India maul Pakistan to meet Guam in 5 Nations rugby final
Pakistan were beaten by India in the semi-final of 5 Nations tournament in Malaysia. – File photo
KUALA LUMPUR, May 30: India and Guam progressed through to the finals of the HSBC Asian 5 Nations rugby Division II championships with wins over Pakistan (34-5) and Indonesia (38-17) respectively in the semi-finals played at the Stadium Kelana Jaya on Wednesday.
A classic sporting rivalry between India and Pakistan was a highlight of the day’s Division II action. While an India win never looked in doubt, Pakistan achieved some moral victories in holding India to its lowest ever winning margin between the two sides, (29 points), and managed to tally their first try against their neighbours when winger Ahmed Fiaz scored in the 71st minute.
Despite blooding 11 new players in the encounter in the India game, Pakistan looked much improved after a strong preparation period under new coach and former Ireland international and European Cup champion Justin Fitzpatrick.
India also entered this year’s tournament with a raft of new players and a new coach in Mitsutake Hagimoto, who also coaches the Japan Women’s team.
India opened well, scoring four tries in the first half in hot and humid conditions today in Kuala Lumpur. They opened the scoring through lock Surinder Singh in the 9th minute, with fullback Rohaan Sethna adding a try and his own conversion moments later, en route to nine points on the day (1 try, 2 conversions). Other first half tries came through winger Vikas Khairi and flanker Tuiweli Serukalou.
In the second half, India added a further two tries through reserve flanker Shokender Singh and No 8 Hrishikesh Pendse. Sethna’s 2 conversions and brought the final score to 34-5.
Pakistan’s Irish coach Justin Fitzpatrick said: “There is a lot of personal pride involved for the players from both teams. India were promoted two years ago and are an older and more established rugby nation so they are really the form side in this rivalry.”
Pakistan manager Rizwan Malik also spoke about the contest saying, “For both countries, an India-Pakistan game means a lot. It doesn’t matter what sport it is, it gets a lot of attention. While we didn’t win today, I am satisfied with the way the players went, particularly the new caps.
In the other match between second and third seeds Guam emerged better than Indonesia to win 38-17.
India will face Guam in the finals of Division III on Friday, June 1.—Agencies
When two lions fight, one has to go down. It is as simple as that. Let's leave snide remarks out of sporting events, please.
India and Pakistan should start working together to improve each other and maintain the rivalry at the same time. Primary goal should be meeting in final stages of global championships and fight for the biggest reward. There is no much of point in talking about rivalry when you have not played against top European and Oceania nations of rugby . For rest of the world its like two chickens fighting with each other.
Need to change using such wordings of headlines ..It is just a game
You have got to be kidding me. Now playing Rugby? why not first get good in those sports where we actually stand a chance rather than getting the first place from the bottom at every sport.
Lets take sports as sports, do not indulge in politics, Indians and Pakistani's are same people accept it or not does not make any difference, so be gentle to each other and respect, I see the comments and that makes me sick.
No, they are not the same people. That was the whole basis of asking and getting your own country, right?
Long live Tahir Razvi!!
I fully agree with you .
pakistan hobbies are to loss from india in each and every field……
Jiye jiye Hindustan!!
Sabash India! beat Pakis in hockey and rugby in one day! it feels sooooo good! beat them in anything and everthing and make us proud!
To Pakis! don't be jealoused and osessed about India, and dream of playing cricket with us, because it will never happen
A true indian showcasing his class with 4 others behind the thumbs up button.
Pakistan has beaten India more times in every established sport than you would care to count. This is a fact and one that proves the point that we, being a smaller country with a smaller population, tend to do better in sports than India.
The fact that you compare yourselves to Pakistan and boast about one or two odd wins here and there proves to me that internationally you folks are nothing. When was the last time your nation of 1.2Billion made an impact on any of the Olympic games? Never and I don't see anything in the near future either.
The reality is that your best is only as good as that of Pakistan and we in Pakistan admit that with our limited funding, our best in not the best in the World. Yet in your minds, your beating Pakistan occasionally is as if you have beaten the World. You are nowhere close to that.
Dear we have won gold in Men's Shooting in last Olympics…. and 2 bronze in Boxing and Wrestling and Pakistan????????
And dear, how does it compare to overall medal position of other countries. Was it close to the achievement of more populous countries or close to the achievement of countriies having a small population?
@ Porkchop – talk like a sportsman rather than a politician. I am an Indian and I respect sports irrespective of whatever the game is. Pakistan is a new comer in Rugby and they performed well, though I am happy as India won but at the same time I respect Pakistan's effort.
Rugby is not all about strength and gusto(in that case you could hire Pehlwans from Lohari and Bhati or Gujranwala),it is also about skill,strategy and experience.Pakistan being a new comer in international rugby should keep working hard and they could make their mark in a decade or so,be patient.
sorry to say but even Pehlwans lose to india regularly in wrestling competition…rugby does require great strength,this is one sport where u need strength,skill,strategy to win
Even your pehalwans are defeated by Indian pehalwans.. I see lot of boasting by Pakistanis of being physically more powerful than Indians….see even in this sport where physical strength plays key role.. India outclassed you..
Only in your mind do Pakistanis boast! There is a difference in the predominant diet too. Pakistanis tend to eat more protein enriched foods such as meats etc, and that helps with the strength conditioning. More importantly, the Indian rugby team not because they "overpowered" Pakistan, rather they had better tactics on the field and had better plays/scrums.
This is something that one has to learn and get better at. As long as Pakistan Rugby get support in Pakistan, I am pretty confident that Pakistan will take on India and beat them in the near future. Its a matter of time.
OK OK.. MORE & MORE EXCUSES… JUST GET OVER IT.. DUDE!!
So, in short, you are trying to say that you guys have got all strength and "No Brains"
By the way, I fully agree with the second point!!
Waqar Bhai you are right but even if it was about Strength & Gutso we would have hired Pehelwans from Kolhapur, Mysore, Haryana & Punjab…….hi hi
Anyways apart from Skill & Experience Rugby Needs Strength & Power.
Korma & Nahari may bring strength but makes you lazy…..LoL
Looks like India can play Pakistan in every sport except cricket. Nobody wants to loose. Not me.
Vishwanathan anand wins the world chess championship 5th time..he is a real genius..
As of now, even in cricket, I think. But it will change as both teams see extreme ups and downs when it comes to cricket.
dont understand why pakistan lost … Pakistan should have gather the team from Khyaber and North of Pakistan full pathan's and they would have run down …
Jokes a part i think Paki's are babies in this game in few years things will change if we will have enough fund (thats if gov people leave something for sports)
The very idea that you think india is a cake walk is where you fail. I do not think having the people from the so called 'where ever' Pakistan would have made any diference. India would have still had a good match and to our victory.
High time Pakistan should train rather than think they have any racial superiority.
Interesting comment. But u must understand that the game requires not only physique but also some brain.
Indian Rugby Team mostly constituted North Indians and Punjabis and they are ethnically same as Punjabis of Pakistan and they beat the Pakistani Rugby team which include Pakhtoons as well. So i think The power of North Indians was more evident here along with Punjabis and if you want to see real Wrestlers and strong people then Visit Potohar and Gujranwala and they are powerful enough to Represent Pakistan at every arena where POWER matters the most.
rugby is not a game of body builder…! you need muscle because its collision game …! but you need more intelligence power and some strategies….!
Dear… Sameer…. Our Teems are consist of North, West , South and East Indians .. there is nothing like North and South Indian… We all are strong and "WE ARE INDIANS."
Dear Sameer – Hrishikesh Pendse is marathi, Sethna is Parsi, Gopinath is Tamil, Thimmaiah Madanda
is kannad, Pritam Roy is Marathi, Sujai Lama is Gorkha, Bikash Kumar is from Orrissa.
We have enough ammunition from all over India.
And come to Kolhapur Maharashtra or Visit Tamil Nadu and you will change your perception.
Jai Hind