SVG grounded by Barbados in Rugby Qualifier

Host St Vincent and the Grenadines had no answer to Barbados last Saturday afternoon at the Arnos Vale Playing Field in their first leg match of the 2015 Rugby World Cup qualifications.{{more}}

The visitors were run away winners 34 -3 over their hosts in a lopsided affair.

The Barbadians looked the more organised, aggressive and tactically gifted than their opponents, and came away with six tries and two conversions in the 15 player per side match up.

The Vincentians’ lone success was a penalty.

The Vincentians meet the Barbadians in the return leg in a week’s time, and despite the deficit, player-coach of the St Vincent and the Grenadines team Phillip Alvis is hoping for a better showing by his charges.

In looking ahead to the next outing in Barbados, Alvis pointed out to SEARCHLIGHT at the end of last Saturday’s match the areas in which his team has to improve.

“We have to work on our fitness and speed, as you see it was a problem today,” Alvis observed.

“Also each person has to do his job on the field,” the Vincentian player-coach added.

Alvis also revealed that his team did not have much preparation going into last Saturday’s match, because many of the players are working in the Grenadines and it was difficult to have a full team at training sessions.

“Because of this, we do not have a full structured team”, Alvis said.

St Vincent and the Grenadines had fared better on home soil last year April, when they were beaten 25-13 against the British Virgin Islands in the North America, Caribbean Rugby Association (NACRA) 15-a-side qualifiers. (RT)