The Banger Colts and the Southerners battled out a pulsating Thai Rugby Union Qualifier to book a final spot next weekend. It went down to the wire, but the Banger Colts hung on to the local bragging rights with a hard fought win over thier expat rivals.
It was not expected to be an easy game. These derby matches in the past have always been bruising encounters. Getting to the ground was the first challenge for the Bangers yesterday. The team bus was caught in an infamous Bangkok traffic jam on the way to the park. It took nearly two hours. The quick thinking Club Captain Andrew Tatam, had the team change on the bus on the journey while Chairman Roberto cajoled and motivated the team over the bus intercom. You could feel the tension building
The Colts made a bright start and took the lead early on with a try The Southerner slotted penalties to keep them in touch The Colts had plenty of possession and looked the more dominant team however mistakes and knock ons disrupted their rhythm on occasions.
The only thing that was really lacking was the finishing touch. The Colts created several scoring opportunities but were denied by last ditch defense from the Southerners. In the final outcome, the Bangers win was well deserved. The club also retained the Soi 33 Cup. the Cup played for annually between the two clubs.
Speaking after the game at Tenderloins club rooms, the jubilant Coach Jeff Klentzi said, "I am proud of this group of players. It would be wrong to pick out individuals in this performance because all were outstanding". Final Score : Banger Colts 15. Southerners 9
