Alligators Cisk Export 0

Globalair Overseas 31

There was an air of great expectation around this game, as Globalair Overseas were finally revealing their hand in this year’s Cisk Lager Rugby championship. We had heard about their new coach, ex-Malta international, Philip Felice and also that they had unearthed some new player talent.

But up against a feisty Alligators Cisk Export team, they had to work hard to dominate.

One notable missing face for Globalair Overseas was captain Daryl Psaila who was on international duty, making his first start in Croatia.

Up front in the forwards, they ground down the Alligators Cisk Export pack, but when they went wide, trying to move the ball through the backline, it all seemed to come unstuck.

The ball moved too slowly through the hands, their kicking game just didn’t seem to work and there was no pace in their running game either. Very uncharacteristic for a Globalair Overseas team, that in the past, has always played the wide ball with a confident skill.

The Alligators Cisk Export flyhalf Jamie Acheson has a few tricks up his sleeve – he can step, run and kick well, so he kept Globalair Overseas guessing as to what he was going to do next.

But the Overseas pack kept toiling away and holes began to open up in the Alligators Cisk Export defensive line and with the Globalair Overseas loose forwards finally beginning to link up, they were able to put their Blindside flanker in for three tries.

The Alligators Cisk Export Timithy Womack, scrum half Beppe Sammut and fly half were working well together, trying to break through, only to be thwarted by dropped balls or hitting a wall of large Globalair Overseas forwards. Both second rowers for Globalair Overseas, would have to be around the 120kgs mark, with their ex-handball player at Clayton Cassar, showing some deft handling skills, in only his first month of playing rugby and he ran in two tries. He looks promising and is one to keep an eye on.

It was a scrappy disjointed game of rugby, but it was Globalair Overseas’ first game of the season, so they can be excused for being a little rusty. Alligators Cisk Export are surprising everyone with their competitive spirit and will also get better, as they gain fitness and confidence, to take the other teams on.

This was a historic game, as both touch judges were women, both having done the Referee’s course. We may yet see our first international woman’s referee, hailing from this small island.

Man of the match as voted by the press was Globalair Overseas right lock Clayton Cassar.

Globalair Overseas have now taken over from Stompers TGI Fridays in second place, with Kavallieri Cisk Excel in first and Stompers TGI Fridays in third, all on five points from their opening games.

Alligators Cisk Export RFC: A. Cutajar, T. Micallef, P. Caruana, L. Xuereb, S. Strijbosch, T. Muscat, M. Mamo, T. Womack, B. Sammut, J. Acheson, M. Abdilla, M. Farrugia (c), M. Bianchi, K. Grixti, R. Parnis England.

Substitutes – I. Sullivan, M. Sullivan, S. Cordina, J. Busuttil, A. Pace, C. Sammut, A. Hillman.

Coach – Barry Von Moll.

Globalair Overseas RUFC: S. Schembri-Warren, D. Goodwin, P. Camilleri, T. Devaney, C. Cassar, A. O’Reilly, J. Howland (c), P. Allen, D. Mifsud Bonnici, J. Barlogio, D. Azzopardi, G. Van Reevan, C. Cachia, P. Sparling, D. Judd.

Substitutes – A. Thompson, N. West, S. Jones, K. Tonna, B. Dalton, E. Axisa, T. Paivarinta.

Coach – Phillip Felice.

Referee: Mr. Samuel Ramage

Scorers: Tries – Camilleri 16 and 70, O’Reilly 38, 62 and 79. Conversions – Sparling 16 and 38, Tonna 62.

Yellow Card: Mamo 68.

Cisk Lager Player of the Game: Clayton Cassar.