RAN 15s Championship
– Joseph records hat-trick for visitors
Their first 15s match back on home soil after five years was not what the Guyana national rugby team had envisioned ahead of yesterday’s all-important Rugby Americas North (RAN) South Zone 15s Championship reverse fixture against Trinidad and Tobago at the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Ground, Camp Ayanganna.
On a wet and slushy outfield, the ‘Green Machine’ ground to a halt against the Trinidadians, slumping to an embarrassing 26-3 defeat with the visitor’s right winger, Anderson Joseph, scoring a hat-trick of tries.
The win means that the Trinidadians have now advanced to the final of the RAN South Zone 15s Championship, which is slated for 2025.
After their narrow 24-23 triumph in Port of Spain, Trinidad, and Tobago in April, the Guyanese could not replicate that mindset yesterday, and their only positive highlight of the game was Right Centre Godfrey Broomes accurate penalty kick in the seventh minute of the game to get Guyana moving with three points. However, that would be it offensively, as the Trinidadians settled into their game and displayed ominous signs of things to come. First, Rauri O’Farrell failed to convert a penalty in the 17th minute, which would have drawn his side level, but then Jonathan Taylor put the visitors 5-3 up with a try in the 30th minute. He then missed the conversion kick, failing to cash in on extra points.
While Trinidad continued to hold the Guyanese at bay, they would not add to their total as halftime saw the score remain at 5-3.
On the other hand, the second half was vastly different, as the Trinidadians would rack up 21 unanswered points, which were highlighted by Joseph’s hat-trick of tries.
Joseph’s first try came in the 52nd minute, putting T&T 10-3 up. Taylor again missed the ensuing conversion kick.
Joseph would score a second consecutive try 10 minutes later; this time the conversion kick was taken by Christopher Hudson, but it was the same result: another missed conversion.
With T&T leading 15-3, Hudson then converted two successive penalties in the 70th and 79th minutes after the Guyanese players had fouled. Those penalties (3 points each) would push the visitors to a 21-3 lead close to full time. Joseph would make life worse for the hosts, completing his hat-trick in the 81st minute to seal the eventual scoreline. The margin of defeat would have been heavier had Hudson not missed the resulting conversions.
The loss will keep Guyana out of international action until November, when they will travel to Trinidad and Tobago for the RAN 7s Championship.
However, the local hockey scene will receive a shot in the arm in terms of competition, with the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) planning to roll out their 7s format Club League in July.
