JEDDAH, 29 February 2008 — A revitalized Jeddah Rugby Football Club dominated most of the run of play to defeat Riyadh in what club chairman Jaques Kilian described as “a very physical game” in Jeddah yesterday.
The three period game — so formatted for rehydration breaks — saw Jeddah run in seven tries and convert five to Riyadh’s three with one converted.
Jeddah set the pace of the game by springing a surprise opening score with swift delivery of the ball from a loose maul less than a minute after kick-off. Demonstrating much sharper handling skills than on previous outings, Jeddah rapidly shuttled the ball out to winger Matt Jay who burst through Riyadh’s somewhat surprised defense to tumble over in the corner for a try.
Riyadh reeling from the sudden onslaught scrambled to fight off repeated attacks from Jeddah’s motivated pack and for just three minutes held their ground. However, Jeddah had the bit between their teeth and raised their game to the next level. Six minutes later Chris Ratcliffe, Jeddah’s new club member and a seasoned rugby league player, hammered thought Riyadh’s line to score his first try which he then converted.
At this point the game had the feeling of a rout for Riyadh; but true to the form they have shown against Jeddah in previous clashes, they gathered themselves together and dished out some of the same treatment.
Nine minutes into the first period, Fahad Masry showing the nimbleness he is known for shimmered through the Jeddah defense to put Riyadh on the score sheet and sent the signal for the hard work to begin.
For the ensuing 10 minutes or so, both teams were searching for weaknesses in the other’s defense. Riyadh gave Jeddah some moments of concern when the considerable Dino Obeid, who proved to be a very difficult man to topple, used his momentum to hammer into a very reactive Jeddah line. Only assiduous tackling and some determined and tenacious hanging on by up to three members of Jeddah’s lively pack slowed the substantial Obeid’s progress.
To bring the first period to a fitting conclusion, Andy Vele buffeted his way through a tiring Riyadh defense to conclude the scoring for the period.
The second period went to Jeddah – the play ran end to end but it was Jeddah that aimed the pocket battleship Steve Hunter at Riyadh’s corner and set him in motion. He did not disappoint and charged through Riyadh’s line 5 minutes into the period to touch down three meters from the corner. His sterling effort was followed 10 minutes later when Jaques Kilian buffeted through to score and was immediately followed a few minutes later by David Kinkaid.
The third period — beginning to look like a cruise to victory for Jeddah — started well when Chris Ratcliffe, later named man of the match for two tries and five conversions, sprinted over Riyadh’s line past a confused defense after just two minutes. However, it has always been a mistake to relax against Riyadh and Jeddah received their retribution with a handsome solo effort from Obeid which saw Jeddah’s threequarters bounce off him and allowed him a creative and lumberingly balletic ten meter sprint for the try line. Jeddah’s relaxation was further punished when Mohammed Aldakhail concluded Riyadh’s spirited fight back with a final try seven minutes later. The deed done, in the final analysis it was not enough. A fine game, hard fought and hard won.
Final score: Jeddah 45 (seven tries, five conversions). Riyadh 17 (three tries, one conversion)
