The BVI Rugby Team scored two Tries, a conversion and a penalty on their way to a 22-5 victory over San Juan Rugby Club.

The Puerto Ricans started the brighter of the two teams and it took a timely interception from Donovan Staples after some intense pressure from the home team to break the shackles.

The VI defense stood firm with Heath Copland and Andre Adams making numerous tackles in the tight. In the backline, the half backs Niall Brooks and Will Pridgeon worked well with Tom Chapman and Jon Draper in the centre’s to ensure San Juan’s attacks were kept at bay.

Then came Staples’ inspirational break away try and whilst the flood gates didn’t exactly open the score gave the VI some breathing space. A Johnny Bailey try before half time and Will Pridgeon converting one of the two tries made the score 12-0 at half time.

The Puerto Ricans started the second half on fire and were rewarded with a try to reduce the deficit to 12-5. However, the VI fought back and Pritchard was successful with a penalty to make it 15-5 and his kick knocked some of the wind from the home side.

The VI forwards were now beginning to dominate and some superb ruck and maul play resulted in another try, this time for Andre Adams. The VI won the 1st, second and third phase of play to allow Adams to score. Pridgeon made no mistake with his conversion and they took the win.

“Towards the last twenty minutes of the game, the VI played some of their best rugby,” according to Manager Dustyn Molver adding that, “from a series of drives, Andre Adams crashed over for a score and Pridgeon duly converted to take the score to 22-5.”

This was the first game of 15–a–side rugby that the BVI played since the loss to Barbados last April and according to Molver, was a chance to “blood” several new players.

“San Juan Rugby Club, are a mixture of local youngsters and experienced Argentine and American players. We may have lost the physical battle around the pitch, but after a few heated scrums, the introduction of Jeovan Thompson after 20 minutes brought some strength and aggression to the front row and as San Juan began to tire slightly, the BVI came back into the game,” Molver said.

Ronan Kuzsak was named the VI’s player of the game and special mention was made of Melvin Knight, from the Seven Day Adventist School, who came on for about ten minutes near the end for his first taste of international rugby.

The BVI Rugby Football Union continues its training sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays 5.30 p.m.–7.00 p.m. at the AO Shirley Grounds and new male players aged 16 and over are invited.

The focus now is on the upcoming visit of George Washington University March 12-16.