it'd been exactly a month since we walked out of RJC's pitch in defeat,13-7 the final score during the group stages.everything changed when we decided to tune it up and i remembered gene said right after the game,"you guys did well today and you have one chance to meet them again.i'll give you one more chance and thats on 17th May.do you want to beat them not?" the unanimous reply was nothing more than a "yes sir!"
so off we were into trngs and intensively preparing for every single game.came the game with JJC which we won not in the best style but the entire team was done with an irritating bug and everybody was not feeling well at all.29-0 the score.then came SRJC which we played really badly in the first half and got reprimanded by gene yet again.the stinging remark,"hey,you guys here,i'm ashamed to be your coach" that shook us up.we felt really bad in a way towards the way we play and we were not playing up to the standards anyone wearing the stripes should be.doubled that score in the 2nd half and we won with 68 points to nothing.
more intensive trngs came up ahead as we realised what we were in for.semi-finalist for the A division police cup.opposition,ACJC.strong and hard.this team is one that will punish you for any mistakes and gaps.not an easy team coupled with their strong rugby tradition,it was indeed a game to be at.
10th May 2006.the day everything changed for the SAJC rugby team.i remembered during the psyching up session with major vas,i was already tearing.together with khairul.it was simply superb.overwhelming and when asked to lead the team in the intention creed.the pride was awesome.and the 3 people i thought of when asked to do so was mom,dad and gene.
headed down to police academy and had warm-up.werent looking the sharpest at all and had a couple of mistakes.it was my first semis.i dont know what to expect.playing ACJC for the first time.at front row.you nv know whats installed.sherwyn told me that alan man will be my opposition prop which explained my sigh of relieve when i couldnt spot him in the game.
the game kicked off and everything was rolling.AC was really hard but we managed to pressure them in their own 22.the first penalty kick was converted by malcolm and we were 3 pts up.then came a penalty for AC and they converted it well too.3-3.i could feel the anxiety of the crowd,the panic we had.miscommunications led to a wrong decision when we were in their 22 as khairul heard set a phase up by the coaches as setting a line out up.luckily for us,we managed to win that lineout and sent a driving maul,khairul striked it out to liang as the backs did a swift move and alex crashed right through the scattered AC defence and punched right through a gap to score in between the posts.the elation we had was tremendous!i remember seeing jesse and liang so happy.and deep down inside,i felt we could make history!malcolm converted the try and everything seemed like a fairytale!10-3 the score.just before half time,malcolm scored another penalty,giving us a 10 point lead.13-10 at half time.
we were all tired from the first half of actions.thanks to whoever who was helping me loosen up my muscles.drank a hell lot as we listened to gene,marcus,roy and mr wee.at that time we had the belief that we can make history!we held on to it and pressed on.gene loves to psyche players up with his very own method.and i could feel the pride when he said,"come on ar khainam.doing well.you can do it ar.come on!"it was tremendous.i went back on and the whistle went.
lots of lineouts due to the massive kickings from both teams.defence then offence and defence again.every lineout was causing some stress on my taped up wrist.but nonetheless..
then everything started to get panicky.AC rolled in a couple of fresh legs.alan came on as prop and as my oppo prop.hes a massive and hard player.so everything kept rolling.AC kept using their fore runners to punch inches by inches but our defence held them up.10 mins.then 20.in the last 5 mins,AC handed the ball out wide and scored from their speedy winger.13-10 the score after conversion and everybody started to panick.we wanted to win it so badly that we put in all that we got.
tensions were running high till finally the final whistle went.the mixed feelings of shock and elation filled me.i was too happy and shocked at the moment to react.all i remembered was i teared and hugged arthur,sherwyn,khairul,alex and many more.finally after 17yrs,we are gg back into the finals.no more playoffs for all of us!
at the end of the game,we saw the tears from the AC players and they were really upset at the loss.our tears were tears of joy,but theirs were the tears of pain.the pain of losing out in a place of the finals.they were the reigning champions.but thats the beauty of rugby.anything will happen and its all in the players' hands.but we really appreciated the way ACJC played and the determination they displayed.they came in hard at us and we felt it was indeed a great game between the 2 sides.thanks guys.
click here for the pictures and an overview of the game
so trngs went on.and it was exactly a week before we meet RJC again in the finals on 17th MAY 2006 at the new police academy.a tinge of excitement,anxiety and doubtfulness evolved around the team.but the flame was still burning brightly ever.
...to be continued..
so off we were into trngs and intensively preparing for every single game.came the game with JJC which we won not in the best style but the entire team was done with an irritating bug and everybody was not feeling well at all.29-0 the score.then came SRJC which we played really badly in the first half and got reprimanded by gene yet again.the stinging remark,"hey,you guys here,i'm ashamed to be your coach" that shook us up.we felt really bad in a way towards the way we play and we were not playing up to the standards anyone wearing the stripes should be.doubled that score in the 2nd half and we won with 68 points to nothing.
more intensive trngs came up ahead as we realised what we were in for.semi-finalist for the A division police cup.opposition,ACJC.strong and hard.this team is one that will punish you for any mistakes and gaps.not an easy team coupled with their strong rugby tradition,it was indeed a game to be at.
10th May 2006.the day everything changed for the SAJC rugby team.i remembered during the psyching up session with major vas,i was already tearing.together with khairul.it was simply superb.overwhelming and when asked to lead the team in the intention creed.the pride was awesome.and the 3 people i thought of when asked to do so was mom,dad and gene.
headed down to police academy and had warm-up.werent looking the sharpest at all and had a couple of mistakes.it was my first semis.i dont know what to expect.playing ACJC for the first time.at front row.you nv know whats installed.sherwyn told me that alan man will be my opposition prop which explained my sigh of relieve when i couldnt spot him in the game.
the game kicked off and everything was rolling.AC was really hard but we managed to pressure them in their own 22.the first penalty kick was converted by malcolm and we were 3 pts up.then came a penalty for AC and they converted it well too.3-3.i could feel the anxiety of the crowd,the panic we had.miscommunications led to a wrong decision when we were in their 22 as khairul heard set a phase up by the coaches as setting a line out up.luckily for us,we managed to win that lineout and sent a driving maul,khairul striked it out to liang as the backs did a swift move and alex crashed right through the scattered AC defence and punched right through a gap to score in between the posts.the elation we had was tremendous!i remember seeing jesse and liang so happy.and deep down inside,i felt we could make history!malcolm converted the try and everything seemed like a fairytale!10-3 the score.just before half time,malcolm scored another penalty,giving us a 10 point lead.13-10 at half time.
we were all tired from the first half of actions.thanks to whoever who was helping me loosen up my muscles.drank a hell lot as we listened to gene,marcus,roy and mr wee.at that time we had the belief that we can make history!we held on to it and pressed on.gene loves to psyche players up with his very own method.and i could feel the pride when he said,"come on ar khainam.doing well.you can do it ar.come on!"it was tremendous.i went back on and the whistle went.
lots of lineouts due to the massive kickings from both teams.defence then offence and defence again.every lineout was causing some stress on my taped up wrist.but nonetheless..
then everything started to get panicky.AC rolled in a couple of fresh legs.alan came on as prop and as my oppo prop.hes a massive and hard player.so everything kept rolling.AC kept using their fore runners to punch inches by inches but our defence held them up.10 mins.then 20.in the last 5 mins,AC handed the ball out wide and scored from their speedy winger.13-10 the score after conversion and everybody started to panick.we wanted to win it so badly that we put in all that we got.
tensions were running high till finally the final whistle went.the mixed feelings of shock and elation filled me.i was too happy and shocked at the moment to react.all i remembered was i teared and hugged arthur,sherwyn,khairul,alex and many more.finally after 17yrs,we are gg back into the finals.no more playoffs for all of us!
at the end of the game,we saw the tears from the AC players and they were really upset at the loss.our tears were tears of joy,but theirs were the tears of pain.the pain of losing out in a place of the finals.they were the reigning champions.but thats the beauty of rugby.anything will happen and its all in the players' hands.but we really appreciated the way ACJC played and the determination they displayed.they came in hard at us and we felt it was indeed a great game between the 2 sides.thanks guys.
click here for the pictures and an overview of the game
so trngs went on.and it was exactly a week before we meet RJC again in the finals on 17th MAY 2006 at the new police academy.a tinge of excitement,anxiety and doubtfulness evolved around the team.but the flame was still burning brightly ever.
...to be continued..
