The Guyana U19 rugby team finally got into the winners row at the North American and West Indies Rugby Association (NAWIRA) tournament with a resounding 39 – 10 victory over Bahamas at the South Sound Rugby Ground in the Cayman Islands, on Thursday.
Guyana opened the scoring early in the game and by the end of the first half led 22-3.
Jamaal Yarde scored two tries while Quincy Jones, Lancelot Adonis, Vallon Adams and Carl Lewis supported with a try each while Adonis was successful on two conversions.
Having been eliminated from the Cup competition by their first day loss to Trinidad, the Guyana team has set sights on winning the bowl competition. They will play their final game against Bermuda today.
Meanwhile in the Cup competition Mexico and Cayman Islands earned the right to play for honours as NAWIRA 2009 Champions with wins in their semi-final encounters over Trinidad (22 – 14) and Jamaica (28 – 22) respectively.
In the Guyana/Bahamas encounter which was officiated by Mexico’s Camilio Falcon, Guyana took the early lead when scrum half Jones scored his first try of the tournament.
Adams then extended the lead with a 10-yard crash ball after good pressure from the Guyanese forwards before captain Adonis outsprinted the opposition’s defense to take the lead to 15 – 0.
Bahamas’ Conor Albury narrowed the lead to 15 – 3 with a penalty but Guyana scored again a try converted by Adonis as the half ended 22 – 3.
In the second half, prop Yard opened the scoring with a try five yards out which was converted by Adonis.
Bahamas made it into double figures with a try from Hooker Renaldo Young which Albury converted before Lewis on the right wing for Guyana used his pace to stretch his team’s lead to 34 – 10.
Finally Yarde scored his second try to take the score to 39 – 10.
In Guyana’s opening game against Trinidad on Sunday the Guyanese lost 5 – 23. T&T’s Michael Augustos and Dorendie Mendozie-Jones gave their team a comfortable early lead from two quick tries with the latter being converted by Kendall Mooto.
The team from the twin island republic depended more on their stronger, well organized pack led by Augustos whereas Guyana was looking to move the ball out wide as often as possible but the half concluded without Guyana being able to score.
Mundozie-Jones scored his second try of the match then Mooto slotted a well struck penalty to take the score to 20 – 0.
Guyana finally scored when second row forward Soren Cox made it over the try line before T&T scored from a penalty taken by Zane Campbell which finally poised the game 23 – 5.