Updated: Feb 22, 2021
Round 1: Singapore Touch League - Men's 30s
Mandai Mambas 9 (5)
Rebels B 6 (5)
A green Mandai Mambas outfit staged a remarkable comeback to turnaround a five try deficit and overcome the experienced Rebels B in Round 1 of the Singapore touch rugby men's 30s league.
An exhausted Garth "Ziggy" Ziegler commented in post game interview; "I knew we had it in us, once we all got the the rules and our structures came into place - there was no looking back", "All those hours of pre-season running prep showed today - we finished strong and left a bit in the tank for game 2 next week"
The first quarter (6min per quarter format) started in shambles - a harsh ref was not impressed by the mess he was witnessing and punished the inexperienced Mambas constantly.
The Mambas went 5 tries to zero down fast; running around like headless chickens - overstepping the mark, forward passing, dropped balls, missed opportunities, not getting back, you name it... they did it.
Towards the end of the quarter there was a glimmer of hope as Ziggy slipped the Rebels
defense, only to mistakenly plant the ball down 7m short of the try line. A shake of the head, a chat to the ref, and the Mambas were out on their backs for a quick 3min quarterly rest.
Quarter 2 was held to a clean sheet - the Mambas could feel the momentum shift as their defense took shape and the team started to gel. A rejuvenated Warren "Skipper" de Souza shouted; "We got this boys!", and even the ref quipped, "Greatest comeback ever" (little did he know what he was about to witness).
Quarter 3 kicked off and it was GAME ON from the get go - the centre pairing of Skipper de Souza and Ziggy took off like rockets, taking the game by the scruff of the neck and running rings around a shell shocked Rebels opposition. The Mambas quickly racked up 5 tries to level the game.
The Rebels heads sank and their legs became heavy. Quarter 4 was the time to strike - Matt "the gasman" Brittain took a flat pass on the overlap at speed and raced away lonely to put the Mambas in the lead. The Rebels tried all they could to make a comeback, even slyly yanking a player from the field (injured) turning it into a 3 on 3 game for a few minutes in an attempt to mix it up.
It wasn't working, the Mambas defense couldn't be broken. A couple more tries and the game was done!
The victorious Mambas will improve with the experience gained and look forward to game 2 in their new official pink toucan's team kit.
(Sneak pattern preview)
Till next week,
The Mambas Chronicle
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