PRESS RELEASE – The Guam Men’s Rugby team started the 2014 HSBC Asian Five Nations Division 3 East rugby tournament in Vientiane, Laos on Thursday with a comprehensive win against the hosts but were unable to carry that form through to the final against China losing 41-10 on Saturday.
Guam started the game flat and saw China open the scoring in the ninth minute but some strong work by the Guam forwards got Guam back in the match with a try to Randy Mendiola. However, China marched Guam back after the restart and continued to apply pressure, scoring twice more to lead 17 – 5 at the half.
At the break Coach Tony Penn expressed his disappointment to the team at half time and asked the players to dig deep to get back into the match. However, it was the Chinese who scored early in the second half. The match settled in to a tough struggle with both sides guilty of poor handling and control.
China scored two more tries in rapid succession later in the half before Brandon O’Mallan crashed over for a good driving try. The conversion from in front was blocked by the Chinese and this was to be Guam’s last real scoring opportunity.
China took a well deserved 41-10 victory and were crowned the Asian 5 Nations Division 3 East Champions.
Guam players Matt Sgro, Alex Tenorio and Randy Mendiola impressed but overall the Guam side was only a shadow of the team that won so convincingly on Thursday. To a man, the players were disappointed at, once again, failing to win the final match in this tournament.
The Guam team was:
Alex Tenorio, Brandon O’Mallan, Johnny Borja, Adejo Lujan, Sixto Quintanilla, Rob Leon Guerrero, Paul Claros (captain), Ron Berking, Matt Sablan, Eddie Calvo, Randy Mendiola, Chris Sgro, Art Toves, Matt Sgro, Paul Eustaquio, Earl Pascual, Jesse Perez, Ezra Sablan, Paul “PJ” Calvo, Brian Blas, Brian Ramiro, Basil O’Mallan, Sean Leon Guerrero, Len Calvo, and Jacob Flores, Coach Tony Penn.
(AP/Carlos Osorio)
