tristan Oh Jiaxuan (#9), Cheng Kai (#10), Hersh Harish Rupawala (#11), Christopher Tze-Wen Langton (#12), Jarrett Heng (#13), Danish Rusydi B Sidek (#14), Tristan Philip Alfred Galistan (#15), Sushendran S/O Ramesh (#16), Choo Junquan (#17), Nathan Wong Kar Wai (#18), Ng Zheng Da Joshua (#19), Matteo Rinaldi (#20), Ian Tan Tzee Wei (#21), Joel Tan Ee Chien (#22), Fauzan Aziem B Mohammad E (#23), Gareth Lim Kun Feng (#24), Ong An Shun Jerome Francis (#25), Lim Jian Loong Sean (#26), Luqman Nurhamzah B Ab Rahman (#27), Ethan Winston Sum En-Tze (#28)
National C Division Rugby Championship — Fixtures and Results
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