THE mighty Philippine Airlines Tamaraws fielded a record four rugby league sides at the 2015 Cabramatta International 9s on Saturday, January 31, with two making the semifinals and two reaching the quarterfinals.
By ERICK ELEFANTE
________________________________
The Tams spread their resources thin by distributing their talent across four teams, but they played like generals against many seasoned opponents.
They worked their hearts out for head coach and team co-founder Clayton Watene, who announced his retirement on the eve of the games.
Teams 1 and 2 played the semifinals, teams 3 and 4 were in the quarterfinals.
The 2015 Cabramatta Internatiional 9s comprised 32 teams from 34 countries, with the Philippines’ Tamaraws fielding four, Malta two, Niue two, Cabramatta two, and Blacktown Workers two. The rest of the countries each fielded only one team.
Cabramatta 1 emerged the 2015 Cup champions. Trophy winners were Helensburg Tigers, Plate winners American Samoa, and Bowl winners Blacktown Workers Red.
This reporter could only follow the progress of Tams 1, who played to the semifinal and lost to Samoa, 20-16. They opened with a loss to Blacktown Workers, 22-10, followed by an 18-18 draw with the Cook Islands, and an impressive drubbing of Portugal, 24-8.
A tough encounter awaited the Tamaraws in the quarterfinal against a Fijian side, here to prepare for the South Pacific Games, with the teams scoring three tries each. The Tams’ Tom Gunn, who had flown down from Darwin to play in this tournament, scored the last try to give the Philippines victory, 16-14.
Then the Tamaraws faced another Pacific Island nation in American Samoa, who had flown in many of their players from New Zealand in preparation for the South Pacific Games.
Nothing separated the two teams in the first half, each trading two tries apiece. But the Tams failed to stop a Samoan try at the first-half whistle.
Samoa scored first in the second half, but with two minutes to go Tams’ Gunn broke through the defence and scored a runaway try near the posts.
Marc Russell had a chance to put the Tams in front with the boot but he missed the conversion. The score locked at 16-16.
The Tams then worked their way into a scoring position, but on the last tackle and with 13sec to full-time a pass was intercepted by Samoa and scored to dash any hope of a repeat of the 2012 fairy tale run. Thus, Samoa went into the final by beating the Tamaraws at the bell, 20-16.
Even though disappointed not to come away with any silverware at this tournament, assistance coach Mark de Ubago, who coached Tams 2, received a message from one of his players, Will Simpson, on Facebook which summed up the reason why so many Filipino-Australians/New Zealanders passionately get involved with the PAL Tamaraws:
“It was an honour representing my motherland today at the Cabra 9s tournament. Hardest game(s) of footy I’ve played, was a very good experience thanks. Mark and the Philippine National Rugby League for the effort put in managing 4 teams in this comp playing at two separate parks. — feeling honored at St Marys Rugby League Club.”
The teams that took part at the 2015 Cabramatta International 9s were Australia, Malta, America Samoa, Canada, Chile, Cook Islands, Papue New Guinea, Fiji, Portugal, Niue, and the Philippines.
___________________________________
PICTURES:
TOP, Tamaraws’ tough forward pack wins scrum.
LOWER, Tamaraws in trouble as opposition forwards crash through their defensive line.
