T&T was beaten 4-2 in a kickoff by host nation Cayman Islands after both sides ended the match, deadlocked at 8-8, in the final of the North America, Caribbean Rugby Association (NACRA) Under-19 Championships 2011. At the Truman Bodden Stadium on Saturday evening, the young “Calypso Warriors” took an 8-0 advantage with a try scored by Joseph Anderson and a convergent scored by Jamal Stewart. However, both efforts were canceled out by Cayman Islands which responded with another try and penalty in the final play of regulation time. Cayman then held their defensive line, allowing T&T no chance for a further breakthrough, taking the match to a standstill at the end of full time. Cayman then proved to be the better kicking side, leaving T&T in the dust after the “Calypso Warriors” found the target on only two occasions to Cayman’s four.

The U-19 boys were 22-19 winners over Mexico on Wednesday which earned them a place in the final. Carlton St Clair, Melville Eastman scored tries, while Jamal Steward took points with a couple of converted efforts. On Monday, T&T defeated Jamaica 20-7. T&T lead 15-0 at half time with an assertive performance but slumped to a more sloppy display in the second half. Olton Charles impressed with three tries while Brandon Scotland also touched the white line with a try of his own.

T&T was more impressive in the Women’s final, as the team lifted the trophy following a resounding victory over Cayman Islands 50-0 on Friday. Dalia Jordon Brown, Tanesha Samuels, Latoya Edwards, Alesha Bruce, Talia Wislon and Nicolette Pantor scored tries for the 2009 Caribbean Champions T&T along with the tournament’s outstanding player, fly half Juliana Straker who also converted four efforts and was awarded the “Most Valuable Player”. Straker also scored three tries in T&T’s comfortable win over Jamaica in the semi final of the women’s competition on Tuesday.

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Trinidad and Tobago’s rugby women produced a savage effort, hammering a Caribbean Select team 92-0 at the 2011 North America and Caribbean Rugby Association (NACRA) 15-a-side Championships in the Cayman Islands, on Sunday.

T&T’s Jade Ramjag started the demolition of their opponents with the first try in the opening minute, which was converted by Juliana Straker. Straker then converted an Alesha Bruce try and another from Taliah Wilson, before scoring a try herself.

Trinidad and Tobago went into the break with a 51-0 lead thanks to further tries from Bruce, Jenilee Limada and Ayana Skeete.

Straker had three tries in the second period and Taliah Wilson two, while Jordon Brown and Nicolette Panter each had one to keep up the intensity of the first half.

T&T were scheduled to be in action last night in their second affair against Jamaica.

T&T women’s team:

Latoya Edwards (captain), Jenilee Limada (vice-captain), Juliana Straker, Tenisha Samuel, Dalia Jordan Brown, Kwanieze John, Jade Ramjag, Sojouner Hyles, Abigail Roberts, Ayana Skeete, Merlin Blackford, Tramaine Andrew, Ebony Young, Ria Lewis, Makeba Edwards, Alesha Bruce, Antonia White, Taliah Wilson, Crystal Thomas, Kerdesiah Cooper, Nicolette Pantor

Joy Rodney-Wilkes (physio), Kitty Andrews-Nero (coach).

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As the tournament progressed it was felt that Bermuda was building towards a grandstand finale. With 12 tries scored by nine different scorers and captain Shauntino Simons slotting over nine of his 12 conversion attempts, all in the space of the shortened U19 game of 70 minutes, this was really quite a display.
The Bermuda pack of forwards, who were magnificent all game, got the scoreboard ticking over as early as the fourth minute when the impressive Colin Campbell stole a lineout ball in the Guyana 22 and the ever popular Lubin Sousa rumbled over for the first try of the game.
Five minutes later Bermuda had doubled their lead when, off a sweetly executed four-man lineout, the ball was spun wide to full back Rory O’Kelly-Lynch who cut an acute angle back against the scrambling defence to score under the posts.
By the 18th minute Bermuda were nearly out of sight as Somers Brewin broke off a driving maul, passed to his captain Simons, who in turn passed to Bermuda’s Man of the Series, prop Nick Chilvers, who drew the remaining defenders before offloading to a grateful Olly Bassett who cantered in to score Bermuda’s third try.
There was no respite for the poor Guyana defence as within minutes they shipped three tries. First, Patrick Richardson powered over out wide for a try and then the one man battleship that is Bermuda’s Brynley Toms smashed his way over twice in the final minutes of the half from almost identical positions. His second try was all the more spectacular as he used his big forearm to literally bowl over two would be tacklers.
Needless to say his watching father, Teachers stalwart Brian Toms who was known for his physicality back in the day, was particularly proud of that little move.
Half time
At half time Guyana were 40 points down and things continued apace into the second half. This time it was the turn of Mariners stalwart John O’Kelly-Lynch to sit proudly in the stands as his son Rory scored his second try of the game. The full back had been cutting the Guyana team apart almost at will all afternoon and shortly afterwards, Bermuda’s star back was replaced in what many perceived as a mercy call from Bermuda’s gracious coaches.
Bassett then danced his way through a tired defence for his second of the game to bring up the 50 points and then Donald Folkard, who had just come on at full back, waltzed in from 50 yards out with his first touch of the game.
Guyana where now in complete disarray and Tom Bassett, followed by Andre Landy, added to the score-line in quick succession. It was then left to Mike Coles to score the final try of the game, supporting the strong running Landy, who looked set to score his second try, only for the ball to pop out of his grasp at the last minute into the fortunate hands of Coles who dived over. Simons slotted his ninth conversion and the ref blew for full time.
Afterward the jubilant yet philosophical coach of Bermuda, Herbie Adderley, was full of praise for his team.
"The boys did really well in the set pieces but lacked experience and fitness playing in this heat." And referring to the opening round defeat by beaten finalists Mexico he continued "With a more favourable draw we may have progressed further, I don’t think we are quite at the level of the top two teams, Cayman and Mexico, but we are definitely in the top 4 and with the nucleus of this team returning next year the outlook is very positive."

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Both Bermuda and Bahamas are competition newbies so the game promised to be a close affair.

Bermuda however broke that promise from the outset. Within 15 minutes Bermuda were 11 points clear of the Bahamas thanks to an early penalty and a total mismatch in size and strength on the field. Bermudan behemoth prop Brynley Toms earning Bermuda’s first try with a bulldozing run through the Bahamian pack which was unconverted and then followed by another cleanly taken penalty.

It was quickly becoming clear that unless the Bahamas changed their style of play Bermuda would simply use their size to pile on points and the Bahamas would have the unenviable task of a chasing an ever growing points tally for the rest of the game.

Bahamas were not without their own advantages on the field, indeed the Bahamian backline is one of the quickest in the competition and their flay half adept with the boot when given space but with the Bermudan pack averaging an advantage of 6 inches in height and 10 lbs in weight per forward it was to the bewilderment of the spectators that the Bahamas were drawn into a battle of strength as opposed to a battle of speed and guile. The Bahamian chant of “what it is? Easy!!” became almost laughable as the game drew on when it clearly dawned on the team that nothing is easy when you make it hard for yourselves.

Bermuda rung in the half time whistle after more bullying from the Bermudan pack allowed quick distribution out wide for the tall Bermudan inside centre Mark James to score again and bring up the half time score of 16-0.

The second half was much the same as the first with Bermuda dictating the pace of the game and winning back any lost ball through their pack but it was little wonder why the Bahamas came into the 2nd half playing the exact same game as the first?! The Bahamas were not without opportunity to play the ball thanks to numerous unforced errors from the Bermudan back line but at every opportunity afforded the Bahamians they ran into the bigger Bermudans in isolation and allowed easy turnovers.

When not gifting the ball to the Bermudans at the breakdown the Bahamians chose to kick the ball downfield into the waiting arms of Bermudan full back Rory Kelly who, when given time to spot the numerous gaps in the Bahamian back line could pick and chose where he wanted to score.

As the points piled on for Bermuda the final nail in the coffin was hit when Bermudan scrum half, Shauntino Simmons added to his ever increasing points tally by taking a quick tap penalty whilst the entire Bahamas team watched intently at what looked to be a small scuffle breaking out at the bottom of a ruck. Simmons ran unscathed 50 yards up the field and at one stage almost stopped to check with the referee that he was okay to continue on! With Simmons’ final points on the board the final score was 31-0 to Bermuda.

Bermuda, now face 2 time champions Guyana in their quest for the bowl and Bahamas will have to erase the memory of the game and build on their much stronger showing against Jamaica in their final upcoming match against Guyana in the round robin bowl competition.

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T&T, ranked fifth, will take confidence from the victory over the side ranked one spot higher than them, but they should face a much tougher challenge against second-ranked Mexico, last year’s runners-up, who shut out debutants Bermuda 33-0.

Jamaica, ranked third and the 2007 winners, were impressive in a 34-9 thrashing of newcomers Bahamas, while hosts and defending champions Cayman Islands, the tournament favourites, had an opening day bye.

The competition continues today, with the Bahamas meeting Bermuda, while T&T and Mexico go at it from 3 p.m., and the home side face Jamaica at 4.30 p.m.

The Championship enters the semi-final stage tomorrow. The winners of the tournament will qualify for the 2010 IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy.

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The tournament will feature representative sides from Kenya and Canada along with top club sides inclusive of over 40 capped internationals.

Eleven players have been named and one additional player will be added to the squad in the next two weeks.

The following players have been confirmed:

Andrew Bain (Bahamas), Andre Carbera (T&T), Claudius Butts (Guyana), Hollis Green (St. Vincent & the Grenadines ), Joshua Clarke (Cayman), Devon Woodsede (Bahamas),Kevin McKenzie (Guyana), Duran Beadle (Bahamas) ,Luther Burrell (Jamaica & Leeds), Tom Healy (Bermuda) and Keron Campbell (T&T).

Players under consideration for the final selection include: Kelson Figaro (T&T), Richard Staglon (Guyana), Albert Larose (Guyana), Michael Wilson (Cayman), Stefan Taricska (Barbados), Jermico Cooper (Bahamas) and J. Hampsey (Barbados).

The WI Select Squad will undertake a 3-day camp with Kenya prior to the tournament.

Head coach Joe Whipple observed that, “this is the first time that we will have reassembled players in the summer. This is a great start to our development programme this year. We have chosen to add some young and new talent to the mix of players. This will not only increase our depth of players, this will translate into more players gaining exposure to a higher level of Sevens. They can take this experience back to their individual unions”.

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Even though Mexico had the better start with Christian Hennings kicking a penalty in the first minute, Cayman responded with vigour through their forwards Daniel McGrath and Gulliame Hammersley. The pair helped to make it 7-3 at the half. After that Cayman did not look back. They dominated much of the match with fly half Joel Clarke pinning Mexico in their own 22. Scrum half Michael Wilson scored his side’s second try to make it 17-3. Taron Forbes sealed the deal to secure Cayman’s place in an IRB international 15 a side tournament for the first time.

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“Guyana fought hard,” said team captain Adam Fredericks, “but we dug deep.”

Frederick led from the front with three second half tries and two conversions that saw them through. The team return home to prepare for the next round of qualifiers for the Rugby World Cup that takes place in 2011.

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