Sabah Eagles win 5th Agong’s Cup
Sabah Eagles are back on familiar territory a er bea ng Kelantan 47-45 in a closely contested final of the Agong’s Cup Rugby Championship yesterday.
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Eagles are back on familiar territory after beating Kelantan 47-45 in a closely contested final of the Agong’s Cup Rugby Championship yesterday.
Played at the National Defence University of Malaysia Stadium, the Eagles have now won a fifth Agong’s Cup title after also emerging champions in 2007, 2009, 2014 and 2015.
The latest triumph, as the score suggested, however was hardearned.
The Eagles did drew the first blood but Kelantan showed the fighting quality that have brought them to the final in the 36th edition of the tournament.
Mohamad Safwan Abdullah put the Eagles five-up with the first attack of the game before fellow flanker Mohamad Amirul Aqil Kalsom made the conversion to give the Eagles a 7-0 lead inside the first minute of play.
Kelantan bounced back with a penalty from flyhalf Muhammad Azwan Zuwairi Mat Zizi in the 12th minute before they took the lead for the first time in their next succeesful attack.
Mohamad Ikwan Akmal Zulkipli’s try gave Kelantan their first five points in the 23 minute and added two more points from Azwan’s subsequent conversion to lead 10-7.
The Eagles flyhalf then scored two penalties in the 29th and 35th minutes but fullback Zulkifle Azmi’s try and Azwan’s conversion meant Kelantan still lead 17-13 after 35 minutes of play.
Wan Azley Wan Omar and Azwan then combined to score another seven points from a try and conversion as Kelantan threathened to pull away from Sabah Eagles in the closing stages of the first half.
However, the Eagles scored through Helbarth Jemlit’s try and McAlister’s conversion just before the half time break, which proved to be crucial as they staged a second half fightback.
The first half ended with the Eagles trailing 20-24.
Despite a strong finish to the first half, the Eagles found themselves trailing further behind when scrum-half Mohamad Khairul Abdillah Ramli and Azwan claimed yet another try and conversion to make it 31-20.
The Eagles under head coach Brad Mika were unpertubed as they produced some of their best performance in a 21-minute spell that saw them registered 20 points.
Amirul started the goal rush with twice successfully taken penalties in the 49th and 58 minutes before flyhalf Serupepeli Naqasima produced a try with Amirul making the subsequent conversion in the 60th and 61st minutes.
The impresssive Amirul made the try in the 70th minute before taking the conversion himself to put the Eagles in the lead with 40-31.
It set up an exciting final 10 minutes of the title decider with Kelantan inside winger Muhammad Zulhisham Rasli and Muhammad Ameer Nasrun Zulkeffli reducing the deficit to just two points (4038) in the 75th minute.
The Eagles responsed with Naqasima and Amirul winning a try and conversion to make it 47-38.
Kelantan were not ready to lose without a fight and a try from inside centre Mohd Syahir Azraf Roslia and conversion by Ameer put more pressure on Sabah by trailing two points.
For all their efforts, it was a little too late for a late comeback as it proved to be the last attack of the game and Sabah went on to clinch a fifth Agong’s Cup with a 47-45 victory.
Meanwhile, Kedah finished third in the country’s premier rugby tournament by beating the defending champions Johor 48-47 earlier.