Elroy (Photo 1 © Les Tan/Red Sports)

Elroy Jahja-Loo (ACS(I) #8) gets tackled by his RI opponent. (Photo 1 © Les Tan/Red Sports)

Physical and Sports Education Branch (PESEB), Wednesday, August 13, 2015 — Defending champions Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) (ACS(I)) looked like they would miss the final but they came back from 0-3 down to beat Raffles Institution (RI) 7-3 in the semi-finals of the National C Division Rugby Championship.

ACS(I) had qualified for the semi-final after finishing second in the preliminary round group with four wins and a loss. RI had finished third with a 3–2 win-loss record.

The last time these two teams met, ACS(I) had beaten RI 31-13 in the preliminary round.

However, this was a much cagier affair, with ACS(I) spurning a chance to go 3-0 up in the first half after Joshua Magherra (#24) missed a penalty from in front of the posts.

With the rain and muddy conditions, it was RI who showed better ball handling, and the boys in green and black dominated possession in the first half but had no points to show for it as play was bogged down in the middle of the field with neither side able to threaten the try line.

Ten minutes into the second half, it was RI who struck first as their kicker perfectly executed his penalty kick 25m out from the left of the posts for a 3-0 lead.

ACS(I) continued to find it tough to break through the RI defending and their attacks crumbled at times due to poor passing and handling.

Just as the ACS(I) supporters had given up hope, the boys in blue and yellow finally found a breakthrough down the right flank when Richard Goo (#7) was not picked up by his opponents and squeezed through to ground the ball near the corner flag.

Magherra (#24) then made up for his earlier first-half miss when he scored from a much harder angle from out right when he struck it between the posts for a 7-3 lead that his team managed to hold on to.

ACS(I) now move on to play St. Andrew’s Secondary in the final. The Saints, who defeated ACS (Barker Rd) 19-7 in the other semi-final, are favourites in the final having beaten ACS(I) 15-12 in their earlier preliminary game.

ACS(I) Roster
Elijah Ho Teng Loong (#1), Ira Teh Jia Le (#2), Ang Wei Sheng, Bryan (#3), Joshua Tan Kai Shenn (#5), Reuben Sivadas Ruixian (#6), Richard Goo Zheng Wei (#7), Elroy Irwan Jahja-Loo (#8), Khoo Shen Yi, Stuart Dylan (#9), Teng Ivan, Lucas (#10), Goh Jing Hao Timothy (#11), Aran James Willetts (#12), Finan Siow (#13), Jason Tan Jun Hao (#14), Sean Tan Jun Kai (#15), Chang You-Sheng, Ethan (#16), Kwan Ean Fung, Ian (#17), Ong Li-Sheng (#18), Sean Ng Shi Wen (#19), Lim Dao Yuan Matthew (#20), Andrius Wong Jun Long (#21), Joshua Amarjeet Magherra (#22), Huang Jing Yu (#23), Tan Soon Kang, William (#24), Tan Jern Yu Timothy (#26), Lim Hongxi (#28), Muhammad Aiman B Mohammad Azhar (#32), Muhammad Kiane Rashidale (#36), Timothy Chan (#45)

RI Roster
Leon Kollart (#1), Sek Ray (#2), Aiman Jianhao B Ikram (#3), Luqmanul Hakim B Nor Idham (#4), Ang Ben Yao, Aldrick (#5), Joshua Choy Weng Yew (#6), Izaac Tay Yi Ren (#7), Joshua Poon (#8), Jonathan Christopher Lim (#9), Gideon Kee An (#10), Spencer Wee Ye Kai (#11), Muhammad Wafiq Aqil B W S (#12), Goh Zheng Hui Javille (#13), Zhu Hongpeng (#14), Lee Kai Si (#15), Ho Kai En (#16), Goh Kai Jen Nicholas (#17), Ahmad Amsyar B Mohd Adom (#18), Wong Wei Feng Bervyn (#19), Amirul Haziq B Muhammad E (#20), Jordan Poon (#21), Kee Yun Shao (#22), Dylan Clarke (#24), Muhammad Rifdi B Salahudin (#26), Rohit George Joseph (#27), Seetoh Chung Hon Stanley (#28), Yeo Isaac (#29), Ho Jun Wei Matthew (#30)

National C Division Rugby Championship – fixtures and results

More photos next page