Singapore's Rugby team has successfully fought for their place in the final of the Asian
Rugby Football Union. (Photo: SSC)
The last time that Singapore and
Malaysia met on the rugby field, it resulted in a 25-23 win in Singapore’s
favour.
This led to a cautious optimism among
many for a similarly positive result when the two sides again clashed at the
Asian Rugby Football Union (ARFU) Division 1 in Incheon, South Korea on 28 May.
But the result was beyond what anyone dared hope for. Singapore trounced their
rivals from across the Causeway 52-17.
“I don’t think anyone had any
expectation that we would have such a huge difference score-wise,” said Des
Thornton, the team’s coach. Thornton joined the Singapore Rugby Union in
September 2010 and was instrumental in the team’s progress.
Over the phone the Australian, who
boasts 40 years coaching experience, spoke about what made that crucial
difference. “We did a lot analysis going into the match trying to come up with
ways to nullify their strengths and make use of their weaknesses,” he related.
Their initial strategy was to adopt a
more cautious approach and wait for cracks to appear in their opponents’
defence, a style they abandoned in the second half. This move paid off and the
team was then able to dominate with their forwards and convert their
opportunities into points.
Defeating Malaysia has put the team
squarely in the finals, where they will have to contend with a strong South
Korean team. Thornton, although confident that this team will impress,
recognises that they will be going in as the underdogs. “We know that South
Korea can play some tough rugby when they need to. No one’s expecting us to get
a million points here,” he said with a laugh.
He added, “The boys will have to play
harder than they’ve played before. We can’t have the same style so we’ve been
working hard on something new.”
Thornton and the team will find out if
their preparations have paid off on 4 June when they clash in the final against
South Korea.