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| Owee Ah Chun |
By Dugout Philippines
KUALA LUMPUR--The Philippine Volcanoes save their toughest game for last when the national Rugby team take on number one seeds Sri Lanka for the Asia Rugby Division 1 title.
The Volcanoes fell short in their second match with a heartbreaking loss to Singapore, going down, 24-28, in the dying minutes of the game.
The Volcanoes currently sit on top of the table on six points with Malaysia whilst Sri Lanka and Singapore sit equal with five points.
All teams have a record of one win and one loss going into the final day of competition.
Only the Philippines and Malaysia received bonus points for their last performance scoring four tries each and losing by less then seven points.
After Malaysia’s dominant performance over Sri Lanka, the host nation look to have a favorable advantage playing Singapore with the home ground advantage.
This leaves the Volcanoes the final task to take on Sri Lanka to have any hopes of winning the competition.
The Volcanoes have a 2-1 record over Sri Lanka after defeating the Tuskers in 2012 and 2014, but Sri Lanka beat the Volcanoes in 2015 to take the number one ranking leading into these championships.
The Volcanoes have a chance of retribution on Saturday with the competition wide open.
A win can guarantee the Volcanoes remain in Division 1 along with being crowned champions as well as an opportunity to go back to the Asian Tri Nations through the promotional playoff, but a loss could see the Volcanoes demoted to Division 2.
“After Wednesday's results the competition is wide open. We're presented with an opportunity to win this tournament. Sri Lanka will be a very tough game for us but we know that we can win if we play to our strengths and are disciplined. Our team has belief and I know we will put in an effort that our supporters will be proud of,” said captain Oliver Saunders.
The national rugby team has been led by the performances of the back row with Derrick Broussard, Benjamin Mudie, and Terry Carroll.
All three players will look to once again put the Volcanoes on the front foot and hope to see veterans Gaz Holgate and Matthew Saunders outplay the Tuskers in the backs.
The final match will be played at the Royal Selangor Stadium at 2:30 p.m.
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