Trinidad and Tobago’s Men Under-19 team got their North American and Caribbean Rugby Association (NACRA) Men’s Under-19 15-a-side Championships campaign off to a winning start when they defeated Mexico 14-7 at the Fatima College Grounds yesterday.
That was the second game of a double-header. In the second match, Jamaica out-pointed Bermuda 10-3.
It was a game of two halves for T&T as they were on offence for a great period of time in the first half, while they defended stoutly during the majority of the second period.
And T&T openside player Shakeel Dyte made two tries while fullback Sebastian Navarro converted twice to power their side to a solid win.
Those points were scored when the T&T forward game was at its best during the first half, with T&T mulching the Mexican scrum repeatedly and often overpowering them and outpacing them at the breakdown to get the go-ahead scores.
The hosts often sleek passing and strong on-the-ball running proved difficult for the Mexicans to contain and when their lateral play ended in Dyte’s hand on the left, he used his pace and nifty footwork to his advantage, like in the 13th minute when the Mexicans could only topple on top of him after he had passed the goalline. Navarro duly converted.
The second goal followed the pattern of the first, and Shaquille completed the business with a dive in the goal area for Navarro to convert in the 33rd minute.
After the break, T&T absorbed Mexican pressure efficiently until the 60th minute when Alberto Canseco scored a try and Ricardo Herrejon halved the T&T advantage. But T&T proved determined enough to hold the Mexiccans late charge and manage the victory.
NACRA Men’s U-19 15-a-side scores
Pool B
T&T 14 (Shakeel Dyte try 14th, try 33rd, Sebastian Navarro conv 15th, conv 34th) vs Mexico 7 (Alberto Canseco try 60th, Ricardo Herrejon conv 61st)
Pool A
Jamaica 10 (Leon Savage try 4th, Takeem Creary conv 5th, Creary pen 46th) vs Bermuda 3 (Stephen Edwards pen 11th)
Today’s scheduled NACRA matches
TCI vs T&T, President’s 15, 2:00 p.m.
Guyana v St Lucia 4:30 p.m., Hasley Crawford Stadium