Colts step up, Ginge scores, 4 try hauls...
19th January 2009
by Barrie Hattam

Nicosia Barbarians 5  Paphos Tigers 111

The Tigers start 2009 as the only unbeaten side in the league and were taking nothing for granted in their preparations for their game against the Barbarians on Sunday despite their 63-0 win in October.

Due to injury and work commitments the Barbarians were unable to field a qualified front row so both sides agreed to play the game with uncontested scrums.

The Barbarians kicked off into the safe hands of Dan Bignell and soon George Agathocleous was charging his way towards the Barbarians line and after 4 minutes George crashed over for the first of the Tigers 19 tries.

The Barbarians were outclassed but their heads stayed high and fought bravely against the onslaught, their real reward was in their hearts but the scoreboard will show 5 points scored in the second half from an intercepted pass.

As is so often the case in games where one team is so dominant the practised drills and moves are forgotten and individuals make daring runs and take risky chances and so the Tigers had their fun!

What were the highlights of the game? Was it George crashing through to score 4 tries? Was Kyle Oelofse scything through to score 4 tries? Was it the pleasure of seeing three colts, Danny Humphries, Jack Bilton and Oliver Bayes-Shelton graduate to the senior side with Jack scoring with 2 conversions? Was it the performance of Dave “Ginge” Carruthers breaking from the back of a line out making 10metres and sweetly offloading to Alun “AJ” Pugh to score and 10 minutes later Ginge scoring his first Try? Or was it the sight of Theo Lenos, Club Chairman and co-landlord at the Keg and Barrel, running the line flag in hand and trying desperately to keep up with the try scoring Kyle, returning breathless to the touchline commenting ”hey bro that boy’s fast!”?

Whatever! in the true spirit of rugby camaraderie both sides adjourned to the Keg and Barrel for a good feed and a bout of rugby fun and were last seen happily laughing with and at each other.

The Tigers remain unbeaten but know that this only serves to make the other challengers in the league more eager to topple them.