MANZA exacts sweet revenge in Jakarta

JAKARTA (JP): Still smarting from losing to the Jakarta Touch Rugby Club (JTRC) in the final of its own tournament last November, MANZA from Kuala Lumpur exacted sweet revenge by winning the JTRC invitational mixed tournament here Saturday.

After starting uncertainly in the round-robin section of the ten team event, including losing to the JTRC Cavaliers - who had had one player sent off - MANZA played with greater discipline in the knock-out stages.

In the semifinals it defeated the pre-tournament favorites, the JTRC Barbarians, and then met the Cavaliers again in the final.

At full time the score was 2-2, Peter Coomer and former SEA Games track gold medalist Dilip Kaur having scored for MANZA while Myke Cavanagh and Stuart Dunbar touched down for the Cavaliers.

There then began extra time, in which both sides lost one player after every two minutes. After two and a half minutes, with both sides reduced to six players, Greg Bate sidestepped his opposite number on the half-way line to break away and score the try that gave MANZA the Coca-Cola Cup.

Winning captain Steve Heaton said afterwards: "It was a bit of grudge match with us having lost to the Cavaliers earlier in the tournament. But once it came to the drop-off extra time we fancied our chances."

A philosophical Russell Macey, the Cavaliers captain, said: "It was a great final. Both teams lifted their games for the match and it was always going to be close.

"Unfortunately it was MANZA who got the decisive break but I thought the whole of our team played very well throughout the tournament."

In the plate competition Jakarta International School (JIS) demolished the MANZA second team 8-0, making the students the event's leading try scorers.

JIS' Anna Lopez was voted the tournament's most valuable female player while Mike Patterson of the Singapore Wanderers took the male award.

Tournament organizer Mark Morgan said: "JIS' success shows the sport is developing well locally at the youth level and I'm sure it will only go from strength to strength." (jea)