RPL Season 1: Chennai Bulls to take on Delhi Redz in final; Bengaluru to meet Hyderabad for third place (Ld)

Mumbai, June 28 (IANS) The Delhi Redz will take on the Chennai Bulls in the first-ever final of Season 1 of the Rugby Premier League (RPL) as they reached the summit clash with contrasting wins at the Shahaji Raje Bhosale Sports Complex here on Saturday.

In the semifinals, the Chennai Bulls stormed past the Bengaluru Bravehearts, after which the Delhi Redz raised the bar and thwarted the challenge of the Hyderabad Heroes, who had finished as the table toppers in the league stage.

In the first semifinal, the Bulls defeated the Bravehearts 31-12. The Chennai Bulls were out of the blocks at a good clip, with Vaafauese Maliko and Alexander Davis getting in their tries through speedy attacks. And Gaurav Kumar was able to convert one of the kicks after that. The Bulls were well and truly dominant on the evening, as Terry Kennedy added another try before half-time.

The Bengaluru Bravehearts were caught off guard and were doing their best to find a way back into the game. However, the Bulls kept them at bay and went into the half-time break with the score at 17-0.

After that, Philip Wokorach got on the scoresheet for the Bravehearts and was backed up by Iowane Teba, as they reduced the deficit by seven points. But, much to the joy of the Bulls’ fans, they responded brilliantly - Joseva Talacolo crossed the line and Filipe Sauturaga added two more points to the cause.

Nonetheless, the Bravehearts, who were fighting back, had the legendary Akuila Rokolisoa get his first try of the night, towards the end of the high-octane third quarter. The Bulls led by 12 points at this point in time. Shanawaz Ahmed, though, had other plans for the Bulls, as he scored a spectacular try and Filipe Sauturaga scored his kick with ease, to put the seal on the win.

In the second semifinal, the Delhi Redz produced one of their best performances of the season, as they dug deep in an absolutely thrilling contest against the Hyderabad Heroes, and walked away with a crucial 14-7 win.

The Delhi Redz and the Hyderabad Heroes were both going for the kill from the get-go in their semifinal, which resulted in the contest becoming a fiery one. And while both teams attacked with all their might, neither could get on the scoresheet in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, it was more of the same from the two sides. The tackles got meatier, and the attacking moves saw more intent. And eventually, it was the Heroes who broke the deadlock, just before halftime, as Terio Tamani used the space down the left to get his try, and then converted as well.

The Delhi Redz were understandably not going to give in that easily, and they kept plugging away in the third quarter. The pressure eventually fell, as Robin Plumpe got the try, and Matias Osadczuk completed the conversion. With 4 minutes to go, it was 7-7.

In the final quarter, the Delhi Redz first absorbed the pressure from the Heroes, and then Patrick Okongo put their foot on the pedal and ran through the defence to register a game-changing try. Deepak Punia then added two more points to confirm their spot in the final.

The Hyderabad Heroes and the Bengaluru Bravehearts will now square off for third place on Sunday, while the Chennai Bulls and the Delhi Redz have their eyes on the coveted title.

--IANS

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