Both sides entered the final after navigating a gruelling season alongside fellow Northern outfits PRC Rugby Club and TNSU Chiang Mai. Having previously met in the opening round of the competition—where the All Stars claimed a 15–5 win—the Lanna Lions arrived at the final determined to turn the tables.
True to form, the final proved to be a fierce, physical battle with little to separate the two squads across the eighty minutes. The All Stars started strongly in the first quarter, with Lanna finding it difficult to get hands on ball. Repetitive penalties, some of which could have gone either way, saw the All Stars camped in the Lanna 22. Solid defence kept them at bay but eventually numbers told with Chatchanan Piasupong burrowing over for the first score. The conversion was missed. All Stars 5 – Lanna 0.
The start of the 2nd quarter finally saw Lanna getting some possession and the tables were slowly turning in their favour. Finally getting the rub of the green and decisions starting to go their way, a quick tap penalty on the edge of the 22 saw the ball shipped out quickly to Jamie Pell who brushed off the covering tackle, to go in at the corner. A fine touchline conversion by Rufus Vlam Witbooi, made it All Stars 5 – Lanna 7 going in at half time.
As the second half began, the rumbling thunder which had been threateningly around, finally turned to rain. With the conditions deteriorating, the skills of both teams, handling the greasy ball, were paramount as the game ebbed and flowed, keeping the crowd on the edge of their seats. An altercation off the ball saw a player from each side sin-binned and the All Stars gained the upper hand. When, what looked like a legal jackal by Witbooi, was penalised on the 5 meter line, it was taken quickly by Vorrakarn Sangpang, who went in under the posts, with the conversion by Tiwat Chaithong going over, making it All Stars 12 – Lanna 7 at the break.
Going into the final quarter it was still all to play for in the torrential rain. The All Stars had the upper hand and again multiple penalties against the Lanna side saw them back defending deep in their 22. Quick ball had the Lanna defenders struggling to get across to cover the danger, but they couldn’t stop Chatchanan Piasupong going in for his second and the All Stars lead extended to All Stars 17 – Lanna 7.
With 10 minutes to go, it looked like it was all over, but Lanna had other ideas. Some fine work by the forwards had the All Stars going backwards, and another of their players was binned after multiple infringements. Lanna knew it was now or never and they finally broke down the All Stars as Korndanai Sangkomon went over. Another fine kick by Rufus Vlam Witbooi, closed the gap to 17 – 14, going into the last few minutes. The Lanna boys threw everything at the All Stars but ultimately, the All Stars did just enough to hold off a spirited Lanna side, securing the silverware by a narrow three-point margin. Final Score, All Stars 17 – Lanna 14. A Fitting final by the two best teams in the North.
Despite falling just short on the scoreboard, Lanna Rugby Club hailed the fixture as a landmark occasion for the local sporting community. In a post-match statement, the club praised the intensity of the contest, congratulated the All Stars on their title triumph, and thanked competition organisers and club sponsors for helping grow the 15-a-side game across Northern Thailand.
Looking Ahead
