Vipers tame Tigers IT was the biggest game of the 2014 Digicel Cup season and defending champions Port Moresby Vipers showed their class, beating competition leaders Lae Tigers 26-20 in Lae. The loss was the Tigers’ first of the season in nine games. The Vipers had form coming into the match, having beaten the Agmark Gurias 30-22 in Kokopo in the last round. The second match at the packed Lae rugby league ground saw the Mendi Muruks succumb to the Enga Mioks 28-12 in a gritty affair. The Vipers, despite not having home games in 2014, have shown they have what it takes to win on the road, especially against quality opposition. Port Moresby coach Leonard Tarum agreed after his side became the first this season to beat the Lae side that the defence of the title they won last year was well on track. “Yes!” was Tarum’s only word, when asked if he thought his team could defend their title after the performance. The Vipers dominated the first half scoring four tries to halfback Tilix Kawage, second rower Elijah Riyong and Jolam Jerry. Winger Bland Abavu kicked three conversions while the hosts on the other hand had prop Henry Wan, hooker Noel Joel and Kemi Yol score tries and halfback Ate Bine Wabo converted two. The Vipers went into the sheds 22-16 ahead at halftime. Before the Tigers could find their right footing in the second half, Vipers winger-cum-backrower Riyong used his heavy frame to power over the line for an unconverted try. This was the match-winner as the Tigers could not mount come-back. Vipers halves Kawage and five-eighth Sebulon Ragi were sharper than their opposites in Glen Nami and Wabo and the forwards led by captain Richard Kambo with their offloading ability provided their backs good second phase ball to wreak havoc against the Tigers. The Tigers trailed 26-16 for most of the second stanza until Jason Tali scored a controversial try to close the margin to six points. While the Vipers played with a lot of heart and skill the home side’s error rate on attack (handling errors) and in defence (missed tackles) dented their momentum. “Both sides had a great game today. The feeling is high in the team, the boys fought to the end to come out like this,” Tarum said. The Vipers will return to Lae next week and face another tough challenge against the Mioks. Like the Vipers, the Mioks started off strongly by grabbing two early tries to Ryan Yama Kiso with successful conversions by five-eighth Charlie Simon. Muruks captain and halfback Joshua Molsie sliced through the Mioks defence to score a converted try and Mendi trailed 12-6 at halftime. In the second half, Muruks hooker Stanley Olo pulled in a kick to level the scores however the tiring Muruks conceded three tries through centre Charlie Martin, second-rower Randy Joseph and reserve BJ Waramise for the Engans to win 28-12. Source: The National, Monday July 7th, 2014 By GABRIEL LAHOC
Posted on: Mon, 07 Jul 2014 01:15:17 +0000
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