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29 | SUNDAY • 20 MAY 2018 maltatoday SPORTS FOOTBALL RUGBY Lithuania too strong for Malta LITHUANIA ranked at 35, two above Malta in the World Rugby rankings, won this Rugby Europe Conference 1 playoff game, to decide who would go up into the Rugby Europe Trophy Division. It was always going to be a tough ask for the Malta team, that hadn't played together for almost two months, to come back and pick up where they left off against Andorra and that 89 to 6 win. Played in Lithuania, in front of several thousand raucous fans, with just a lone Maltese flag fly- ing in the stands. Lithuania used their strength in the forwards and mobility in the backs to run out the winners by 81 points to 10. Playing with the wind in the first half, Lithuania scored con- sistently playing a style similar to the game that Malta likes to play, quick ball through the hands, putting players into space. Within three minutes Lithu- ania were on the board from a try out wide to Martynas Lianz- bergas(6), who went on to score a hat trick of tries with his strong running. Malta were trying to get into the game, but could not hold onto the ball through enough phases, to keep Lithuania under pressure. Dropped passes also stopped their momentum, only to see Lithuania kick downfield to undo all their efforts. Rhodri Apsee(1) was trying to get his forwards going with some bullocking runs, well supported by his forwards, but the Lithu- ania defence was solid. James Kirk(14) made a great turnover to relieve some pres- sure from a dangerous situa- tion, but the Lithuanians kept on coming and scored through their forwards, from a pick and go near the line, then a full length of the field try to Ignas Jankaitas(14). Deguara(6) put in a big tackle to knock over a free running Lithu- anian near the line, but from a scrum the scrumhalf Tautvydas Krasaukas scored in the corner from an offload on the line, with his No8 Radzius going down the blindside. Lithuania put up a high kick, it was dropped at the back and then bounced into the arms of Buguzis(11) and he raced away to score under the posts. Malta finally got on the score- board with a James Kirk(14) try, scoring out wide after a few phases, from a quick tap penalty by the alert Tom Holloway(9). But two more tries to Lithuania by Marcisauskas(12) with some interchange passing, going down the blindside and then Lianzber- gas(6) busting his way through the midfield to score under the posts, made the halftime score Lithuania 45, Malta 5. Even with the wind it was a long way back for Malta, the first few minutes had the Maltese boys camped inside the Lithuanian 22, but a dropped ball eventually led to a try at the other end for Lithuania's Buguzis(11) after a break by the fullback Bloskys. As the game began to open up Lianzbergas completed his hat trick, with a try under the posts from broken play, Kizilaitis(10) also scored from a bouncing ball near the Maltese line. A yellow card to Radzius(8) for a deliberate knock on, saw Malta up their game and Clayton Cas- sar, Rhodri and Daniel Apsee were running strongly. Quaren- don directed play towards Dud- man(11) for him to score wide out. It was a small comeback to take the score at that stage to Lithu- ania 64, Malta 10. A couple of surging Malta scrums pushed Lithuania off their scrum ball to win a series of penalties. Malta's reserves came on, Richard Gum(21) got his first cap, he was chasing the kick offs with intent. But it was Lithuania who fin- ished strongly, scoring three more tries to Urbonas(19) after a pick and go near the line, Bu- guzis(11) from an interception as Malta were building an attack, then Gedminas(22) going left with the fullback Bloskys com- ing in as extra man in the back- line, taking the final score out to Lithuania 81, Malta 10. It marks the end of the season for Damian Neill's men who did win three out of four Interna- tionals, still a great effort! Malta Team: James O'Brien, James Kirk, Robert Holloway, Dominic Busutil, Chris Dudman, Toby Quarendon, Thomas Hol- loway, Gary Hili, Daniel Apsee, Darren Deguara, Dragan Cer- ketta, Clayton Cassar, Anthony Harvey, Daniel Holliday, Rhodri Apsee. Reserves: Mathew Spiteri, Ga- briel Scicluna, Brendan Dalton, Benjamin Borg, Andrew Vella, Richard Gum, Malcolm Attard, Terence Galdes. Coach: Damian Neill. Manager: Carmelo Longo. Report: Bryan Corlett TALISMANIC goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon bid a tearful farewell to Juven- tus after 17 seasons at the club when he played his last match for them in a 2-1 win over relegated Verona yesterday. The Turin side, who clinched their seventh consecutive Serie A title a week ago, were leading 2-0 when Buf- fon was substituted just after the hour in his 656th appearance for the club in all competitions. The 2006 World Cup winner handed his captain's armband to midfielder Claudio Marchisio then hugged several team mates and rival players as he left the field in tears to a standing ovation. He then walked around the perimeter, shaking hands with supporters in the front row. Buffon, who won nine Serie A and four Coppa Italia titles with Juventus and had kept 300 clean sheets heading into Saturday's match, was replaced by third-choice goalkeeper Carlo Pin- soglio, who made his first appearance for the club. Buffon, who announced on Thursday that he would leave Juventus at the end of the season, had one save to make when he blocked a shot by Mohamed Fares in the first half. Daniele Rugani put Juventus ahead four minutes after halftime from a re- bound when Douglas Costa's shot was parried by Verona goalkeeper Nicolas and Miralem Pjanic added a second from a free kick three minutes later. Buffon bids tearful farewell to Juventus after 656 games