Rugby: RP Volcanoes remain unbeaten, swamp Chinese Taipei 34-12

The Philippine Volcanoes had a rough start but found their form midway through the first half, dominating Chinese Taipei in their second of three games at the Asian 5 Nations Division 1 tournament held at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

 

"We didn't start well and Chinese Taipei, full credit to them, they played very well and they really gave it to us. It took us a long time to get into the game and too many penalties really killed us, killed our momentum but it's the wake up call that we needed for Sri Lanka," said Volcanoes team captain Michael Letts.

 

It took 21 minutes for the Philippines to get their first try as Chinese Taipei played inspired defense. 

 

"Chinese Taipei came to play. They had to win tonight to stay in the competition and that's why they played so tough. They were very structured in their defense and we always knew that. They're a lot quicker than the Singaporean team so it was hard for us to get outside, but we stuck in the task and we played well," said Volcanoes head coach Expo Mejia.

 

A try by Luke Matthews along with a conversion by Oli Saunders gave the Philippines a 7-0 lead. The duo scored again in the 28th minute to give the Philippines a more comfortable 14-0 advantage. In the 35th minute, Justin Coveney reminded everyone why he's called "The Flying Jeepney" as he went for a breakaway try to keep the Philippines on top 19-0. Nineteen minutes into the second half, Oli Saunders drove in a try and a conversion to give the Volcanoes a 26-0 lead. The offensive onslaught did not stop there as Brian West joined the fray to give the Volcanoes a 31-0 advantage. 

 

It was in the 29th minute when Chinese Taipei got its first try to get on the board, 31-5. 

 

"Very good defense. And that defense comes from being tough on the goal line and our boys showed how tough they are, because we weren't really tested against Singapore, so that was a good test for us," added Mejia.

 

The Philippines countered with a successful conversion through Oli Saunders, adding three more points to their tally. A minute before the final whistle, however, Chinese Taipei salvaged some pride, scoring a late try with a conversion for a final score of 34-12.

 

With the win, the Philippines now ties top seeded Sri Lanka with six points after two consecutive wins with at least four tries. The two teams will play on Saturday to determine the winner of the tournament—the one who will ultimately join the HSBC Asian 5 Nations Top 5 in 2013. The winner of that tournament will go on to take a spot in the 2015 Rugby World Cup. — ELR, GMA News