Five nations, five tries

(CRFU): As Round 3 of the Touch Rugby Summer League 2011 came to a close, the form guide shows which teams have the early season form that could take them to those all-important play-off places.  Teams can reflect on their recent performances as they enter a two week hiatus so the Cayman rugby community can focus on the Under-19 Caribbean Championships and the Women’s Caribbean Championships, both being played right here in Grand Cayman. In Division 1, Genesis Five Nations had an emphatic 5-0 win over DMS.  This truly multicultural outfit easily lives up to its motto of “Games without Frontiers”. 

Boasting players from such far flung places as England, Scotland, Ireland and Jersey they play a game of contrasts.  The “sledgehammer” of Henshaw, Andersen and Kehoe is offset against the rapier of Toketokevanua and Byrne.  Venassio Toketokevanua, from the island nation of Fiji, has lightning feet to put him through a gap.  Howard Byrne, born and raised on the sunny shores of Dublin City, adds audacious handling skills and throws some outrageous dummies.  Both sprinkle stardust over this team. 

However the moment of the match came early in the first half when Steve “the Baker” led a 40m chase down the touchline that had the crowd out of his seat.  As if in High Definition Slo-Mo he somehow managed to outrun the defence before collapsing in a heap over the try line.  It was a great effort but I don’t think Usain Bolt has anything to worry about just yet!
Maples1 racked up a convincing 8-1 win against Appleby to make it three wins from three.  With the return of Scott MacDonald to the starting lineup his trademark side-step kept the defence just beyond arms-length as he ran in two well-taken tries. 

Team LIME took the honours in the battle of the newbies beating Walkers Blue Iguanas 4-3.  Both teams were bright in patches and Walkers ensured that it was close right up to the full time whistle.  However, that’s three defeats on the bounce for Walkers, and the two week break may give them time to re-group and find that first win.

PWC continued their recent form with a win in an excellent game with Ogier.  In a tight match they just pipped it 5-4.   Ogier are struggling for points this season but they have been close in all their games so far and a win must surely come soon.    PWC, on the other hand, are building nicely and currently sit third in the table.

In Division 2, Trident Titans used their archetypal three-pronged attack of Matt Smith, Stu Miller and James Waters to put KPMG1 to the sword in an entertaining match.  Eventually winning 8-5 the game was even in the first half but Titans came on strong as the match progressed and Smith dealt the fatal blow with a 3 neat tries.

UBS and Maples2 remain joint top of the division with wins over Harmonic (10-4) and DART (7-5) respectively.  UBS shared out their tries amongst six different players but Shane Gallery caught the eyes of the spectators’ gallery when he ran in three tries on the day.  Tim Rossiter of Harmonic led from the front with his third hat-trick in 3 games, making him the league’s top scorer.  Meanwhile Maples2 came up against a spirited

DART team who, although they have lost three from three, seem to have little trouble scoring tries – they have racked up 15 in three games.  However, some work on their defence is needed to ensure that gaps are closed and the touches can be made.  Neal Ainscow notched up a brace of braces winning his second MVP award in as many weeks.
Resplendent in vivid orange, Campbells notched up their first victory of the season, with a 6-3 win over the (not so) Happy-Fish Ticklers.  A stand out performance by try-hero Dicky Thomas helped secure all three points.   

In Division 3, Credit-Suisse ran out of credit this week as they got turned over by a KPMG2 team in a top-of-the-table clash.  Well-rehearsed in the snatch and grab of touch rugby, KPMG2 scored four tries in total, and Jan-Sorel Kruger rightly took the plaudits in his last game for the team.  His two tries made the difference and he can leave the island knowing his team is top of the table. I’m sure he’ll be missed by all, especially his touch rugby teammates.

In the epic battle of the Shortest-Named-Side-In-The-League versus the Team-With-The-Longest-Name, GCM beat Queensgate Grizz’s Old Fellas 6-3.  Philip Fourie starred for GCM in a spectacular one handed display.  Having damaged his hand helping an old lady across the road, he still had the skills to run in four tries.  His two fingered salute to the crowd could have been misinterpreted but actually it was in honour of the fact that they were the only ones he hadn’t broken.

However, this was not enough to be the game’s MVP, this accolade goes to Kate McClymont of the Old Fellas for an astonishing performance.  “I owe it all to my teammates, they are the best!” she said when interviewed after the game.  She’s not wrong.  Great defence and she bought a bucket too.  Well played mademoiselle!

Deloitte hammered Island Heritage running in 11 tries.  It was a bad day at the office for the Heritagers’ defence and Deloitte shared the tries out amongst six different players.  They claim their first win of the season with great interplay and fast breaks through the defensive line.

In the battle for the Ampersand (&) Cup, Rawlinson & Hunter beat Ernst & Young 5 tries to 3. Conrad Proud put in another fine performance with three tries and claimed the Player of the Match award.

Player of the Week
This week’s Heineken Touch Player of the Week goes to Neal Ainscow from DART.  His inspirational performances for DART have caught the eye and his 4-try haul merits this prestigious award.  A bucket of cold ones awaits you at the bar, Sir!
This year caymanrugbytv.com will be showing a selection of touch rugby games each week.  Fans can also become friends of Cayman Rugby on Facebook to see player profiles, interviews and get an inside look at the worlds of touch rugby.

Division 1 Results
Maples 1 8 v. 1 Appleby
Genesis 5 Nations 5 v. 0 DMS
Team LIME 4 v. 3 Walkers Blue Iguanas
PWC  5 v. 4 Ogier
 
Division 2 Results    
Campbells 6 v. 3 Happyfish Ticklers
Maples2 7 v. 5 DART
KPMG1 5 v. 8 Trident Titans
UBS 10 v. 4 Harmonic
   
Division 3 Results    
Island Heritage 3 v. 11 Deloitte
Ernst&Young 3 v. 5 Rawlinson&Hunter
GCM 6 v. 3 Queensgate Grizz’s Old Fellas
Credit-Suisse 1 v. 4 KPMG2