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54 maltatoday SUNDAY 22 OCTOBER 2017 Sports RUGBY Stompers withstand Kavallieri fight back to win BRYAN CORLETT IN this round two Cisk Lager League game,Stompers came ex- ploding out of the blocks with the wind behind them, to take the score out to 24 to 0 by mid- way through the first half. It was trade mark Stompers Rugby, their big runners Cerketta(4) Matt Spiteri(1),John Ellul(5) and Ryan Spiteri(2) with front foot ball get- ting over the gainline allowing their quick backs room to move. From their kick off Max Galea(9) caught the ball and ran into the Kavallieri 22 and after a few pick and goes John Ellul(5) scored out wide. Then again Galea(9) had a weaving run to score from the restart, so with just 5 minutes on the clock Stompers had raced out to a 10 nil lead, with their conver- sion attempts all wayward. Mathew Spiteri(1) had a charg- ing run downfield off loading to Malcolm Attard(13) who f lipped the ball to Richard Gum(10) to score the first of his three tries, which Attard converted to make the score: Stompers 17 Kavallieri yet to score. Matt Camilleri had a bruising run bumping off players who tried to tackle him too high, Mathew Spiteri(1) took the of- f load and powered his way over to score, with Max Galea's con- version it was 24 to 0 to Stomp- ers, with the young Kavallieri players looking a bit intimidated with the speed and structure of the Stomper's game. A yellow card to Sapojnikov(3) for repeated infringing heralded a sea change in the game with Kavallieri finally getting their hands on the ball and with their playmaker Darren Edmunds(10) finding his feet they made head- way, with Hincu(2) finally scor- ing after a period of pressure on the Stomper's line. Stompers 24, Kavallieri 5. Dalton(11) had a few good runs backing his speed and side step, heading off downfield from his own 22, finally with a chip down- field, but running back to gather Caruana(15) used his elusive speed to get out of trouble. From a lineout the veteran Malcolm Attard took an inside ball over the gainline which was then spun wide to Mathew Alex- ander(14) to score in the corner, which Galea(9) converted to re- store Stomper's momentum. But the final play of the half had Brendan Dalton(11) scoring under the posts after the Kavalli- eri forwards Branton Bonello (6), Acuna(1) Samuel Zammit(7) and Sapojnikov(3) had forced their way into the Stompers 22. The half time score was Stomp- ers 31, Kavallieri 12 after Ed- munds had converted Dalton's try. From the second half kick off, the ball moved quickly to Ed- munds running a straight line and he scored under the posts to inch closer on the scoreboard at Stompers 31 Kavallieri 19 with his conversion. Kavallieri looked like another team as they found some self be- lief. Edmunds was using his boot and the wind to take his team downfield, with one beauty carv- ing off 70 metres from his own tryline and another kick pass to Dalton out wide, was only thwarted by Richard Gum pluck- ing the ball out of the air, in front of the f lying Dalton. Edmunds almost intercepted a wide Stomper's pass only to see the ball swiftly move into the hands of Gum(10) who scored running around behind the posts, with the Galea conversion it was 38 to 19. For a period of 15 minutes the game got ugly as mistakes crept in on both sides, with forward passes, knock ons, lineout ball not straight and players going off their feet at the tackle, Referee Carmelo Longo was trying to play advantage, but possibly the play- ers didn't appreciate his intent and began to back chat. Another try to Gum near the posts and then Caruana(15) re- ceiving an inside ball from Attard lifted their team and with Galea finding his range with his kick- ing, the score ballooned out to 52 to 19 for Stompers. But it was Kavallieri who fin- ished the game in ascendancy with a feisty run by Nathan Zam- mit(6) smashing his way upfield then moving the ball through the hands for a Hincu(2) charge at the line to score his second try, for Edmunds to convert. Then a Nick Horne(13) try out wide, again from a combined for- wards and backs charge upfield made the final score Stompers 52, Kavallieri 31. Men of the Match: Stompers: Richard Gum & Max Galea. Kav- allieri: Daniel Hincu & Darren Edmunds. Referee: Carmelo Longo and ARs: Joe Cutajar and Amanda Cassar. In the second game Overseas won over Falcons by 26 to 10. Next Saturday 28th October the Malta National team will play Bosnia away, then the following Saturday 4th November Croatia at home at the Hibernian's Sta- dium. PHOTOGRAPHY BY ZARA AMEEN