Duo tear Vipers up
The National – Monday, July 4th 2011
By JOHN SUPA and ZACHERY PER
KUMULS prospect Thompson Teteh and stand-in centre Joseph Peter scored two scintillating tries each to help reigning premiers Bintangor Goroka Lahanis thrash SNS Port Moresby Vipers 36-6 at the National Sports Institute in Goroka yesterday.
Teteh and Peter scored two tries each to contribute to their demolition of the Vipers.
Teteh, a Goroka product was solid in defence and ruthless on attack as he caused Vipers problems with every touch.
Peter, who is normally a distributor, relished playing wider of the ruck after regular Chris Hogi failed fitness test during the week.
He did not let the fans and franchise down with an inspired performance.
The one-sided win keeps the Lahanis on top of the Digicel Cup ladder with 16 points ahead of the Toyota Enga Mioks (14) who registered a comfortable 26-10 win over the visiting Congo Coffee Simbu Warriors in Wabag yesterday.
In what rugby league pundits and media alike predicted would be a tough match, things did not turn out that way, as a lacklustre Vipers were void of any venom in attack or cohesion in defence.
The game was won by the home side in the first 20 minutes when they shot out to a 26-2 lead.
Teteh opened the scoring in the third minute, followed by tries to Peter (2) and winger Kingsley Jaggie (2) with skipper Glen Nami converting three.
Vipers’ only points came from a Joshua Poria penalty.
In the second half Vipers picked up their game with Poria capitalising on an overlap to score out wide.
However, a 50m runaway try to hooker Yapa Kapu and Teteh’s final try in the 73rd minute added to Vipers misery with the home side completing a 30-point hammering.
Vipers lock Bobby Mori and backrower Timothy Komane were strong.
However, a gracious Vipers coach Shane Morris gave credit to the Lahanis for their commanding performance.