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Qatar’s run in the division finals of the Asian5Nations tournament came to an end yesterday courtesy a younger and quicker Malaysian outfit. |
Having gained two consecutive promotions in the last two years, rising from Division IV to Division II, Qatar, while seeded fourth, was considered the team to beat. But Malaysia, who had had two cracks at getting into the Division I in the last two years, finally won the Division II finals 31-22 riding on some fast runs through the field and capitalizing on some sloppy effort by the host side.
Very often in the match, Qatar were left grappling with trying to contain the speed and quick thinking by the Malaysian players, leaving little space for building a move.
Malaysia were quick to take advantage of their speed against Qatar and were ahead in the seventh minute after Atunaisa Laladamu, one of the five naturalized Fijians playing for Malaysia, scored the first try of the final. Faat Hur Razi Ismail converted it to give Malaysia an early 7-0 lead.
The Qatar rugby team.
Qatar’s Paul Beard, who had already scored four penalties and conversion in the first match against Thailand on Tuesday, got the host team’s scoreboard ticking in the 23rd minute with a penalty.
In the 36th minute, Beard was at it again scoring the penalty and then adding a drop goal two minutes from time.
Just when it looked like Qatar will head into the break with a slim lead, Laladamu once again ran through the host side’s defence to score his second try of the match, which was also converted by Razi Ismail. Malaysia ended the first half with a five-point lead at 14-9.
Takubu has been the pick of the Malaysians having already scored a try in the first match on Tuesday.
Razi Ismail scored Malaysia’s first and only penalty 16 minutes into the second half before Mohamed Azmir Zanul Abidin added Malaysia’s third try of the evening a minute later. Razi Ismail was spot on for third straight conversion.
Qatar’s chance for a comeback came in the 24th minute when player-cum-coach Aaron Palmer made a run to the goal area and scored Qatar’s first try, before Beard converted for the extra two points taking the hosts closer.
Beard then came up with a spectacular penalty kick from just inside the half line to give the host side momentum. He added three more points with a penalty kick four minutes from regulation time taking Qatar within striking distance at 24-22.
But Malaysians banged in the winner moments before time through Wan Izzudin Ismail, which was duly converted by Razi Ismail for a nine-point lead, which eventually was the winning margin for the visitors.
Palmer felt the initial few minutes were critical in the game. “They started the game with a hiss and a roar and gained ascendancy on us very early in the game. We didn’t start as well, it took us 15-20 minutes to get into the game. That took its toll. The [naturalised] Fijians [in the Malaysian team] counter-attacked, we mis-tackled and they scored,” he said.
He was also critical of his team: “Our individual skills under the high ball were horrendous. Guys going back and dropping the ball back in our half. It means that we had to have a defensive scrum and then they attacked us off that.
“Some individuals [in the team] are feeling it now because the performance wasn’t up to the scratch. You can’t afford that at this level. This wasn’t a club game. And these [Malaysia] guys wanted it. We clawed our way back, and it could have been on, but our 15 fumbled on the try line and they scored. That was the game, then and there. It is disappointing because this team can play a lot better than they did tonight.”
Malaysia coach Lee Nyuk Fah was relieved having finally won the Division II final: “This is a big achievement for us. We lost the two finals playing at our local ground. Winning at a neutral ground, is a big thing for us. And now we will play Thailand and Singapore in the coming months to improve our ranking.”
Earlier, Iran survived a late scare in the second half to finish third in the Division II ahead of Thailand with a 26-23 victory yesterday.
Iran, who had lost to a quick Malaysia on Tuesday, started strongly and maintained a healthy lead well into the second half before the Thais got going. But the eventual result meant that they finished at the bottom of their division for the second time in a row, having lost the Division I relegation match to Chinese Taipei in 2013.
