The league leader remains the defending champion team “Baltic XL-Livonia” (Latvia). In an intriguing away battle, they defeated “Baltrex-Šiauliai,” who unusually dropped to fifth place, with a score of 41:22 (22:5).
Although both teams exchanged humiliations in the first minutes, the guests dominated the court later. The Latvians won a 36:0 stretch at the end of the first half and the beginning of the second half, pulling away to 41:5. Only at the end did the Šiauliai team find their game and slightly reduce the deficit, but the outcome of the match was already clear.
“To be honest, this match was a bit annoying. It was possible to sense that ‘Baltrex’ wanted non-competitive struggles, which essentially gives them the opportunity to play with the ball. They failed to do anything in the first half, and we controlled the ball the entire time. In the second half, we allowed more playtime for the substitutes, and that was reflected in the result. At the end, we were probably also tired after such an intense 60-minute pace,” said “Baltic XL-Livonia” coach Neil Johnson.
“We always know there is a chance to win, and we go to play with that mindset. Sometimes we just fail to capitalize on our attacks, and we also struggled in defense. But we never think and will never think that we can’t fight anymore,” said “Baltrex-Šiauliai” player Justas Grigalaitis.
Another victory in the “Top” league was achieved by newcomers Stockholm “Exiles” (Sweden) rugby players. They left no chance for Kaunas “Ąžuolas” in an away game, winning 63:12 (44:0).
The Stockholm club was superior in almost all aspects of the game in this match and dictated their terms from the start. By the middle of the first half, the guests led 24:0. “Ąžuolas” scored their first points in the second half when the difference was already huge – 0:51.
“These were very important matches, and we prepared for them all week. It was not easy to recover after last week’s game with ‘Livonia.’ This time we played well in set pieces. We are happy with the good performance. We really enjoy playing in the ‘Top’ league, where many players can gain very valuable experience,” said “Exiles” player Jeremy Viala.
“Today we struggled a lot with set pieces. The opponents dominated here and took advantage of their chances. In the second half, we somewhat managed the problems and achieved something. It’s a pity that everything was decided in the first half,” said “Ąžuolas” playing coach Tautvydas Mažylis.
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The third consecutive victory was also achieved by Vilnius “Geležinis vilkas,” who secured second place by mercilessly defeating the outsider “Šiaulių-Exto” club at home, 83:5 (38:0).
The rugby players of “Geležinis vilkas,” who have been showing excellent form recently, did not hold back and gave their fans a beautiful and confident victory. The Vilnius team was able to organize not only effective but also spectacular attacks, while the Šiauliai club failed to establish a serious fight.
“We were maximally focused. Before the longer break, we wanted to play well so that we could calmly prepare for the upcoming match against the Swedes. It is pleasing that this year we have a good mix of young and experienced players. Maybe quietly we think about good places, but basically now we focus on hard work and every next step,” said “Geležinis vilkas” playing coach Dovydas Taujanskas.
“The lineup was not the strongest, and the season itself is not very promising. This is more of a season for reconsideration and restructuring. Although we have quite capable players, what we miss most is the desire,” said one of the leaders of “Šiaulių-Exto,” Domantas Stravinskas.
The best players of the fifth round were selected as Justas Grigalaitis (“Baltrex-Šiauliai”), Mikelis Jurevičs (“Baltic XL-Livonia”), Tautvydas Krasauskas (“Ąžuolas”), Samuel Walton-Sexton (“Exiles”), Ignas Keraminas (“Geležinis vilkas”), and Domantas Stravinskas (“Šiauliai-Exto”).
Tournament table:
- “Baltic XL-Livonia” 18 pts.
- Vilnius “Geležinis vilkas” 17
- Stockholm “Exiles” 12
- Šiauliai “Vairas-Kalvis-Jupoja” 12
- “Baltrex-Šiauliai” 10
- Kaunas “Ąžuolas” 4
- “Šiauliai-Exto” 0
The sixth round will take place on September 19. “Šiauliai-Exto” will meet Kaunas “Ąžuolas” at home, Stockholm “Exiles” will host “Baltrex-Šiauliai,” and “Baltic XL-Livonia” will fight against “Vairas-Kalvis-Jupoja” in front of their fans.
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