Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/904009
54 Overseas .................... 29 Kavallieri ................... 17 BRYAN CORLETT WITH the Malta International games taking precedence and then a rained out Saturday last week, Rugby hadn't been played at Marsa for a month. So both Kav- allieri and Overseas were chomp- ing at the bit, wanting to get their hands on the ball and play some "Rugger". The game promised a lot and there were patches of Rugby that would even convert the non-be- liever, that Rugby can be a free f lowing game, but it was a stop- start sort of game. Overseas started off into the wind and looked as if they were going to run away with the game as their big forwards and f leet footed backs combined to score two converted tries within fifteen minutes. The ill-discipline by Kavallieri didn't help their cause either, as three yellow cards were f lashed by Czechoslovakian Referee Va- clav Herman who was visiting Malta on a Referee exchange with Maltese Referee Da Silva having efereed in his country last week- end. The last time these two teams had met in the Cisk Lager League, Overseas had raced away to a fifty point win. Much was expected from Over- seas, but a new look backline didn't quite gel, with some way- ward passes thrown and wrong options taken in the heat of the battle. Anthony Harvey(3) back from his National team duties, scored the first try under the posts af- ter an Overseas forward drive, with Clayton Cassar(8) running strongly, which was then con- verted by Christian Briffa(10). Yellow cards went to Andrei Longo(3) on six minutes, for repeated offside, Darren Ed- munds(10) on ten minutes for a shoulder charge in a tackle and then on eighteen minutes Andrei Sapojnikov(1) for not retiring ten metres for a penalty. So most of the first half Kavallieri were play- ing with gaps in their ranks. Luke Sheehan(6) scored for Overseas after a lineout in the corner, a quick ball through the hands from a ruck, then with Harvey off loading for Sheehan to score the converted try, with Briffa adding the extras. Over- seas were looking good at 14 to 0. But Kavallieri did well to hold on and fight their way upfield with Edmunds putting a couple of long penalty kicks into the corner for lineouts. Quick ball from a turnover in the tackle had Edmunds running and passing to Dalton(11) step- ping down the touchline and back around under the posts to score their first try and with the Chris Zahra conversion, Kavallieri were back in the game at 14 to 7. Two kick offs by Briffa that did not go the 10 metres had Kaval- lieri scrumming on the half way and attacking again and from a short throw in at a lineout, Sapo- jnikov(1) charged over to score in the corner. Overseas' mistakes had opened the door again for Kavallieri . That took the half time score to Overseas 14, Kavallieri 12. Overseas kicked off the second half with the wind behind them and the voice of their Coach Ga- reth Corcoran in their ears, tell- ing them to play to the game plan and to cut out the mistakes! Too many times promising Overseas moves fizzled out as the forwards ran the ball away from their backline, back inside to Kavallieri's strength, or tried to off load in the tackle instead of quick ball going wide. Edmunds was kicking high balls, trying to get his pack go- ing forward, but Clayton Cassar's ball handling was perfect, taking the ball going backwards, then charging back over the advantage line. He scored running wide, after Brandon Busutil(22) and Chris Borg(11) had linked going right, then with quick ball through the hands, finding Cassar charging forward to score. Harvey scored another, with his forwards shunting him over from a catch and drive from a lineout, Taking the score out to 26 to 12 with just one Briffa conversion from the two tries. Again it seemed that Overseas would run away with it, but Kav- allieri were still battling and from a arcing kick for his winger from Edmunds, Debierre realised he couldn't catch it, so he toed the ball back infield to Bedarhan(15) who raced onto it and ran 20 me- tres to score, Zahra's kick from in front bounced off the crossbar to make the score Overseas 26, Kav- allieri 17. A moment of madness saw Ed- munds get a second yellow card, which then became a red, for a tackle off the ball. From the re- sulting penalty Briffa sent the ball 40 metres through the up- rights to make the final score Overseas 29, Kavallieri 17. Men of the Match: Overseas: Clayton Cassar (8), Kavallieri: Fajak Hanan Bedarhan(15). In the second game Stompers defeated Falcons by 49 points to 25. maltatoday SUNDAY 19 NOVEMBER 2017 Sports RUGBY Overseas win the first game of the MeDirect Group Cup Competition PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAKE GHIRLANDO