KUALA TERENGGANU – A dramatic encounter lit up the second week of the 42nd Agong Cup rugby championship group stage as hosts Terengganu edged Kelantan 45-43 in a nail-biting clash at the Tengku Muhammad Ismail Rugby Stadium, Terengganu Sports Complex, yesterday.
The match began on a sombre note as both teams and supporters observed a minute’s silence in honour of Kelantan player Mohamad Khairul Abdillah Ramli, known as Myko, who passed away on May 10.
Kelantan made an explosive start, with former national player Mohamad Shah Izwan Nordin crossing for an early try before Muhammad Nafis Mohd Salleh added the conversion for a 7-0 lead.
The hosts responded four minutes later through a penalty by Muhammad Faizal Md Tahir and added further points to stay within reach. However, Kelantan maintained their attacking edge, running in three more tries along with three conversions to take a 28-13 lead into halftime.
Terengganu returned strongly after the break, gradually asserting control before overturning the deficit to lead 39-36 in the 63rd minute.
The home side extended their advantage to 42-36 following a penalty after Kelantan import Ratu Etuate Veidreyaki was shown a yellow card. Kelantan, however, refused to back down and regained the lead at 43-42 with a converted try late in the match.
With time running out, former national captain Mohamad Nasharuddin Ismail calmly slotted a decisive penalty to restore Terengganu’s lead at 45-43.\
The hosts then managed the closing stages with composure, maintaining possession to deny Kelantan any late opportunity and secure a hard-fought victory.
Terengganu will next face defending champions PDRM on May 30 at PULAPOL, Kuala Lumpur, while Kelantan are set to take on Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang next weekend.