This weekend saw the competition for the Alex Alexander Cup toughen up.
In one of the biggest matches of the competition, BPC Buccaneers squared off against current Cup frontrunners DHL Storm. The game took place at 4pm at the South Sound Rugby Club.
Coming into the match, Buccaneers were in second place with 14 points and looked to stay in the AA Cup title picture. Meanwhile Storm hoped to add to their league-leading point total of 16 and effectively end the title hopes of the other teams.
The game was a story of two halves and had the vibe of a knockout game. Both squads struggled to assert their game plans and spent most of the first half trying to establish productive runs and get into a rhythm.
By the end of the first half, Buccaneers had built an 18 point lead. The points were more the result of mistakes on the part of the Storm than concentrated ball possession.
To their credit, Buccaneer players Ben Blair and Sean Murphy were able to flash signs of breaking down the Storm’s line of defense with limited forays past midfield.
Meanwhile, the Storm struggled to get their backs on target. Several key ball handling errors prevented any significant scoring opportunities in Buccaneer territory.
In the second half, Storm pulled it together and made some fabulous runs. Tim Rossiter, Ben Tressider and Kewsick Wright orchestrated quick, coordinated scrums and lineouts that put the Buccaneers on the back foot. Unlike the first half, Storm made good on their scoring opportunities with a couple tries and penalty kicks near the Buccaneer goal.
In the end, Buccaneers sealed the win with a try in the final minutes of the game. The final score was DHL Storm 18 and BPC Buccaneers 25.
In the other match on the day, the young Heineken Surge was dominated by Don Fosters Dive Iguanas. The game did see the lead change hands many times but eventually the Iguanas had too much offense for the Surge.
It is to be noted that both squads were short of players. As a result, the field had many open lanes leading to a barrage of long runs and exciting tries. The final score was Heineken Surge 21 and Don Fosters Dive Iguanas 46.
More AA Cup action is slated for this weekend. Saturday 5 April will see two games at the South Sound Rugby Club.
The first match will see Surge challenge Queens gate Pigs Trotters at 2:30pm. The young Surge will look to use their skilled backline to get some points and move out of the cellar of the league. Meanwhile Pigs will hope to field a full side and flex their muscle with powerful forwards.
At 4pm, the second match gets underway with the Buccaneers squaring off against the Iguanas. Fresh off their win last weekend, Buccaneers aim to keep the momentum going. Meanwhile Iguanas will look to remain in the hunt for the AA Cup title.
Going into this weekend’s action the Storm continue to lead the league with 4 wins and 21 points. Close behind are the Buccaneers with 4 wins and 19 points.
For the moment, Iguanas are hanging around with 3 wins and 16 points. Meanwhile Surge and Pigs are lagging behind with a win each and seven and six points respectively.
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