Summer Rugby heats up

(CIRU): It was a bumper week of tries in Round 4 of the Summer Touch Rugby League 2011 with 139 tries scored in just 12 matches. Players are clearly getting their attacking mojos working with dazzling footwork and great handling. Three teams even reached double figures on the scoreboard, leaving defences scratching their heads as to how to counteract such offensive flair. In Division 1, PWC had the stand out performance running in 12 tries against Team LIME.  After a first round defeat, PWC are on a 3-game winning streak and going from strength to strength. They shared the tries between 8 different players and their usual slick passing and offloads were too much for a Team LIME unit that has been improving all season.  (Photo: Caroline Deegan)

This win closes the gap on the league leaders and PWC must surely be considered contenders for the title.

Maples1 and Genesis Five Nations, the oldest and fiercest rivalry in the history of Cayman Touch Rugby, could not be separated, playing out a 5-5 draw.  Joint league leaders before the game, they had a titanic battle with no quarter given and none asked.  These two teams play tough touch rugby and any game is a difficult one to referee.  Kudos must go to James Waters for keeping a lid on proceedings.  Both defences, normally as tight as an old pair of pants, conceded more tries in this one game than they have all season – a fact that will displease both captains who pride themselves on their miserly offerings in the “tries against” column.  

Lisa Kehoe, like a diminutive Phil Collins but with more hair, orchestrated all that was good for Genesis and was rewarded with 3 tries and the MVP award.  As the smallest player on the pitch it clearly demonstrates that this form of rugby is not all about size.  A spokesperson for Genesis said, “There was something in the air tonight, we thought we were down and out but we don’t give up and against all odds we came back in the second half.  At face value a draw is a good result!”

Ogier beat DMS, 7-4.  It was their first win of the season and they have been threatening this for some time.  The fine double act of Waters and Blair, the Fast and the Furious, were the difference on the scoreboard with a hat-trick apiece but both would give credit to their team for providing the support and running lines needed to effect the win.

Walkers Blue Iguanas still can’t find that all-important first win of the season although they ran Appleby mighty close, eventually losing 5-7.  Stuart Geddes put in a stand-out performance with his overall play, composure on the ball and three tries.

In Division 2, the stand out match was a top of the table clash between Maples2 and UBS.  Something had to give as both came into the game with a 100% record to date but it was Maples2 that took the honours, winning out 7-3.  They were never in danger against a UBS team that had little answer to the marauding talents of the ginger assassin Andrew Dean.  His personal tally of four tries was an excellent return for a team performance that showed both determination and skill in equal measure.

The Trident Titans move into third with a well fought 4-3 victory over Happyfish Ticklers.  Titans play some inventive rugby with good inside offloads that keep the defences guessing and often on the back foot. Titans always had the edge and squandered a few chances in the first half but with two tries from Riley Mullen they sealed the win.  Ticklers speedster Iain Blackwell scored a great try, standing up the Titansdefence before sprinting round the outside to score in the corner.

Harmonic recorded their first win of the season with a performance against Campbells that belied their position near the foot of the table.  Rob “Der Blond Bomber” Aspinall, showed the way with three well taken tries, the pick being a clean break from halfway, and then deceiving the covering defender with an audacious overhead dummy being scored in the corner.  Captain Tim Rossiter was most pleased for his teammate stating, “Rob hasn’t scored three times in one night for a long time.  He can stand proud after that performance.”  Campbells showed plenty of pluck throughout and ran in four tries of their own.  Young Richard Thomas was voted MVP for his all action display and avid touch followers will be pleased to note that Shelly Cox broke her barren spell of scoring when, resplendent in what must now be considered her “lucky” new boots, she covered several inches of turf to score at the end.

KPMG1 continued their topsy-turvy season with a convincing win over DART.  Rattling up 8 tries to 2, Gerhard Albertyn was the pick of the bunch with three tries and an all-round top performance.  They’ll be looking to build on this win in the next part of the season.  DART will want to put this early season form behind them as they sit bottom of the table with four defeats on the trot.  Their usual try scoring ability deserted them and their problems in defence continue.  Maybe a few practice sessions are needed to get that first victory.

It was a try time in the opening fixture of Division 3 as Ernst&Young were hammered 1-11 by a Deloitte team that remain undefeated and in second place.  Neal Ainscow ran in 4 tries and was ably supported by Gareth Wilkinson (3) and Rob Fysh (2).  Curtis Wilson made the solitary response for Ernst&Young who succumbed to their heaviest defeat of the season and remain at the bottom of the table.

However, they were surpassed by a 13 try bonanza by KPMG2 who underlined their dominance of the league beating Island Heritage 13-5.  Ian Robertson got 5 tries, the most any one player has scored in a game all season.  The Heritagers’ never gave up and ran in a creditable 5 tries of their own, Marvin Gordon with a hat-trick.

In an entertaining game, Queensgate Grizz’s Old Fellas got their annual victory with a 9-6 win over Credit Suisse.  The Suisse defence had more holes in it than a large Emmenthal cheese and these were wonderfully exploited by Venassio Toketokevanua.  He teased, toyed and tantalized with ball in hand, leaving defenders grasping at thin air and gasping at his speed of turn as well as his turn of speed.  He was more provider than scorer though with the main scoring being done by the husband and wife tag-team of John and Sinead Wagner.  The best double act since Ken and Barbie, each scored two a-piece to maintain marital harmony.  There’s life in the Old Fellas yet.    

Rawlinson&Hunter move up to third with their 2nd win on the bounce against an inconsistent GCM team.  Conrad Proud maintained his fine record of scoring in every round so far with another two tries taking his season total to 8.  He is ably supported by Emma Santiago, who also notched up two tries, making it four tries in three games for her.

This week’s Heineken Touch Player of the Week goes to TR-veteran Lisa Kehoe.  With more energy than a Duracell bunny she scored eight tries for three different teams.  She will be holding seminars all week to pass on her secrets of eternal youth to devotees and followers alike. Well played Ma’am!