“Sporta punkts/Livonia” and “Fēnikss” met for the first time in the Baltic Championship, because the group game “Fēnikss” did not take place due to the non-appearance of the team, and Valmiers received a technical loss. However, both teams competed in the Latvian championship this year, playing a very similar game at the end of April, in which “Fēnikss” won 35:27.
A week ago, both teams lost in the small semi-final for 5th place. “Sporta punkts/Livonia” lost 17:24 to “Lāči/Mūku Sala” of Rāmava in a similar game last Saturday at their home field in Upesciemās, missing several opportunities in the first half, while “Fenikss” conceded without reservation to Vaira’s backup team with 0:81.
In a sense, this fight was fundamental, because neither team wanted to remain in the last eighth place in the Baltic Championship, which is the second strongest rugby tournament in the Baltic States after the Baltic Top League. And both aimed to get their first victory on the rugby field in this year’s Baltic Championship.
Rihards Pluškevics from Livonia opened the score of the game in the sixth minute with a penalty kick, but the home team immediately responded with a touchdown made by Eddy Winter. In the middle of the half, Uldis Bundzeniek provided the guests with the first touchdown, Pluškevics was accurate in the realization and “Sporta punkts/Livonia” regained the lead – 5:10. In the 30th minute, “Fēniks” also managed a seven-point run, with Jānis Gabrāns scoring a touchdown and Rožders Purmalis scoring a goal. As a result, the home team came out ahead with a two-point advantage – 12:10, thus ending the first part of the game.
The first half of the second half passed without any changes in the score, but in the middle of the half, Jānis Kreitūzis made the third touchdown for the home team, Purmalis was again accurate in the conversion shot, which gave the Phoenix a nine-point advantage 19:10. Pluškevics immediately responded with the second accurate penalty kick, recording the eighth point in his account and maintaining the intrigue – 19:13.
The outcome of the game was unclear for the next ten minutes, when in fact the fate of the game was decided within two minutes. First, in the 70th minute, Purmalis kicked a penalty, but a minute later, Lauris Freudenbergs made the touchdown. Purmalis was accurate in the realization again, reaching 29:13. A sixteen-point advantage with nine minutes to go gave the bronze medalists of the Latvian Championship great hope of winning, as two touchdowns and conversions would not be enough for the Livonians in the remaining time.
Two minutes to the end, Marks Gardovics stood out in the ranks of “Sporta punkts/Livonia” with seven points with a touchdown and a conversion, achieving the final result – 29:20. Thus, for the second time in the season, “Feniks” of Valmiera beat the second team of “Livonia” in a very similar game.
2024-10-06 15:04:11