Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1053035
29 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 18 NOVEMBER 2018 SPORTS RUGBY PHOTOGRAPHY BY IAN AQUILINA BRYAN CORLETT DAY 3 of the Cisk Lager League saw another game played in intermittent rain and a muddy surface under- foot, weather conditions that Maltese players are not used to playing in. The slippery field is a great leveller, where speedy backs can be caught from behind by strong legged forwards. Stompers played the condi- tions with Gum dictating from flyhalf turning the Falcons' de- fence through deft kicks and feeding his strong runners on his shoulder. The half time score was close, at Stompers 12 to Falcons 5, after Matt Camilleri(12) and Mathew Alexander(9) had scored for Stompers and Benji Borg (8) had replied for Fal- cons. Camilleri's try was a break from half way, straightening his run to wrong foot the Fal- cons' defence to score under the posts. Alexander's was from a blind side run with a dummy, a shimmy and over to score his try, with Gum con- verting the first try. Benji Borg scored from a bullocking run close to the line, going over in a tackle. With the wind in the sec- ond half, there was an expec- tation for Falcons to control the game with the boot, kick- ing into the corners and using their big forwards near the line to work their way over. The coaches' instructions went out the window though and the players were tap kicking pen- alties from inside their own 22 and expecting to run 78 me- tres to score down the other end of the field. But sadly without a playmak- er at 10 who could kick and put his stamp on the game, they struggled. Stompers gained in confi- dence, as they witnessed their plight and took the game to them with their big runners Cerketta(5) and Zanin(4) crossing the gainline and cre- ating space for their quick- er runners out wide, Julian Caruana scored in the corner, coming into the backline, Nick Formosa(14) flashed down the touchline to score, Zanin scored twice from quick ruck ball, showing some quality skills, even putting Cerketta in for a try as well. Taking the score out to 34 to 5. Even los- ing Mathew Spiteri(1) to the sin bin, did not slow their pro- gress. It was a tired and frustrated Falcons team, that just could not get back into the game. Having Andrew Vella(7) sent to the sin bin didn't help their cause either, as referee Sean Doublesin began to police the high tackles. Martin Barbara(5) gave his team some hope, ending the game with a try under the posts, using his strength, after a nice kick through by Liam Davis(10) had opened up the Stompers defence. Final score Stompers 39, Falcons 10. Men of the Match: Stomp- ers: Paolo Zanin(4). Falcons: Andrew Vella(7). Overseas vs Kavallieri In the second game Over- seas defeated Kavallieri in a closely-fought game by 6 points to 0. Men of the Match: Over- seas: George Widdop(9). Kavallieri: Ousmane Ko- nate(7). Refereed by Sam Ramage. Stompers' wet weather skills too good for Falcons