Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

It is going to be very very very tough now… if it wasn’t already (that being a massive under statement!).

Im interested to see how this will work and look.

The below article from: http://www.maltasport.com/modules/knowledge/item.php?itemid=3584

Stompers were made to work hard to beat Overseas in the MRFU Championship Pool round two match, while Kavallieri eased to victory against Birkirkara Alligators.

Stompers – Overseas 17-13
With a strong cross wind throughout the game and coupled with the fact that Mario Fountain and Matt Mirabelli were not playing, Stompers struggled to get their running game going, until really late in the proceedings.

Morton was playing at fullback, so his skills were missed in the line, and with Mario Fountain serving a suspension, there was no one running from depth into the backline and so the Stomper’s play was a stop start affair.

Overseas were out to make amends. They had gone close in the two previous games against the Stompers; drawing one and losing by one point in the other.

The spirit of the Overseas play and their defence, shut the Stompers down from their running game and a lively combination between young Vince Stivala and the eternally young Sean Duffy, had the Overseas backline buzzing.

Richard Newbold, back from injury made some fine breaks and put in one particularly good defensive tackle to take out Malcolm Attard, just short of the line. Eight points, to nil at half time, they had pretty well controlled matters with strong running and tackling.

The usually threatening Stompers backs were well harnessed and even the mercurial Satariano was stifled to the point that his half back partnership with Galea was disjointed.

The Overseas pack won the loose ball battles and it really looked as if they had the match under control.

They took the game out to 13 nil; with a well placed penalty kick by Vince Stivala, and two magnificent tries by Dean Mifsud Bonnici and Brian Dalton.

In the second half, Stompers started their comeback as they pulled back a try by Luke Debattista. They moved into a higher gear and Satariano began to create half breaks with his swerving changes of pace to give runners like Attard the opportunities to test the tacklers again and again. Diamantino went on for Stompers and this gave them some extra authority.

Eight minutes left to the final whistle, Overseas just evaporated under pressure and first Schembri Warren was yellow – carded for dissent, and then a couple of minutes later, their Captain was sin-binned for misconduct.

With seconds to go, it looked like Overseas had secured the win, but the real drama was saved for the last play of the game when Overseas won the ball from the scrum and it came back to their scrum – half who had to just run it into touch to win the game.

However, he decided to play the ball wide, and Stompers won the ball from the ensuing breakdown. Chris Morton went over to score the winning try, followed by a successful conversion.

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You will find these dance hits played at Paceville hot spots like Club 22, Shadow Lounge and Club H.

I think our team played strong in parts however this being the Stompers very first game we were rusty in patches of the game which showed in making simple mistakes and turnovers.

We didn’t win… losing 22 – 17.

Here is the local sports write up of the game:

Kavallieri Megaman Cisk Excel started the new rugby season on a high when they clinched the Ray Elliott Cup after a 22-17 win over Stompers TGI Friday.

The rugby season opened at Marsa with a bang as a host of matches were played on the two pitches now available to this swiftly expanding sport, before several hundred spectators.

Traditionally the main match on the first day of the season is between the two top teams of the previous season in which champions Kavallieri started as strong favourites.

However, despite a big growth in playing membership and a comprehensive pre-season training program, they were disappointing.

Had it not been for the fitness of hardened forward veterans and their current internationals they could easily have lost this to the faster Stompers backline.

The Kavallieri backs were slow in thinking and action, with the only real penetration coming from Micalef and Doublesin.

By contrast Stompers enjoyed a selection of speedsters who were always dangerous, and in the first half showed that a number of their younger forwards were ready to move up into senior rugby to make a mark. However, in the end fitness was crucial and Kavallieri had the edge.

Scoring was opened when Morton ripped open the Kavallieri backs to put M. Attard in for an unconverted try for Stompers.

After further pressure by Stompers the ever dangerous Debattista broke well on the blind side but his scoring pass inside was dropped in the touch down so wasted. M. Attard also missed a short-range penalty to waste further points.

Kavallieri Schembri earned a yellow card for an illegal trip on Mirabelli, but Stompers lost the initiative with a series of errors and gave away ground until a stupid penalty allowed Kavallieri to kick touch close to the line and from there it was almost inevitable that their superb lineout maul drill would lead to a score.

Sure enough, Borda burrowed over out of the maul converted to grab the lead, against the run of play.

The second half began with a more focused Kavallieri exerting the traditional forward grind on their less fit opponents, and after Stomper errors gave away many meters of ground they played a brilliant switch lineout which wrecked the defence for Grima to score.

Rob Bonavia made a great 40 metre run, well supported by his fellows deep into Stompers half but they then broke out to win quick ball for Morton to slice through for another fine try to bring Stompers right back.

More Kavallieri forward pressure including a big run by D. Borg, setting up close range attacks, and Doublesin scored for Kavallieri , thanks to a perfect handoff which flattened a tackler.

As the Stompers tired against the grinding Kavallieri spent more time pounding their line, but suddenly the fast backs broke away and only a brilliant cover tackle by Mike Bonavia stopped a try.

Another burst by Rob Bonavia made a second try for Grima to stretch the lead but Stompers hit back with the best try of the match by Debattista, converted by Attard, but it was too little too late and Kavallieri took the Ray Elliott Cup.

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Friday 14th November 2008

Sale Sharks (3) V Worcester Warriors (11)

Friday nights game between third placed Sale Sharks and eleventh placed Worcester Warriors looks like to be one way traffic with top of the table Sharks looking to take another bite in their intentions to win this years Premiership.

Bottom of the table Warriors will have to be weary of the likes of New Zealand born Luke Mcalister who is in career best form for his UK based club.

The Warriors new recruit from the QLD Reds in Australia, Chris Latham, will look to turn the tide of recent results as Worcester is coming close to winning but resulting in narrow defeats in their last few outings.

My tip is Sale Sharks by 12 points.

Predicted Score: Sale Sharks 24 – Worcester Warriors 12

Sportsbook Odds: Outright Winner

In the Red Square with the Kremlin wall to my left and St. Basil Church in the background.

In front of St. Basil.

A squirrel in the Peterhof Garden.

The Peterhof Garden in St. Petersburg. Lots and lots of fountains.

Game Report:
This was a match that Stompers were fortunate to win and was marred by inexperienced refereeing. The rucks were badly controlled, Stompers were almost permanently offside, and lay about in obstructive positions and several nasty high tackles were left unpenalised.

However, Overseas really should have won, they enjoyed a big territorial advantage, and did not take penalty kicks at goal, so wasting some 16 potential points.

After fifteen minutes of Overseas pressure, centre Christopher Morten intercepted for Stompers to run 75 metres for a try converted by left winger Jovan Relic.

Overseas went back into attack but could not find their way through, actually choosing not to take penalties for the points. A big factor was that Stompers were allowed to mark from an offside position.

Stompers gained ground with big kicks and Jovan Reljic showed Overseas the way by kicking a penalty for Stompers. Stompers Mario Fountain was having a fine game at full back, as was Andrew O’Reilly for Overseas.

When Stompers were able to release their backs, Christopher Morten was always dangerous, at one time beating six tacklers.

Stompers scrum half Edward Willis was yellow carded for a nasty high tackle, and the half ended at 10 – 0 to Stompers.

Stompers began with a superb run by Mario Fountain, weaving and swerving from way deep until finally stopped just short but veteran Christoffel Diamantino was at hand to drive in for the try.

Despite several Stompers high tackles going unpunished, scrum half David Judd of Overseas was yellow carded, to be followed by eight lock Keith Zammit of Stompers.

Left-winger Dean Mifsud Bonnici of Overseas is improving enormously and made two fine tackles on the right winger Luke Debattista and Mario Fountain.

In a rare Stompers attack, Christopher Morten showed a lovely change of pace and angle to run in a fine try, but Overseas powered back for the tight head prop Neil West to drive over.

Stompers Christoffel Diamantino was finally yellow carded for persistent infringing, and Overseas surged hard to camp in Stompers territory.

West scored a second try from a maul but it was all too late and lucky Stompers will play Kavallieri in the MRFU Cup Final on Saturday, April 26.

Article: Malta Sport

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