BA Provincial Freebird Institute booked its place in the Vodafone Deans under-18 quarter-finals after edging Queen Victoria School on competition countback following a thrilling 29-29 draw at Lawaqa Park yesterday.
With the scores locked at fulltime, the winner was determined under the competition rules, which state that if a match remains tied after regulation time, the team that scores the first try is declared the winner. Ba Provincial crossed first and was therefore awarded the victory.
The result was one of the biggest upsets of the elimination round as the Western Zone side held its composure against the traditional rugby powerhouse from Tailevu.
Ba Provincial Freebird Institute principal Isei Naqia praised his players for their determination while acknowledging the quality of their opponents.
“I want to thank Almighty God for the win and for a good game. There is a lot to learn. Thank you to the QVS team; they have taught us a good lesson. We have learnt a lot.
“We are in this competition not just to win games, but we are here to learn and grow our young players,” Naqia said.
Naqia said the result reflected the school’s commitment to developing young rugby talent while giving students the opportunity to compete at the highest level of secondary schools rugby.
The hard-fought victory also earned praise from Western Zone Rugby executives, who commended Ba Provincial’s performance against one of the country’s most successful rugby schools.
West Zone secretary Cabealawa Koto said the match highlighted the intensity of the Deans elimination rounds.
“Ba Provincial had a tough time with QVS. It’s the nature of the elimination, but we thank Ba Provincial for a good game,” Koto said.
Cuvu College also made it to the quarters after a convincing 55-7 win over St John’s College Cawaci in the second elimination of the day.
