After three successive provincial U18 rugby championships, the Dogs RFC lost a hard fought match to the Vandals on Monday evening – relinquishing the title only after a fight to the bitter end.
The match opened with Vandals’ Zac Sutton scoring a try followed by Dogs’ Mark Oake. The two teams exchanged ends with strong defencive lines exhibited by both sides ending the 1st half in a 5-5 tie.
The second half opened with Vandals’ Riley Crane and Mac Frost grounding the ball over the Dogs’ try line followed by Ben Newhook scoring a well-placed conversion giving the Vandals a 17-5 lead. Dogs’ player Jacob Taverner finally broke the Vandals defence barrier followed by Andrew Steele, closing the gap to 17-15. Scott Barnes of the Vandals sealed a 22-15 win with 5 minutes left on the clock. Kickers on both sides were hindered by stiff cross winds throughout the match. Vandals Coach, Mike Green, admitted that the end was nerve-wracking as the Dogs offence remained strong until the final whistle.
Vandals Scorers:
Zac Sutton – 1 try (5 pts)
Riley Crane – 1 try (5 pts)
Mac Frost – 1 try (5 pts)
Scott Barnes – 1 try (5 pts)
Ben Newhook – 1 conversion (2 pts)
Dogs Scorers:
Mark Oake – 1 try ( 5 pts)
Jacob Taverner – 1 try (5 pts)
Andrew Steele – 1 try (5 pts)
