The weekend didn’t feel right: I had missed Super Rugby at the usual local beach resort because of family business. But all that changed when on Sunday evening, I chanced on the local Channel 14 (Studio 23) and the match between the Philippine Volcanoes and the Singapore Lions was just beginning.
I sat down with excitement and some foreboding. I had never watched a Philippine rugby team before.
How would they acquit themselves? The Filipino physique is better suited to backyard basketball, which is the national sport. How would they fare in the very physical contact sport that rugby is?
I needn’t have worried. It soon became apparent as the team lined up for the national anthems that the Volcanoes had benefitted from foreign genes, Big Macs, and croissants. They mostly had surnames like Letts (two brothers), Matthews (two brothers), Saunders, and Olivier (French-Filipino). Apparently there is a lot of interest from players overseas to play for the Volcanoes.
Last year, a huge billboard along EDSA Avenue in Manila had featured some of the rugby players in their jockeys, displaying the benefits of hybrid vigour from having one parent from Australia, America, or France, and learning to play rugby overseas. Would have been good advertisement for the game, but the locals, fervently Catholic, found their sensibilities offended, and the billboard came down.
At the opening ceremonies at the Century Park Hotel, the William Webb Ellis Cup was displayed at the foyer, and an IRB honcho had graced the occasion.
This was a first: the first time a home rugby international was aired nationally on TV. Unfortunately, the two newspapers I buy every day had no write-up in the sports pages.
The crowd at the Rizal Memorial Stadium was small but raucous. You can rely on the extended Filipino family to turn up from distant provinces to cheer for you.
The Volcanoes put on a great display of running rugby. Just before the 5-minute mark, Oliver Saunders chip kicked and his brother Matthew, a center (that’s how we spell it here in the Philippines), regathered for the first try.
Five minutes later, Joe Matthews (from Canberra) scored from a pass from the big fullback and team captain, Michael Letts.
At 21 minutes, the French-Filipino wing, Patrice Olivier (who had played in Japan), scored the third try; followed by the flyhalf (whom the Filipino commentators called “outside half”), Oliver Saunders.
The Lions kicked two penalty goals in the first half. They constantly relied on their rolling maul to gain yards, and their rucks predictably came from two or three man pods which did not give them yardage but gave their rucks structure. Polar opposites to the Volcanoes in playing style.
The two tries for the Lions in the second half came from their prop and their No. 8. They kept in touch with the Volcanoes through penalty goals.
Joe Matthews scored his second try from another backline move in the 71st minute. The big fullback, Michael Letts, scored the last Volcano try in the 77th minute, three Lions defenders bouncing off him, which reminded one of the Filipino commentators of Jonah Lomu steam-rolling over Mike Catt at the 1995 Rugby World Cup.
Perhaps the hyperbole might be forgiven. The two Filipino commentators made commendable efforts to explain the game, though some of their interpretations of infractions in the maul and the ruck were dubious.
The final score was Volcanoes 37, Lions 20. The Philippines play Chinese Taipei on Wednesday night.
Mabuhay!
mattamkII
Guest
Thank you Jez. Yes montezuma, the Asian 5 nations works a bit like English football where: Top = 1st Grade Div 1 = 2nd Grade Div 2 = 3rd Grade ....so yes, frame it as you like but Singapore are playing 3rd Grade next year. Jez, it was only 3 or 4 season ago Singapore were actually up in the top grade. It really is a mess over there. In the last 7 or 8 years they have had cases of fund embezzlement, misguided player walkouts over selection and gone through countless coaches and officials. Their club sides continue to match and often beat the best club sides from Hong Kong and non-professional sides from Japan...but their national team continues to be littered with politics and under performing. PH has cut through all that rubbish and look how well they are going. I'd imagine the growth rates of the two countries will be well in the favour of PH in the next few years.
jeznez
Guest
"Div 2" is effectively the third Tier with the structure being the Asian 5 Nations, Div 1 and finally Div 2. It is a real shame as the Lions were contesting for promotion to the top Tier only two years ago after beating a Malaysia side largely made up of local based Fijians in the semi, then dominating the majority of play against Sri Lanka. The forwards, halves and centres that day completely dominated and Sri Lanka survived by kicking to the Singaporean wingers who consistently dropped the ball to allow Sri Lanka to win in what on the day was an upset. Singapore will bounce back, they are a much stronger team than they are currently showing.
montezuma
Guest
Singapore goes back down to Div 2, not Div 3.
mattamkII
Guest
yep SG went down in a screaming heap and is now down the 3rd Division. Sad is the state of the Union over there. Go Ph!
Working Class Rugger
Guest
mattamkII Not looking to promising for Singapore. Down 17-7 after 26 min. Congratulations to the Philippines Volcanoes. They'll continue to strengthen no doubt and will hopefully stay up after next year's addition.
ThelmaWrites
Guest
Edit function not working. That should be "Sri Lanka threatening", NOT "Singapore threatening." Sorry!
ThelmaWrites
Guest
Philippines 28, Sri Lanka 18. Just as Justin Coventry scored the last try to bring the Philippines up from 23, with Singapore threatening, TV transmission goes pffft! Lucky my daughter was watching with her newborn son in a hospital in Kuala Lumpur; she texted me the final score.
mattamkII
Guest
You're right. Its a bit of a revolving door in the top div isn't it. Most teams go up for one year then right back down. It'd nice to see something worked to give them more time up top.
mattamkII
Guest
The pool these games are being played in is actually in actual terms the 2nd Division. Sri Lanka and Philippines have done very well over the last few years. Sri Lanka went up to 1st Div last year and held themselves pretty well but were relegated with Korea, who are rebuilding, taking their spot. Sri Lanka are now coached by Phil Greening and are a very very young side 100% local so are doing very well. As mentioned above Ph has come on because of their development of anyone who qualifies to play. This is doing great things for the game and there are many born and bred kids looking good for the future. Sadly Singapore Rugby is going backward and may end up down in 3rd Div. They were in the top div a few years back and have been on the slide ever since. This also happened when they launched their unofficial local player policy. I think they only have 5 expats in the team now... when in reality Singapore could field a much stronger team if they followed Philipines lead and just picked who was best and qualified. Troube in Singapore is the union is very mismanaged. I believe that even their A-Grade club comp only last for 8 or 10 games. Not much of a season is it?
Working Class Rugger
Guest
Both the Volcanoes and Sri Lankans have enjoyed comfortable victories in round two of the A5N Div 1 Championship with the host the Volcanoes dispatching of Chinese Taipei 37-12 and Sri Lanka comfortable handling Singapore 35-10. I would say from the highlights and comparing both their performances against Singapore (the stronger of the two 'lesser' lights of this years division) it appears Sri Lanka would probably go in favourite's for a return to the A5N Top division. That said, the Volcanoes are more than capable of toppling a young and inexperienced Sri Lankan team. It will be down to who'd forwards stand up on the night. Both have (by Asian standards) large pack with perhaps the Sri Lankans being the more mobile of the two. Should be a really cracking match. To be honest, I think it may be time for the A5Ns Top Div to become a 6 team affair as both these teams could probably do a reasonable job given a few years in the top division.
Working Class Rugger
Guest
No, but I know who to ask.
Working Class Rugger
Guest
The Sri Lankan forwards certainly weren't diminutive in the footage I've seen. The Philippine vs Sri Lankan game should be really good.
formeropenside
Guest
I'd love to be able to watch this on Foxtel - I will have to see when it shows up on ESPN, if at all. My abiding memory of the HK Sevens, nigh on 20 years ago, is watching Sri Lanka v someone, and a tiny sri lankan halfback getting run over by some brute - and the halfback got up and ran him down from behind 40m later. Great guts.
HoJu
Guest
Speaking of the players eligibility, I play with the Letts brothers, Jake and Michael, at Warringah. They're mother was born in the Philippines and both of them travel back to the Philippines regularly aside from their rugby commitments. Also, due to having a Filipino passport, Michael has been contracted to a Japanese club as a local and not an imported player.
a5nguy
Guest
Top seeds Sri Lanka will take on the hosts Philippines in the HSBC Asian 5 Nations Division I final on Saturday at 17.00 (local time). The winner will be promoted to the A5N Top 5 competition (the top 5 ranked teams in Asia) in 2013. DI is doubling as the first in a three-year qualification process for RWC 2015. The loser of the relegation match between Singapore and Chinese Taipei will be relegated to Div II next season and their road to RWC will come to an early end. The final on Saturday will be played across Asia on ESPN STAR sports as well as to international takers as part of the international broadcast package for the tournament with international commentary. the local ABS-CBN team is doing a great job and we appreciate their great enthusiasm for the game. Rugby is set to rock Rizal Stadium in Manila once again on Saturday April 21.
ThelmaWrites
Guest
HI Lorry! Just doing my bit for promoting rugby in this part of the world. My first name is Thelma but the Writes comes from the fact I'm supposed to be writing fiction. However, I don't fancy living in a garrett so I have my feet firmly planted in the business world. Rugby is such an abiding pleasure.
p.Tah
Guest
Thanks
Johnno
Guest
WCR do you have any latest information on Canada rugby .
Working Class Rugger
Guest
The group behind that concept have actually been at it for several years now. I first caught wind of it in 2007 when the USAR first awarded them sanctioning rights. They had planned to get running by 2009 but the GFC put pay to that. They went quiet, sporadically providing info to Ted Hardy at rugbyamerica.net (I would suggest reading his stuff, it's quite good a bit sporadic of late but I'm pretty sure he's in the latter stages of a Medical internship from memory)here and there, he has been their outlets pretty much since day one. They have been really busy of late announcing an impressive board, a location (Home Depot Center in L.A) and now the NFL network deal. It may seem all of a sudden but its been building for a long while. I'm currently trying to find out more info on the Pro 15s concept in the works as well.It would reasonable to expect to see very little followed by a flurry in that regard as well.
Gatesy
Guest
That's what Rugby is all about! We need more of this reportage.