By Peter De Vere

The Advance Fire & Plumbing Buccaneers were left heartbroken and empty handed on 2 March as a resurgent Century 21 Cayman Storm won their 2nd game of the 2013 Cayman Rugby domestic season with a dramatic 24-23 win over the Buccaneers.

The Buccaneers, going into the final week of play sitting in first place knew that a win over the Storm would seal the league trophy after 6 weeks of hard hitting rugby and indeed the pundits saw the Buccaneers win as a forgone conclusion based on the Buccaneers run of form in the build-up to the final round of play mixed with facing off against bottom of the table Cayman Storm RFC.

The Cayman Storm, sporting an almost full squad however were on the scoreboard first when no. 8 Phil Thompson broke the Buccaneers defence on the 8 minute mark, The Buccaneers responded soon thereafter with a score from Shaun Gerrard and a nail biting see-saw battle ensued between the teams. Storm hooker Al Forget (returning from injury) brought a big smile to the Storm bench by going over in the corner for the teams 2nd before the Buccaneers responded yet again with a Michael Peck (featuring in his first game of the 2013 season) score. The Storm marched into the 2nd half with a 4 point lead 17-13 after Phil Thompson secured his second try for the day (Josh Brown getting the conversion).

Both the Queensgate Pigs Trotters and the John Dock Architecture Iguanas were egging on the Cayman Storm to keep their momentum going in the knowledge that a win for the Storm gave one final opportunity to the 2nd place Iguanas and 3rd Place Pigs Trotters to make a last ditch effort to win the league trophy.

Cayman Storm stalwart Vanassio Tokatokavanua earned a bonus point for his team by taking the field in the 2nd half and soon after finding his way to the scoreboard to give his team their 4th try of the day and with Josh Brown earning his 2nd conversion to ring in 24 points it was all hands on deck to stop the Buccaneers push for the win.

The Buccaneers, looking at an 11 point deficit scored a big try through Mark Stabler and the Conversion from Morgan Shelford made the score 24-20. With the clock winding down the Buccaneers earned a final penalty (which Shelford duly converted) to make the battle a 1 point game 24-23 and there the game would finish as the Buccaneers were stifled of any further scoring opportunities and the Storm secured one of the biggest upsets in Cayman domestic rugby history.

With the league decider handed to the Pigs Trotters and Iguanas by the Cayman Storm the Iguanas knew that a win of any size would hand them the league crown whereas a 2nd win for the Pigs Trotters over the Iguanas would either gift the trophy back to the Buccaneers or, should the Pigs Trotters win by a large enough points difference then it would be they who would raise the Alex Alexander Memorial Trophy (in the Pigs Trotters case for the first time in a decade).

The Iguanas were intent on playing a smarter game of rugby after their big loss to the Buccaneers and were first on the board 3-0 with a Doug Kennedy penalty before the Pigs Trotters responded with a Chris Haines unconverted try to make the score 5-3.

The Pigs Trotters used their dangerous back line to great effect in the early exchanges with James Waters and Dave Acut making long runs against the Iguanas backline whilst the Iguanas forwards chose to run a much tighter game with hit ups from Ben McDonald and Peter de Vere being the order of the day.

A Dave Acut penalty gave the Pigs some breathing room 8-3 before Iguanas inside centre Adam Keenan found his way to the try line (converted by Doug Kennedy) to regain the lead 8-10.

Doug Kennedy had 2 more kickable penalties to give his team some breathing room but those sailed wide before Dave Acut regained the lead once more 11-10 heading towards the half.

Doug Kennedy made amends on the stroke of half time by slotting a long penalty kick to give his team some momentum in the 2nd half with a 2 point lead 13-11.

A nervy second half saw the Iguanas playing momentarily without fullback Walter Myers who was binned for offside before the Pigs Trotters were forced to make personnel changes having lost Haines at flyhalf. Both teams exchanged 1 more penalty each to ring in the score of 16-14 and a jubilant John Doak Architecture Iguanas side raised the Alex Alexander memorial Trophy for the 3rd time in four years.

Next games:

13 March: 5pm KO – Cayman U19 XV v Ashbury College XV (Ottowa)

15 March: 5pm KO – Cayman U19 X v Ashbury College X (TBC) (10 a-side)

16 March: 5pm KO – Cayman U19 XV v Ashbury College XV

18 March: 5pm KO – Cayman A XV v Princeton University XV (USA)

19 March: 3pm KO – Cayman U19 XV v Ashbury College

19 March: 5pm KO – Cayman B XV v Princeton University B XV

21 March: 5pm KO – Cayman B XV v Princeton University B XV

22 March: 5pm KO – Cayman A XV v Princeton University XV

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PHOTO TAG Alex Alexander Winners  The 2013 John Doak Architecture Iguanas: Front Row (L-R) John Kennedy, Ricardo Brown, Chris Bunce, John Doak (Sponsor), Ollie Collins, Angelito Hawkins, Clive Montooth. Middle Row (L-R) Walter Myers, Andrew MacKay, Marcus Cumber, Tim Rossiter (Coach), Richard Lewis (Captain), Tom Black, O’Neil Young. Back Row (L-R) Doug Kennedy, Chris Kennedy, Israel Hawkins, Shaun Hardcastle, Mike Belfoure, Adam Keenan, Peter de Vere, Ben McDonald, JS de Jager, Johnny Doak