Borneo Flyers stay in lead
SANDAKAN: Day one of the Borneo Sevens 2024 concluded with the Borneo Flyers maintaining their lead in the Women’s category.
The tournament kicked off with the Borneo Flyers securing a triumphant victory against DKI Jakarta, scoring 31 points while keeping their opponents scoreless.
After three games each, both Borneo Flyers and Uzbekistan emerged at the top of the standings with nine points each, having won all their matches of the day.
The Eagles RFC Select from the Philippines, BAC Singapore and Briars Australia concluded the day with three points each. On the other hand, DKI Jakarta failed to secure any points as the team did not win any matches.
Led by Dhys Faleafaga, a New Zealand Black Fern player, the Borneo Flyers showcased their dominance, reaching a peak score of 50 in their match against Briars Australia. The Borneo Flyers broke through their opponents’ defences repeatedly to collect a total of 108 points from their tries and conversions after the three matches.
In the Men’s category, Pool A defending champion Borneo Eagles is leading with nine points from three wins respectively. The Briars Australia which won two of its three matches collected six points while Malaysia University is in third place with three points from one win. Belgium Barbarians has yet to secure a win.
The Briars Australia vs Borneo Eagles match was a nail-biting one and it ended with the defending champions winning the game 32 to 14 points.
In the Malaysia University vs Belgium Barbarians match, the local boys made their opponents work hard to score a try earning them five points.
The Malaysia University team however broke through their opponent’s defence several times earning themselves a total of 20 points.
Pool B was topped by the NZ Cavaliers with six points, closely followed by Uzbekistan, also securing six points. Delhi Hurricanes collected three points with one win from three matches while DKI Jakarta did not win any of its matches.
A closely contested match between Uzbekistan and Delhi Hurricanes in Pool B saw Uzbekistan claiming victory by a narrow margin of two points, resulting in a final score of Uzbekistan 14, Delhi Hurricanes 12.
Despite challenging weather conditions, all teams exhibited commendable performances on the first day of the tournament.