Kavallieri no match for dominant Stompers

Sliema Stompers - Kavallieri 25-0

Mike Turner

The play was greatly affected by the strong wind blowing directly down the pitch. Stompers were the side who looked more likely to score throughout and by contrast Kavallieri never looked to have any ambition or ideas apart from their time honoured driving lineout maul.
Stompers started with a bang from kick off and, despite being against the wind spent a long period in the Kavallieri half due to their positive defence which pinned the predictable thinking Kavallieri backs down. However the Stompers backs found the wind ruining their handling too, so they were not running with their characteristic smoothness.

Finally Kavallieri realised  that it was easy to gain ground by kicking with the wind into  Stompers territory but could not raisee any sophisticated running to score

Stompers came out on the back of a clearing penalty and finally launched one of their more sophisticated backline moves for Fountain to score in the corner.

Kavallieri were stung into response and their defnce line was up hard to stifle any further Stompers threats, but Bonavia earned a yellow card. Despite a man advantage the Kavallieri upped the pace to hold their line. A brilliant long kick by Cutajar into th corner put Kavallieri back on the attack, and he nearly scored off the lineout. Stompers broke out but the speedy defence caught them and cut them down.  Another Kavallieri kick was dropped by Stompers but with the line open a long inaccurate Kavallieri pass was dropped.

Stompers were trying to run the ball out and Kavallieri tried desperately to score but just could not think together as a team, Towards the end of the half Kavallieri Edmunds also had a yellow card. These two cards cost the team a great deal in strngth and stamina as the match went on.
To be leading 5 - 0 at half time against the wind was a good half for Stompers.

Kavallieri burst into action with a 35 metre trademark linout driven and then a second of 15 metres but could not quite cross the line for a score, until indiscipline gave away a penalty for Stompers to clear. Camilleri put a low grubber kick which the wind carried over the try lin, Kawara had it covered until a wicked bounce made him miss the touch down, so Camillieri scord  a try. Cruel luck for Kavallieri, but tactical wisdom from Camillieri.

Young Martin had by now exerted a definite superiority in the front row for Stompers which spoiled the quality of initial Kavallieri possession.

The game was loosening up and there were many exciting back runs and hard tackles, but still the only side which looked like scoring was Stompers. Attard, Camillieri and Battista were constantly sniping away but several good chances were lost by selfishly failing to pass to supporters.

Attard added a penalty for Stompers, who also scored another try from a forward drive. The final try was the result of a comedy clearance by Kavallieri which gave away possession after Bonavia earned himself a second yellow to make up a red card and suspension.