Rugby Rumble: Match of the year

By Emir Suleiman

After a 2-year long break, the eagerly awaited Super Schools Rugby makes a return to the Malaysian schoolboy rugby scene, promising an even more intense and thrilling tournament.

This paved the way for the KYS Rammers to turn up and build their reputation in national rugby representing Kolej Yayasan Saad.

The Kick Off

KYS Rammers’ first match of the group stages was against Sekolah Menengah Sains Selangor (SMSS) – a long-time SSR contender with their first appearance dating back to 2017.

We had undergone months of intensive training to prepare us for this prestigious campaign. Saturday, 8th July marked the beginning of our journey. The boys strut onto home grounds brimming with unwavering focus, keen on victory.

The Rammers had a rough first half, falling behind by 4 points to SMSS. Following a quick rundown of the game plan during halftime, we resumed our clash in the second half, spirits still soaring. The boys woke up and exposed their short-sided defense through a series of ‘pick n go’s off the ruck.

The Rammers held it tight and worked their way up the field which allowed a try to be scored by Aiman Aydin followed by a conversion from Kamil Luqman. The final score of 10-7 to KYS left the boys with dignity intact and a good benchmark for the upcoming fixtures.

Fouls and Faults

The KYS Rammers headed to Negeri Sembilan the following week to meet the state champions, Sekolah Dato’ Abdul Razak (SDAR).

Playing on foreign grounds didn’t startle us one bit, but the immense pressure of retaining an undefeated record throughout the whole season was lingering on everybody’s minds.

The game started off in our favour when Kamil Luqman nicked an early 3 points stemming from a penalty kick. Despite the skillful defense displayed by the team, The game ended with an upsetting score of 15-3, with SDAR Lions emerging as the champions.

We believe that impatience by our players during offence caused several mistakes when nearing the tryline.

The Rammers must now lick their wounds and prepare for the final match to secure their spot in the quarter-finals.

Welcoming The Storm

With the match against Royal Malay College (RMC) only being a week away, the building blocks were put in place. The boys were locked in, ready to represent the crests on their jerseys and to prove all the doubters wrong by conquering the favourites to win the tournament, RMC.

Saturday, July 22nd.

The players stepped onto the field, facing not only their opponents but also a mental battle against doubt and pressure.

Defeating a formidable rugby team demands a meticulous game plan which exploits their weaknesses and capitalises on our own strengths. That’s exactly what the Rammers had in store for RMC.

End of The Line

The forward pack was supreme, endless strikes killed their defensive line and allowed our backline to get fast-ball out of the ruck.

A penalty kick by Kamil Luqman earned us 3 points in the first half. The Rammers maintained an unshakeable belief in their abilities and continued to pinpoint the opposition’s vulnerabilities.

A perfectly executed kick by standoff Muhammad Arsyad allowed a try to be scored by Adli Imran. With time-ticking and the scoreline tight, the team found themselves falling behind by a few points.

The Rammers clung onto their plan up until the game went into additional time when a penalty was awarded to the Rammers.

Kamil Luqman slotted the kick which ended the game with a score of 13-12 to KYS.

As the referee’s whistle echoed, the team’s collective relief and joy were palpable, proving that victory is sweeter when snatched from imminent defeat.

Despite a promising start and an initial victory, the Rammers’ journey came to an unexpected halt as we fell short of progressing beyond the group stages. The team’s efforts were valiant, marked by their commitment and relentless determination.

The complications of the tournament format and the formidable competition led to our elimination in the tournament. The players found their solace in the hard-fought battles against the top schools in Malaysia.