On a wet and very windy afternoon at the Europa Sports Park, this season’s Gibraltar Rugby Championship reached the halfway stage with the eagerly anticipated top of the table clash between the IBEX Buccaneers and the DHL Europa Stormers with the Inline Framing Straits Sharks and Sovereign Scorpions looking for their first win of the season. Hats off to all the teams for putting on such entertaining performances in these conditions.
InLine Framing Straits Sharks 29 – 5 Sovereign Rock Scorpions
With both teams seeking their first win in the Championship this was a must win game. The weather conditions didn’t help but it was the Sharks who were first on the scoreboard with their forwards driving close to the line and Cabral emerging from under a pile of bodies to claim the try. Following this, however, the Scorpions got into the game and, with their forwards on top at the set piece, had a period of sustained pressure in the Sharks half. Unfortunately, they couldn’t convert their possession or territory into points and failed to convert at least three clear chances. Eventually, the Sharks managed to clear their lines with a good clearance kick into the wind, and a subsequent penalty took them to within five metres of the Scorpions line where they crashed over for their second score. Another forward drive in the last minute of the half gave Cabral his second score and thanks to some accurate kicking from fly half Isola, the Sharks were 19-0 at half time.
The second half started where the first had finished, with the Sharks on the offensive but this time their attacks were thwarted by a stalwart defence from the Scorpions. In fact, it wasn’t until the final quarter of the game that the deadlock was broken with a wonderful breakout from defence by the Scorpions backs, followed by quick hands and good offloads that gave Stone the space to finish off the move with a score. It was a well-deserved reward for their efforts, but any hope of a comeback was dashed by Isola, who was mastering the wind with his kicking, slotting over a long-range penalty. And he sealed it minutes later with a well weighted cross field kick that fell nicely for Petrie to canter in under the posts. Isola’s kicking kept the Scorpions pinned in their own 22 until the final whistle, and a satisfactory 29-5 first victory for the Sharks.
The Spirit of the Rock Man of the Match award was presented to Matt Isola of Straits Sharks for his efforts during the 80 minutes.
IBEX Bay Buccaneers 27 – 22 DHL Europa Stormers
With both teams going into the contest unbeaten, the winner would clearly have the upper hand going into the last three games and, unsurprisingly, it was a lively start to the game. The Stormers exerted the early pressure resulting in the Buccaneers conceding one of too many penalties – discipline being their nemesis this season. With a kicker like fly-half Cruz in the Stormers team, it was an expensive mistake, and he opened the scoring with an accurate kick. Both teams tried to establish control of the game, but it was the Buccaneers forwards who began to win the contest in the scrums, although the wind was playing havoc for both lineouts. Pressure from the Buccaneers continued and from a quick tap, Eastwell managed to score from the ensuing ruck. Although the Buccaneers were edging the possession and territory, the Stormers were the more efficient, coming away with points on each visit to the opposition 22 and just prior to half time Beazley gave them the lead crashing over following another infringement.
8-5 was the half time score and the Stormers started the second half stronger, with the Buccaneers conceding another series of penalties close to their line. It was only a matter of time before their defence was breached and Southern broke through to give the Stormers some clear water at 15-5. There it stayed for around 20 minutes as the Buccaneers gradually squeezed the pressure on the Stormers forwards and lock Graham was able to score in the corner to bring the score back within five points. Buccaneers fly half Lewis was kicking well from hand, despite the wind, and put his team in a great field position. From the lineout Payas was able to gather a loose ball and go over to level the score. The Buccaneers had their tails up and five minutes later, from a dominant scrum, the ball went wide and Payas was in space to finish off the move, grab his second try and with it the lead. Kells added another and with Jones’s conversion it was 27-15, but the Stormers weren’t finished and came right back into the game with a charge up the centre finished off by Ecclestone in the closing minute. 27-22 was the final score from an enthralling game between two evenly matched teams. Buccaneers must now embrace the pressure of being favourites to win the league and repeat their 2019-20 success. However, with Stormers hot on their tail they will be eager to bounce back and keep the pressure on new league leaders.
Luke Eastwell of Buccaneers was the recipient of the Spirit of the Rock Man of the Match award at Full-Time.
With three rounds left, each team must face each other once more in the league, and with performances improving across all four clubs it’s safe to say the league is not over yet and there is all to play for when the league returns on Saturday 8th May!
u-mee Gibraltar Rugby Championship 