Chiefs 1. G Shriram 2. B Dover 3. BS Read 4. JR Denton 5. J Torres 6. AX Kirikiri 7. WC Welker 8. S Humble (C) 9. LA Pilgrim 10. MJ Johns 11. DRP Taylor (GK) 12. HJ Bots 13. GJ Weaver 14. BG Herd 15. MD Dorn 16. CW Jennings (on for LA Pilgrim 60th minute) 17. OJ Carson (on for G Shririam 65th minute) Spartans 1. DA Eggman 2. AJ Izett 3. JP Wilkinson 4. JE McGrath 5. HT Davis 6. MP Chung 7. C Laing 8. M Deane (c) 9. JRE Luffman (k) 10. MW Scoble 11. SB Wilson 12. P Orr 13. BH Borisc 14. AM Farhat 15. BOY Blunder 16. A Shreyas (on for DA Eggman after 60 mins) Post Game Injuries: None
Update: 0 mins It is a fine day for a rugby match here at the home of the Chiefs, and this is all set to be a good match. JRE Luffman will controversially be starting at 9 and I am sure the GB selector will be watching his performance today. Scoble comes on for his debut at 10 after Hornby has been banned. Both teams have options on the bench, and we look forward to seeing them used well.
Update: 20 mins DRP Taylor will start the match for the Chiefs here. That's a lofted kick out to left by Taylor, towards his rampaging forwards. McGrath is lifted expertly to receive the kick and he has a solid wall of support. A rolling maul is formed by the Spartans, great control at the back of the maul, and the Spartans move forward a few metres. Spartans RFC players have all loaded up to the right side of the ruck, and Chiefs don't seem to have counted well in defence! There are 3 men charging down the side of the ruck on the right for the Spartans! Borisc, Farhat and Wilkinson all bearing down on Taylor. WILKINSON HAS HANDED OFF TAYLOR AFTER RECEIVING THE BALL FROM THE RUCK! HE HAS OFFLOADED TO FARHAT TO GET PAST THE FULL BACK AND HE IS IN! 7-0 to Spartans after the kick is converted well by Luffman. Lovely play from the Spartans. Taylor gathers the ball back and walks slowly back to the half way line for the kick. He puts another nice kick into the hands of the Spartans forwards, and C Laing and HT Davis lift JE McGrath up to take the ball. Quality lifting. He takes the ball down and forms a maul.
Update: 40 mins The Spartans have dominated that maul, and have pushed the Chiefs back a fair way. Luffman takes the ball out of the back and sends a spinning pass to Scoble, he runs a scissors with Orr, but dummies. He is taking down well after making quite a few metres. But he has no support and the ball has been turned over by Weaver and Bots. The Chiefs with the ball now. They spread it wide and there is a massive gap in the Spartans defense... BG HERD IS THROUGH THE GAP WITH A 1 ON 1 AGAINST BOY BLUNDER. Massive hit from Blunder there, that will have impressed the scouts, try saving tackle. But Chiefs support gets to the ball quickly and they regain possession. Shriram and Read go on a charging run and under the rolls of flab, one of them has the ball. Shriram makes astonishing ground there, after breaking two tackles. Denton and Torres ruck over well. Pilgrim goes blind but Wilson is muched at the ball rolls over the touch line for a lineout to the Spartans. Last play of the Half says the ref. AJ Izzett throws in and McGrath makes a good take. He puts it back to Luffman who passes to Scoble. Scoble chips it over the oncoming Chiefs defense. But it has gone too long and into touch. The score is 7-0 to the Spartans at Half Time.
Update: 60 mins Luffman makes a solid kick and Deane almost gets to the ball. Denton takes the ball and smashes into the Spartans. Read is handed the ball and ploughs one or two metres. Then the Chiefs go for a back move. Oh! That has gone horribly wrong for the Chiefs. Bots has just dropped it after a promising looking move. A scrum to the Spartans comes just inside the Chiefs 22. Luffman feeds in and Izzett makes a good hook with C Laing and Chung supporting well. He goes blind where there is a 2 on 1 for the Spartans. TRY! LOVELY VISION FOR LUFFMAN AND BRILLIANT FINISHING FROM BLUNDER! Luffman just misses the kick and the score is 12-0 to the Spartans. The Chiefs have a tough job from here on in. DRP Taylor goes for the reverse kick, but it does not work very well, and the Spartans retain possession with ease. Orr gathers the ball and well and looks to chip it through. The grubber works about as well as a pig trying to fly. It goes straight out into touch. Both teams packs lumber up to the lineout and Dover makes the call. It goes to Torres, and he takes it cleanly. He forms a maul and Kirikiri and Welker are onto it in a flash, driving like maniacs. DRP Taylor receives the ball and has put a lovely kick inside the Spartans 5 metre line.
Update: 80mins Here come the reinforcements. CW Jennings comes on for LA Pilgrim for the Chiefs and Shreyas is on for DA Eggman for the Spartans. Jennings will need to make a big impact. Izzett has the ball to throw in for the Spartans but Humble has taken it at the back. TRY TIME FOR THE CHIEFS! HUMBLE HAS BATTERED THROUGH UNEXPECTANTANTLY! Taylor just misses the kick and makes it 5-12 to the Spartans. But Luffman knows what he is doing and walks back slowly after doing his laces up. OJ Carson has come on for G Shriram and it is now the 67th minute. Luffman finally gets to the half way line and the ref hurries him up. He goes long and high, and it is taken near the touchline by Herd. He makes a run and just gets out of his 22. The Chiefs manage to ruck over well, and Jennings makes a positive pass to Humble. He charges through and makes good ground. Jennings passes back Johns. Johns runs a scissors with both the centres and passes to Bots. Good running but he is stopped in his tracks by Farhat. The ref calls last play. Humble fills in at scrum half and passes to Johns. He puts a lovely miss pass to Weaver and he hands it to Wilson. Oh no! Wilson has dropped it and that is the match. The final score is 12-5 to the Spartans and the Man of The Match award goes to BOY Blunder for completely dominating the Chiefs defense.
