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JAKARTA: China captain Zhang Zhiqiang put on another superb performance at the HSBC Asian 5 Nations Rugby Division III tournament in Jakarta to lead his side to a 28-18 victory over Guam. The win sees China promoted to next year’s Division II competition after being relegated in 2010.
Hosts Indonesia celebrated a memorable victory as a last-gasp try from scrumhalf Kirk Arundale put them clear of Pakistan 20-19 to take third place in the tournament.
In the Division II Final, China came back from a 13-point halftime deficit to win a match played in some very blustery conditions. Guam jumped out to an early lead with a well-taken penalty from centre Chris Sgro in the 3rd minute. Sgro added a further ten points for Guam in the first half with a try, conversion and penalty. Paul Eustaquio scored Guam’s second try to give them an 18-5 lead at halftime. China’s first half try came from workhorse prop Fa Li, his second of the tournament.
But in the second half, Zhang Zhiqiang again took the reins of this young China team, single-handedly racking up 18 consecutive points in 25 minutes through three tries and a drop goal to regain the lead. Zhang scored 35 of China’s 60 total points in this year’s Division III competition.
In Saturday’s 3rd/4th place play-off, tournament fourth seeds Indonesia celebrated an emotional and exciting win over second seeds Pakistan.
Pakistan opened the scoring in what was a tightly contested first half through a try to Khalid Mahmood.
The conversion by fullback Manan Naseem completed the only scoring in the first half with Pakistan in the lead 7-nil.
The second half opened up nicely as Indonesia struck first through Tom Elliott with Kirk Arundale’s conversion leveling the scores at the 45-minute marker. Powerful outside centre Saqib Mutaza, (who was a late arrival to the squad in Indonesia), then bashed Pakistan back into the lead 12-7 with his first try of the tournament just three minutes later.—Agencies
