Two rounds in, Malaysia Rugby Agong’s Cup is seeing strong competition between teams vying for this premier men’s trophy.
After the first week of matches, Group A favourites Johor shared top spot with Negri Sembilan, followed by the Armed Forces team (ATM), Kedah and Putrajaya.
In Group B, Terengganu were neck-and-neck with Kelantan, with Kuala Lumpur in third and defending champions Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) making up the rear.
The second round of group games saw Johor beating ATM 34-28 at the Royal Malaysian Air Force stadium in Selangor, and Negri Sembilan taking down Putrajaya 27-22 at the SMK King George V green in Seremban.
Kedah, the fifth team in Group A, sat out.
In Group B, Terengganu edged out Kelantan 45-43 at Tengku Muhammad Ismail Rugby Stadium in Kuala Terengganu in what was considered a fierce east coast derby.
In the Malaysian capital, PDRM dealt a punishing 47-19 result on Kuala Lumpur at Pulapol.
This leaves Johor leading Group A followed by ATM, Negri Sembilan, Putrajaya and Kedah, while Terengganu takes the lead in Group B ahead of Kelantan, PDRM and Kuala Lumpur.
Ahead of the match against Kelantan, Terengganu head coach Hafiizh Zainal (pic) said their preparation had been intensified even after the win against Kuala Lumpur.
“The win is not something to be proud of as we made too many basic errors that allowed the opposition back into the game, and we only managed a narrow victory, 25-24.
“Communication was one of our main weaknesses, along with several other aspects that we have worked on and addressed in training.
“As the home team, the pressure is certainly higher, especially with Kelantan coming in after beating the defending champions PDRM and being one of the favourites this season,” said Hafiizh, who is leading the side in his first season as head coach in the Agong’s Cup.
The group stages will run until June 6, with the final scheduled for June 28 at UiTM Stadium in Shah Alam.
