SPORTS

Ace Tony ‘Buccs’ the trend as he leads his team to Alex Alexander Cup victory

Tuesday,  April 26, 2005

The Alex Alexander Cup final was won by Buccaneers who beat the Iguanas 25-11 after a groundbreaking year of rugby for the Cayman Islands Rugby Union. 

Despite initial doubts following Hurricane Ivan, an additional fourth team, The Academy, and some excellent games under difficult circumstances have resulted in a highly successful and popular domestic competition. 

A sizeable crowd at the South Sound ground saw a fiery and hard-fought encounter.

The Iguanas started as firm favourites having convincingly won all of their three pool games, thrashing the Buccaneers 35-14 in the process. 

However, Buccs skipper Tony Elliot opened the scoring with a successful penalty kick after ten minutes to make it 3-0 to the Buccaneers. Fifteen minutes later, Elliot was the points scorer with an unconverted try, finishing off a surging back row move involving Alan Flanagan and Brad Cowdroy from within the Iguanas half. 

Tony Attenborough responded with two penalty kicks, after some quality and sustained pressure from the Iguanas pack, to pull the score back to 8-6 at the break.

The Buccaneers came roaring out of the blocks in the second half with another try, again scored by Elliot, and just like his first, this try was the result of another back row move involving Cowdroy and Flanagan. 

Elliot then broke two or three tackles with Alan Flanagan and Simon Cairncross screaming at him in support, to storm his way across the try line. Elliot duly converted to make it 15-6 to the Buccaneers.

Ten minutes later a clever up-and-under by veteran fly-half Martin Lang caught the Iguanas defence off guard, for centre Martin Livingston to gather the ball and break through the final Iguanas defender to score beneath the posts. Elliot again converted.

Iguanas managed a consolation try ten minutes from time, but Elliot, who is heading home to Scotland soon, put the final nail in the Iguanas’ coffin with a penalty to secure the upset and record a great win for the Buccaneers.

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