Singapore Team Named for Japan
3 November 2009
The Singapore National Women's Coaching Team have named their match day 22 to take on Japan on Wednesday in the first game of the Women's Rugby World Cup 2010 Asian Qualifiers 2009.
The forwards get a boost with the return of Ang Weiyi after dislocating her shoulder three weeks ago. Scrumhalf and Centre, Tan Hui Juan and Tabitha Fong, have been rewarded with starting spots for their strong performances off the bench in the last two games. Both Leung Wai Mun and Aslinda Abdullah who suffered finger fractures are named on the bench having made remarkable recoveries post surgery.
Singapore will play Japan at 4pm on Wednesday 4 November 2009 at Republic Polytechnic.
Singapore Women's 15s Squad against Japan
1. Nur Azurah Bte Mohd Khalid (Blacks RFC)
2. Koh Mei Giet (SRC)
3. Lee Tao Jing (Blacks RFC)
4. Sophie Ngin Gollifer (SRC)
5. Ailei Tandean (Blacks RFC)
6. Karen Yeoh (SRC)
7. Wang Shao Ing (Blacks RFC)(Captain)
8. Ang Weiyi (Blacks RFC)
9. Tan Hui Juan (Blacks RFC)
10. Eunice Tay (Blacks RFC)(V Captain)
11. Angelina Liu (SRC)
12. Wong Yilin (Blacks RFC)
13. Tabitha Fong (Blacks RFC)
14. Amanda Teo (Blacks RFC)
15. Derelyn Chua (Blacks RFC)
16. Chan Jia Hui (SRC)
17. Tan Sze Yen (SRC)
18. Priscilla Humphries (Blacks RFC)
19. Annabel Woo (SRC)
20. Aslinda Abdullah (Blacks RFC)
21. Leung Waimun (Blacks RFC)
22. Angela Zheng (SRC)
Coaches: Sam Chan (Head Coach), Faizal Ayhar (Backs Coach), Teo Khai Hock (Forwards Coach)
Team Manager: Malcolm David
NUS stage SIM upset to steal win
2 November 2009
If the pool stages were anything to go by, the playoffs of the RP Invitational Women’s 10s Tournament held last Thursday fulfilled its promise to be a nail-biting thriller with twist.
Group A leader National University of Singapore (NUS) and Group B runner-up Republic Polytechnic (RP) kicked-off the first semi final with a tightly fought match. Under pressure from the start from a rushing RP defence and several kicks from an RP boot, NUS were sloppy and unable to mount any meaningful attacking phases. Just as the game looked to be going into extra time, NUS managed to get the ball wide to winger Caslin Ong and a fine support line from Christabelle Lim secured NUS a last gasp win and a place in finals.
The second semi-final saw Singapore Institute of Management University (SIM) take on National Technological University (NTU) with the latter enjoying more possession and a few good attacking phases. But NTU squandered their build up with several unforced errors and SIM, the considerably more experienced team, punished them with two early tries through Chan Jia Yu and Clarissa Lim to seal their cup final spot.
In a dramatic Plate Final matching last week’s 5th /6th playoff between the Combined Team and SMU, NTU appeared to have the edge with a try from Lee Tao Jing but were forced into a extra time when RP’s Sophie Gollifer broke to equalize before full time. However, within a minute of the start of the sudden death, a lapse in defence by RP allowed NTU’s Amanda Teo to make a dazzling run give her team victory.
Anyone who had written off NUS based on the their previous encounter with SIM at SUNIG last month was to be sorely mistaken as they put their three-try defeat behind them to stage the upset of the tournament. A change in game plan saw NUS tightening up their attacking phases and testing SIM at the breakdowns and scrums. NUS nearly lost possession with some risky passes but managed to foil SIM's open play with some stellar defending to keep the board scoreless at the end of the first half.
Both teams looked battered at the break but the short hiatus seemed to invigorate NUS and Amelia Siew caught SIM napping off the fringe of the ruck in SIM’s half soon after and she took full advantage to put the ball under the posts. Skipper, Wong Yilin, made sure to buffer their winning margin with a conversion.
Although SIM threatened to break once or twice with an overlap, they were on the back foot for most of the second half against a resilient NUS defence and Siew duly rewarded her team’s efforts with 50m break off the blind side of the ruck to seal their place as Cup Champions of the RP Invitational Women’s Tens Tournament 2009 just before the final whistle.
Related Articles
www.singaporerugby.com : NUS pips favourites SIM to the crown
RP Invitational Women's 10s 2009
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