Chennai Bulls thrash Kalinga Tigers in GMR Rugby League opener

The Chennai Bulls outclassed the Kalinga Black Tigers 40-21 in the GMR Rugby Premier League, with standout performances from Maliko and Talacolo sealing a dominant win at Mumbai’s Shahaji Raje Complex

Hyderabad: The Chennai Bulls put in a clinical performance on the day, as they demolished the Kalinga Black Tigers 40-21 at the Shahaji Raje Bhosale Sports Complex in Mumbai during Season 1 of the GMR Rugby Premier League.

From the get-go, the Chennai Bulls looked to put pressure on the Kalinga Black Tigers’ defence. It was the Bulls who had the better of the early exchanges, as Vaafauese Maliko sprinted down the wing to score a try. Shortly after, the Tigers got on the scoresheet with Kyle Tremblay’s try and Maurice Longbottom’s conversion.

---

Manueli Maisamoa then extended the lead for the Tigers with his try and Ethan Turner’s conversion. However, it was all Chennai after that. For the Bulls, Joseva Talacolo added a try and Maliko went over the line a couple more times, while Gaurav Kumar converted all his kicks.

The Bulls had stormed into a 12-point lead by the end of the third quarter, and they continued to dominate proceedings in the final phase of play. Filipe Sauturaga got on the scoresheet with a try and a conversion, and Alexander Davis’s try was complemented by Talacolo’s conversion.

For the Tigers, Lucas Lacamp scored a try in the final minutes, but it was too little too late.