The driest rugby tournament in the world

The t shirts on sale proclaimed it 'The driest rugby tournament in the world', but the lack of the normal free flowing alcohol at events such as this, certainly did nothing to diminish the level of excitement.

On a perfect pitch at the Belapan Stadium and in perfect weather conditions, the five competing national teams gave the enthusiastic crowd plenty to cheer over the two days of competition. The attending match officials included Taizo Hirabayashi, who will next weekend be Assistant Referee at the Tokyo Bledisloe Cup match and Harry Mason, who recently joined the IRB World Sevens Series panel.

Highlight of the weekend for the home fans were Brunei’s two wins over Laos; their first sevens victories since the revival of the Brunei Rugby Football Union in 2004. The first came in Saturday’s pool game, when they quite literally ran the young Laos side off their feet. Led by captain and stand-out player Ahmed Faez bin Anuar, known to all as ‘Eazy’, the local boys ran in five unanswered tries, three of which were converted. This victory was sandwiched between two heavy defeats at the hands of Malaysia and the Philippines, who both had too much ‘know how’, size and pace for the Bruneians.

 

 

With their self belief bolstered by their performance against Laos, team manager Clifford Chin had targeted the pool game against India on Sunday morning as an opportunity for a direct passage to the semi-finals. His confidence was soon proved to not be misplaced, when his side shot into a 5-0 lead through a Lim Shen Quan try. Alas for local supporters, the giant killing was not to come to fruition, as the Indian players decided to muscle it up through their well built centres and managed to edge ahead and record a 12-5 win.

 

India whose squad have been together in a residential training camp for some months and have had the benefit of a three week immersion into South African rugby at the Stellenbosch Academy, were attending the Brunei 7’s as the first leg of a four tournament tour, which will also take in the Borneo 7’s, the Singapore 7’s and the COBRA 10’s in Kuala Lumpur. Having also had recent game time against the Scottish national sevens team they must have fancied their chances of causing an upset or two in Brunei.

 

As it transpired their record as slow starters was to continue. They were defeated in the first game against the Philippines, and will rue missing a last kick penalty attempt, in front of the posts, which would have secured a 15-14 win. They were then outclassed by the Malaysian team losing 31-5 and had to come from behind against tournament minnows Laos to record their first win 38-10.

 

 

 

 

Laos, physically dwarfed by even the Brunei team sent a development team under the stewardship of head coach Steve Howard. Despite being run ragged by both Malaysia and then Brunei, conceding 78 points without troubling the scorer themselves, they showed immense spirit coming out in the third game and having the audacity to take the lead over India. This individual and collective spirit was demonstrated to the full in the game against Malaysia, when fifteen year old scrum-half Vannaxay Somsouth, known to his team-mates as Pern, chased down and then scragged his opponent, who outweighed him by at least 25 kilogrammes, metres short of the line.

Unfortunately their heroics against India were short-lived and in their final pool game on Sunday morning they were to be on the wrong side of a 48-0 score-line against the Philippines.

With players spread across the globe the opportunity for the Philippines team to train together are limited. Prior to Saturday’s first game they had only had one full squad session and that showed in a performance that was somewhat shaky in defensive structure, but typically confident with ball in hand. Both their tries came from stolen ball, but early indication of the team’s wealth of pace was displayed by both poachers, Wolff and Engelbrecht.

A favourite with the many Filipinas in attendance, Andrew Wolff was to suffer a nasty gash to his face, requiring 27 stitches, after a collision with team-mate Noel Flowers. Whilst Wolff was laid out and in desperate defence of their line the Philippines conceded the penalty which looked to have gifted the Indians the game. As it was they were let off the hook and they scraped home 14-12. Next up they put home side Brunei to the sword, running in five tries, all of which were converted. Notable among the try scorers was late call-up John Odulio, who only started playing rugby some six months ago. He bagged a brace in his first major rugby tournament.

 

 

 

 

The pool game against Malaysia was an indication of the class of the opposition. Despite much honest endeavour, the Philippines were sloppy in their execution, an accusation that certainly could not be leveled at the Malaysian team. Engelbrecht, as in the previous two games made an immediate impact on introduction and his pace on the left wing and determination in following up his own chip ahead ultimately led to the Philippines solitary try scored by the industrious Mark Chatting.

 

On Sunday morning the Philippines routed Laos 48-0 with Wolff showing no ill effects and contributing two to the tally.

 

The class act of the tournament was indisputably Malaysia. With three Fijian nationals who qualify through residency, Semi Sovunidakua, Nacani Seniu and Apenisa Vasutoga displaying all the sevens skills for which their fellow countrymen are admired worldwide, they were simply too good for any of the other teams. Captain Lee Wei Ming led his team with assurance and showed that it was not only the Fijian imports that had tricks up their sleeves. The entire Malaysian outfit looked like specialist sevens players, not regular players giving it their best shot.

 

 

 

 

 

In 56 minutes of rugby they racked up 166 points, only conceded 10 and cruised into the semi-finals as top ranked team.

In order to eliminate one team, the fourth and fifth ranked teams were required to play-off. Roared on by a partisan home crowd Brunei seemed to have the game in the bag when they held a 15-0 half-time lead. Laos as previously mentioned may be small in stature, but do not lack anything in sheer guts. In a fine display of national pride they managed to make a contest of the second period, with their efforts even winning over the home fans. With the final score 27-10 to Brunei they advanced to face Malaysia.

 

 

 

 

Laos coach Steve Howard told us that his team had had a wonderful time in Brunei and that they had relished playing teams of such quality. “We have been shown a lot of respect and been made to feel very welcome. I was pleased when we came back after zero scores and led against India. Maybe we gave a glimmer of what we might achieve in the future,” he said.

 

The first semi-final saw veteran Philippine international Noel Flowers, until a week ago the team manager, score a brace to sink the hopes of the Indian team. Both tries were scored down the right flank, the first with Flowers collecting a perfectly weighted chip ahead from Ollie Saunders and the second after he fielded a poor clearance kick and evaded numerous would-be tacklers to force his way over out wide.

 

Malaysia then gave a display of total sevens rugby in winning 47-0 over Brunei, who were chasing shadows for the entire game. Seven different players scored tries and an eighth kicked all seven conversions!

In the plate final India found some late form and were too physically strong for Brunei, running out 34-5 winners. It was the same story in the Shanghai Sevens when they finished with a bang by routing Singapore and coaches Norman Laker and Hendre Marnitz will be working their side hard this week, to ensure they shake off the tag of slow starters. With a mix of Indian Army personnel and members of the prestigious Bombay Gymkhana club they need to prove they are ready to make the jump from ‘also rans’ to serious contenders.

 

 

 

 

In the final the red hot favourites Malaysia took on the injury stricken Philippines. Raf Zappia, who had justified his inclusion with some fine runs and deft handling in the early games, was a notable absentee from the line-up, but with a nothing to lose attitude the Philippines shocked their more illustrious opponents by sharing the first half spoils. Captain Ollie Saunders commanded his troops with distinction and yet again Noel Flowers got on the score-sheet, all ten stone of him muscling over from close in.

 

 

In the second period Malaysia yet again demonstrated their class and added three further tries sealing a 28-7 victory and deservedly winning the Brunei Sevens. K.H. Tan’s men will now look to repeat this performance on home soil at the Borneo 7’s in Kota Kinabalu next weekend, when they will face some of the top teams in the region, in Korea, Japan and Hong Kong.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This excellent weekend, family entertainment thrown in, was a credit to the Brunei rugby community and proof that one does not have to be fuelled by drink to enjoy the thrills of seven a-side rugby. There is no doubt that this will remain a ‘one off’ kind of tournament, but one that has a very valid place in next year’s schedule.

 

 

Images courtesy: Jim Manan

 

This article is also available in the following Country/s. Philippines, Laos, India, Brunei