Harvard secure league double over Caribs... Remain Championship leaders

A PAIR of majestic late tries from Shakeel Dyte proved crucial as Harvard copped a major bonus point in a come-from-behind victory over Caribs, the club’s second of the season, to keep them atop the TT Rugby Football Union (TTRFU) Championship Division standings.

At the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo–preceding Trinidad Northern’s clash with Royalians which concluded later last evening–Harvard earned the bonus point after scoring the required minimum four tries. Northern held a 20-13 lead at press time.

The win was Harvard’s third in three matches. Caribs, on the other hand, would slump to a third defeat after four fixtures. The “Beer Boys” looked to be back to its old ways after defeating Royalians two weeks prior. Caribs left the pitch at half-time with a 13-5 lead. Caribs looked in control for considerable periods of the first half. Izzy Waqa put Caribs 3-0 up with a penalty, before Joseph Quashie responded with a try for Harvard. Chris Daniel and Johnathan Taylor both followed up with one try each to give Caribs a healthy advantage at the break.

In the second half, Harvard appeared to lose some of their creative spark. However, unforced errors from Caribs allowed Harvard to crawl back into the match with Aasan Lewis scoring two penalties to put them within two points of a tie. Caribs, desperate to seal full points, left themselves exposed with the last quarter of the match approaching. During their best spell of the second half, Caribs looked likely to score but were denied by a series of last-ditched tackles from Harvard’s defence, each warmly welcomed by the Harvard faithful in the covered stands.

Dyte scored a brilliant solo try to give Harvard its second lead of the match around the mid-way point of the second period. Nigel Ballington quickly followed up with another explosive try to extend Harvard’s lead to 23-13, before Dyte scored his second try to secure the win. Lewis had a good outing as he converted two of the three second half tries in addition to sinking two penalties.

After the match, Harvard coach Jerry Legall gave some insight into his tactical approach. “We are normally a slow starting team, but I know that once we get into the second half, that team in white­­–they’re not fit enough. So I knew once we stick to the game plan and tried as much as in the first half, they’d open up.”

He expressed confidence in the ability of his team to win out the remaining matches but also remained cautious of Northern’s top run of form. “I think we can go on to win the league comfortably. But we can’t take it for granted. We still have to play again (match in hand) but as it stands, we are in a real good position,” Legall said. Harvard and Northern both remain with a match in hand.