RUGBY – A RED-HOT Mason Porteous scored 22 points as Bahrain Rugby Football Club (BRFC) roared to a 54-29 victory against the Dubai Tigers during the ninth round of the West Asia Premiership League, moving them to the top of the table with just two games to go.
Both teams came into the match needing a win to get back on track after Bahrain slumped to a 16-9 loss to Jebel Ali Dragons, and the Tigers losing 21-33 to the Dubai Hurricanes.
Bahrain started off incredibly strong leading 33-3 at half time, with Rugby Club chairman Mike Cunningham calling it ‘some of the best rugby the club has played in years’.
“The Tigers have been playing really well recently despite their loss,” he told the GDN. “Despite that, the first 40 minutes especially, was incredible from us. Our defence was solid, attack was crisp, we were incisive and breaking lines.
“We were on top of the game the entire time and pushing them back and grabbed a well deserved 30 point lead at the break.”
Not content to rest on their laurels, however, Bahrain continued to push for more, with a Man of the Match performance by Aled Morris and fantastic performance by Porteous leading the team to a solid 54-29 win in front of a large appreciative and noisy home crowd in Janabiya.
Porteous was in fine form, with six conversions for a 100 per cent rate, scored four penalty goals in addition to six tries for an impressive personal haul.
“He was instrumental for us,” Cunningham said. “He set up the running lines, fed the ball out to break the opposition line, he was fantastic and deserves all plaudits coming his way.”
Cunningham also stated that the team’s performance exceeded all expectations, grabbing a bigger win than most anticipated heading into the match.
“They were unfortunate because they happened to face us on a day where we were at our very best,” he said. “We expected a tight and tense game with maybe just three to five points difference at the end, but to come away with such a big win was beyond our most optimstic predictions.”
With that win, BRFC now sit on top of the seven-team table with 36 points, just two points ahead of the Tigers in second place. The club has played nine games in total, won seven, drawn once and lost once.
They face the Dubai Hurricanes next on Saturday where they will again enjoy home advantage. “We are looking forward to a good turnout from the supporters and members,” said Cunningham. “This is a good opportunity to cement our position on top of the table, and take the next step towards our push towards another home final.”
The final league match of the season will be on March 22 away to the Tigers.
nader@gdnmedia.bh
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