The national 15s rugby team returned home yesterday sans silverware as they were narrowly defeated Saturday by Trinidad and Tobago 22-20 in the final of the Southern Zone of the NACRA Championships.
According to reports out of the Twin Island Republic, several inept referee decisions were made including a disallowed try that led to Guyana surrendering the 15s title won last season after 43 years.
Trinidad broke out to a 12-0 half time lead on tries from wing James Phillip and prop Ernest Wright with hooker Felicien Guerra adding a conversion.
In the second half at the Fatima Ground in Port-of-Spain, the locals clawed back into the match as Kevin McKenzie touched down just two minutes into the second half to make the score 12-5.
The home side responded on the hour mark as scrum-half Johnson Alleyne scored to make it a 12- point lead (17-5).
Avery Corbin then breached T&T’s defense to pad Guyana’s scoreline four minutes later (17-10).
Trinidad’s Andre Caberra dotted down in the 69th minute for a 22-10 score.
Guyana still had some answers as just three minutes later Richard Staglon crossed to cut the T & T lead in the final eight minutes of the match. Just before full time Kevin McKenzie hit for his second try but the conversion that would have tied it did not go over as the host held on for the narrow 22-20 win.
Shortly after returning home, player coach Theodore Henry had the following to say to Stabroek Sport.
“It was a hard fought game. Losing by two points is always going to be tough in a rugby game.” Henry added:”We made a lot of mistakes and it cost us, I don’t want to sound like sour grapes but I think the officiating played a major role especially in the first half which set us a back a bit but kudos to Trinidad.”
Henry then pointed out that the ‘Green Machine’ will now switch into 7s mode, the format in which they have garnered much more success than in the longer version of the game.
“We will now focus on the NACRA Qualifiers for the Olympics in June and try to upset Canada and the USA to clinch a spot at the Games in Rio.”
