By STEVEN JOHNSON
THE Heineken Cup Championships are shaping up to be as exciting as last year.
Last year’s semifinal match between the two oldest teams in the country saw the Buccaneers pull off a huge upset against Baillou to set up a Cuckoos vs Buccaneers final which saw the lead change several times before the Cuckoos finally pulled away for the victory.
This year appears to be no less exciting with Freeport making a real showing of their raw, young talent starting to pay dividends. Giovanni Rolle is finally stepping up and showing that he can be mentally as great a player as he is physically. They are now a force to be reckoned with. Freeport’s stunning defeat of the Buccaneers this weekend 64-12 is sending a loud and clear message to the rest of the league.
Baillou, over the last 20 years, has been the powerhouse of Bahamas Rugby. However, in recent years, the Cuckoos have had a lot to say about that. Baillou are arguably the best again this year. The play of their captain, Jose Viana, at fly-half separates them from the other teams.
However, Connor Albury provides the heart and spirit that keeps them moving in the right direction. Connor has been coaching kids in Queen’s College for over a year and has a wonderful little rat pack of talented players coming up.
Baillou’s consistent play all year has once again given them the No.1 seed going into the playoffs.
In recent years, the Buccaneers have always had the potential to beat anyone on any given day. They have a lot of size, speed, and strength but seem to lack focus and consistency. Watch out for them in the playoffs. They tasted success briefly last year, and are sure to want to drink some more from the Heineken Cup this year. The Buccaneers will be travelling to Freeport again on March 29 to try an exact some revenge and to stay alive in the playoffs.
Perhaps last year, the Cuckoos drank too much success from the Heineken Cup. The intoxication has rendered them just about useless this year. As one of the team’s founders liked to say in the early years: “All they could do is nanny up the field.”
This is not entirely the truth for the Cuckoos as injuries, changes in jobs, new born babies and the relocation of their pivotal fly-half, Mariano “Chico” Serivjo, have changed the face of the team. They have not been able to remedy all of these factors. However, they cannot be ruled out as they are arguably the most successful team in recent years, and the playoffs cause injuries to heal and people to come back and new papas to put their feet down. April 29, the Cuckoos will play No.1 seed Baillou.
Baillou, I am sure still remembers last year’s defeat at the hand of the swashbuckling Buccaneers, where an ill-prepared Baillou came out to play a Buccaneers team that had considered conceding the game due to a lack of available personnel.
Playoff weekend starts at 3pm on March 29: Freeport hosts The Buccaneers and Baillou plays host to The Cuckoos at Winton. The championship game location is yet to be decided.
If Freeport and The Cuckoos win, the game will be in Freeport on April 5. If Freeport and Baillou win, the championship will be April 12 in Nassau. If the Bucs win, the game will be April 5 in Nassau.
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