MO TAGURI

A late hat-trick try from winger Mohammed Taguri settled a rollercoaster match in the Cosmos’ favour as they beat Uxbridge 29-25.

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High-flying Uxbridge had won nine of their previous 10 games, but it was Kilburn who started brightest when the ball came to Taguri on the blind side touchline and he forced his way over low from close range.

Uxbridge quickly replied with a penalty and, although they were reduced to 14 men soon afterwards, the numbers were even again when Kilburn scrum-half Arjel Selfo was yellow-carded following a scuffle.

But pressure from the home side resulted in two quick tries for Andrew Hutt – a scrappy one followed by a textbook move as the centre finished off a series of passes by beating his man 30 metres out to score under the posts.

Kilburn then repelled a string of attacks from the visitors, but eventually an overlap out to the right was clinically exploited and the conversion reduced the gap to 17-10.

However, the Cosmos finished the first half in the ascendancy after fly-half George Brooke missed touch, Uxbridge failed to deal with the bouncing ball, and Taguri pounced to score an improbable try.

Clever kicking down the Gladstone Park slope from Uxbridge pegged their hosts back in the second half and tries from a pushover maul, followed by a neatly recovered chip over the top, meant that only missed conversions kept them in arrears.

A break from returning winger Peter Donaldson seemed to have relieved the pressure, but he was bundled into touch and Uxbridge kicked deep from the lineout, setting up a forward drive that put them ahead with 10 minutes left.

Yet the Kilburn pack rallied, winning a flurry of exchanges and, with less than a minute on the clock, a long kick up the touchline stayed in long enough for Taguri to win the race and go over to seal a memorable victory.