Tamil Thalaivas vs Puneri paltan match review

The Tamil Thalaivas entered their home game opener in Chennai brimming with confidence off 2 straight victories, unfortunately, a 3^rd was not to be had after the nightmare the Thalaivas faced at the hands of the Puneri Paltan. A very constricted match, with no player truly getting a chance to display the full spectrum of their skills, the Puneri Paltan took advantage of a 2^nd half capitulation from the Thalaivas to surge forward, ending in an unsurpassable lead. This match was a clear example of how a well-managed defence can be a match-winning asset, and the Thalaivas felt the full brunt of their inability to attack freely.

The match took off with both teams grabbing points of successful raids, the Paltan with Deepak Hooda and the Thalaivas from K.Prapanjan. Ajay Thakur got off on the right foot and was an asset in both defence and attack, but was caught out with a super tackle from the Paltan. The score read 6-6 at the end of the first ten minutes. The Pune defence was pro-active yet cautious, utilizing a superb strategy that left the hosts with just two men on the mat at one point. The Thalaivas seemed shook up and quickly regained composure through 2 consecutive super tackles on Mondal and Sandeep Narwal. Trailing by a point, The Thalaivas Dong Geon Lee, who was recently subbed in, picked up 2 points off a successful raid in the dying seconds ensuring the Thalaivas entered the break with a 12-11 lead.

It was apparent to both teams that there was no major gulf in class between them in terms of talent. Both teams decided to start the second half with caution over vigour. The risk-free approach adopted was apparent through the frequency of do-or-die raids. The Paltan used 2 review opportunities to successfully claim points. The Puneri Paltan started off the last quarter on top, with just a single point separating them from the Thalaivas with the score at 16-15

The match completely turned around in the last quarter through a moment that was truly highlight-reel worthy, courtesy of Pune’s Deepak Hooda. Coming up against 3 men on the mat in a do-or-die raid, Hooda’s offensive maneuvers handed the Thalaiavas their first All-out. Spurred on, Pune continued to deal heavy damage through 2 consecutive do-or-die raids by Mondal. The Thalaivas ended the match with a scoreline that flattered their opponents, but raised serious questions of the Thalaivas themselves.