'City' team takes game one of rugby series

Kingston and St Andrew on Saturday ran out close winners 24-20 over St Catherine in game one of the Parish of Residence Series at the Constant Spring Football Field. The two-match series will help select the best 25 players, who will represent the Hurricanes Rugby League squad for 2015.

Owen Linton scored two tries for the winners while Joseph Shae, Fabion Turner, Jermaine Pinnock, and Denzil Plummer each also added to the score sheet for Kingston and St Andrew. Ryan Grant's two tries and one each from Chevaughn Bailey, Antonio Baker, and Stephen Scot saw St Catherine come up just short.

In one of the best games ever seen on local soil, both teams were evenly matched, with Kingston and St Andrew being led by Marvin Thompson, who had an excellent game. His deliveries from the base of the ruck were good, and he was a constant threat coming out of dummy half. He was supported well by full-back Joseph Shae and Owen Linton, who troubled the right side of St Catherine all game.

From St Catherine's perspective, Antonio Baker, who played for the entire 80 minutes, was good on both sides of the ball. He accounted for some of the big hits on the park and topped all players for hit-ups. He was supported well by Grant.

Hurricanes general manager Roy Calvert was pleased with the showing from both teams.

"The conditions were not conducive to a free-flowing game, but I thought the boys gave it their best shot," he said.

High standard

"Apart from the first 10 minutes of the second half, I thought the standard was pretty high. The mandate of the Hurricanes is to provide our elite players with continuous high-level, high-pressure games, and boy, wasn't this one!"

Prior to the match, in a game between the parish academy teams, Kingston and St Andrew proved too strong for St Catherine as they won 24-0.

Game two of the Place of Residence Series takes place at the Constant Spring Football Field on Saturday, December 20, at 4:20 p.m. The game will be preceded by the Jamaica Rugby League Association Division II finals between the Washington Boulevard Bulls and Olympic Angels and game two of the Academy series between Kingston and St Andrew and St Catherine.