The KRFU League Cup Finals 2007
20th January, CMP Rugby Ground, Hosur Road, Bangalore
The BangaloreRugby.com League eventually came to an end with an excellent Finals Day held at CMP Centre, Bangalore.
The Plate Final was won by the Bangalore Bears who narrowly overcame a constantly improving CMP side by 7 points to 5. CMP’s try coming in the first half from Sandeep. The Bear’s Indian international pair won the match through. Vinay Rai’s try squared it at 5-5 and Puneeth Krishnamurthy kept his cool to convert and win the game.
The Cup Final between the Bangalore Black Bucks and the Bangalore Refugees was a thriller dominated by three breaks from Black Buck’s captain Tarun Appanna. The Refugees team with eleven different nationalities from all over the world were eventually out played by the wholly Indian Black Bucks team 19 – 10; a feather in the cap of Indian rugby.
It was the ‘Fugees who started stronger as they used their greater experience to push the Black Bucks back into their own half with deep clearance kicks. The foreigners superior positional play paid off in the 20th minute. Good forward approach play from Gary Brierly, Herve and Hugo and quick hands from the centres Antoine and Robbie allowed the flying winger Sam Mizzi to dive in at the corner. Chris King missed the conversion but the Refugees led 5 – 0.
The Black Bucks responded well and were always the faster team. A sharp break up the middle from fly half Tarun Appanna was very well supported by Thimmiah. Thimmiah easily out paced the cover to score 15 metres to the left of the posts. At the break the score was tied at 5 apiece.
In the second period the same combination worked for the Black Bucks. Indian international, Appanna side stepped his opposite number and once again Thimmiah, surely a future Indian international, showed a clean pair of heels to score. As soon as he got the ball the try was a foregone conclusion. With Appanna’s goal the Black Bucks led 12 – 7.
The Refugees held on in there and the last ten minutes brought their most consistent period of pressure of the match. Solid forward play provided the opportunity for South African Chris Banks to dive over from close range. Frenchman Sebastion missed the conversion but trailing 12 – 10 the ‘Fugees had a sniff of victory.
They put the Black Bucks under tremendous pressure again by turning them around with deep kicks. A couple of half chances were squandered by the tired Refugees. Man of the match Appanna for a third time broke from deep in his own half and broke the Refugee hearts by finding the impressive Rajiv Bangera in support who streaked away to score wide out on the right. As if to rub salt in the wounds Appanna converted from wide out and underlined his huge influence on the outcome of the game.
