Cloudy skies draped the stadium as Stormblades faced Thrust, a bruising contest where grit would decide fate.
Punctual lightning marked the start: at minute 3 Thrust’s Kervan seized the ball, storming in a try that lifted the score to 5-0. His conversion attempt burned up at minute 4, leaving the scoreboard at 5-0.
Stormblades replied quickly. A momentum shift occurred when a fresh throated player crossed the line at minute 5, and a successful conversion that followed pushed Stormblades to 12-5. Back‑to‑back tries in the first eight minutes saw Stormblades rise to 23-5 before Thrust answered at minute 18 with a try by Thoren, though the conversion was dropped, ending the half at 23-10.
Stormblades dominated the first half, scoring additional tries at minutes 11, 16, 23, 28 and 25, with conversions at 12, 17, 26. A red card at minute 14 saw Stormblades drop to 10 men, a blow that Thrust tried to exploit with a surge in kicks, but a single try at minute 27 kept the pressure off.
Second‑half kickoff was a roaring 29-23. Thrust’s Orien struck early at the 46‑minute mark, slicing the gap to 29-29, and a long‑range try from Aeron at minute 47 confirmed a tidy conversion, recovering the lead for Thrust to head into the final quarter.
Stormblades kept the pressure on, scoring a try at minute 59 that lifted the team to 33-29. A failed conversion at minute 60 set the floor, but the defence held firm through the dying minutes.
Both sides saw discipline issues, with a yellow card for Thrust at minute 57 that narrowed the man‑to‑man gap. Stormblades also suffered an injury at minute 24, but they carried on in a gritty 36-29 win.
Final Score: Stormblades 36 (6 tries, 3 conversions) – Thrust 29 (5 tries, 2 conversions). Stormblades capitalised on converted penalties and controlled the clock; Thrust wrestled close throughout.
Standouts: Kervan scored the opening try for Thrust. Stormblades’ early dominance came through relentless attacking lines, while Aeron impressed by converting crucial points for Thrust. The red card against Stormblades was a turning point, yet their squad’s resilience ensured victory.
In a dramatic finish, Stormblades turned a cloudy day into a display of tactical rugby, their appetite for tries and a disciplined conversion game proving decisive against a determined but ultimately out‑paced Thrust.