Rugby Is On Right Track, says Cedenio

The Bermuda rugby union side rued costly mistakes in the 24-21 defeat by Trinidad and Tobago last weekend, but remain encouraged by the performance in the Rugby Americas North Caribbean Championships clash.

Dustin Archibald, Alex Brown and Jahan Cedenio scored Bermuda’s tries as a last-gasp comeback bid fell agonisingly short, but prop Cedenio was pleased with the way the team played.

“Trinidad know what sort of game Bermuda play, so they were very prepared knowing that we were going to play a forwards game and I think that we trained very well,” Cedenio said.

“Pete Lewington was unfortunately unable to make the game, due to prior commitments, and I think that not having him down there as head coach, seeing the big vision, was a big miss for us.”

Cedenio highlighted the long-term aims of the team, as well as Bermuda’s strength in the pack.

“We play a forwards game,” he said. “We know that our forwards are better than them and we know that we’re stronger than them as well. I would say that we won 95 per cent of the scrums.

“Some key mistakes just really let us down. But the team are in a good position and the plan that we have is very much a three-year plan. It’s important to note that the national men’s team is in a rebuilding phase.

“If we’d had two more minutes it would have been a very different game. I scored at the end and [the referee] blew when Conor McGowan took the kick, but we very much had them on the back foot at that stage.”

Bermuda’s next game is away to Cayman Islands on June 9, when they will hope to pick up their first victory after the defeat by Trinidad and a 28-48 reverse against USA South at the National Sports Centre, North Field, on May 12.

Cedenio is keen to see Bermuda do themselves justice, with several players who played against USA South who missed the Trinidad game back, and has called on more commitment.

“I don’t think we’re going to face those same availability challenges when we go down to Caymans, so we’ll have a full-strength squad,” he said.

“It’s important to highlight the three-year plan because some of the more veteran players [are] looking to retire pretty soon, not to fault [them] because they are still at the very top of their game.

“That’s the plan that we’re looking at going forward and filling those spots. If we can get more games under our belt and more wins, it will help the team spirit as well. It’s difficult because funding is one of the major problems.”

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