John Doak Architecture Iguanas flying high

(CRFU): The John Doak Architecture Iguanas secured the Heineken Charity Shield for the first time on Saturday 19 November with a hard fought 23-5 win over the Krys Global Buccaneers. Both teams had played for the shield once before against the DHL Cayman Storm but neither had any previous success as the Storm have kept a firm grip on the trophy since its inception. However, having finished 3rd in the domestic league competition last year the DHL Storm were unable to earn the opportunity to retain the Shield for a 3rd consecutive season. The Iguanas, current holders of the Alex Alexander Memorial League Trophy and the Buccaneers, current holders of the Waterford Knockout Vase kicked off in the afternoon having enjoyed a fiery encounter earlier in the day when the DHL Storm took on the Queensgate Pigs Trotters in the new “Heineken Wooden Spoon” competition.

The high-scoring fixture, tabled to be a friendly, was anything but as tempers flared on more than one occasion.

The Pigs Trotters, looking to overturn last years lacklustre season had moments of brilliance with good offloading in the tackle and strong backline running testing the DHL Storm defence but it was again the individual brilliance of DHL Storm stalwart Vanassio Tokotokovanua who kept the scoreboard ticking over in favour of his team with the help of Josh Clarke, Michael Sumares and newly re-positioned Storm fly-half Keswick Wright.

The final score of 47-33 in favour of the Storm was not the one sided affair some expected against the Pigs Trotters and surely announces the Pigs as a team with real ambition to contend for silver-wear this domestic XV’s season.

In the main match of the day the Iguanas and Buccaneers faced off in the knowledge that the game would be a test of endurance as neither team was playing with a subs bench and players normally suffer from a lack of fitness early in the season and whereas the Buccaneers had won the A.R. Scott 10’s competition and a handful of the Buccaneers players including Dan Bond and Phil “Boo” Fourie had recently returned from National 7’s success in Barbados the vast majority of the Iguanas had not played competitive rugby in a year.

Regardless, the Iguanas preparation for the game clearly paid off and the likes of Chris Palmer and Jon Murphy found little of their usual success against an Iguana backline that held strong and marched into the half time break with a 10-0 lead thanks to a Johnny Doak penalty and a Tom Mann converted try.

Whilst the Buccaneers finally got on the score board thanks to a James Gibb try the Iguanasmanaged more points in the 2nd half with an Etienne Duvenage converted try and 2 more penalty kicks to bring up the final 23-5 win and the first trophy awarded of the 2011-2012 domestic season

Next games:
Alex Alexander Memorial League Trophy 1st Round:

26 November 2011
DHL Cayman Storm vs. John Doak Architecture Iguanas @2pm
Krys Global Buccaneers vs. Queensgate Pigs Trotters @4pm

All games are streamed live worldwide on www.caymanrugbytv.com

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