Hyderabad, June 27 (IANS) Hyderabad Heroes edge Chennai Bulls 29-24 in the semifinals of Season 2 of the Rugby Premier League played at the Gachibowli Stadium in Hyderabad on Saturday.

“It feels really good to clear the hurdle from last year. Full credit to our coach, DJ Forbes, and the entire squad for playing the brand of rugby that we set out to play right from day one. We go again tomorrow and give it our all as a team,” said Manuel Moreno, captain of the Hyderabad Heroes, after winning the semifinal.

“We were really tested in the semis, so I’m hoping the boys will be well prepared for everything that comes at them tomorrow. We definitely made it hard on ourselves, so if we can tidy up a few errors, we will definitely give ourselves a chance. Anything can happen, as was witnessed in both semis. There’s not much separating the teams, but when we execute the basics and limit our errors, we can play some quality sevens. I’m excited for the boys, and they deserve to be in the final,” said DJ Forbes, Head Coach, Hyderabad Heroes

The Heroes made an electric start, shifting the ball swiftly across the field before Taitaifono Tavita crossed over within the opening minute. Chennai responded with greater physicality, attacking through the middle as Marika Koroibete powered over to edge the Bulls ahead.

Hyderabad, however, continued to exploit the width, with Tavita racing down the left wing for his second try before Maurice Longbottom’s elusive running and quick link play created the opening for Ravuama Seruvakula to extend the lead.

Hyderabad refused to back down, with captain Manuel Moreno leading the comeback by cutting the deficit to just two points. The Heroes then displayed remarkable composure in the closing stages, patiently recycling possession until a gap emerged for Sambit Pradhan to race through for the decisive try, before Diego Ardao controlled the ball expertly in the final moments to seal a hard-fought victory.

–IANS

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