Kandy survive CH scare to post 32-24 win in Super Round game

By A Special Sports Correspondent

Kandy Sports Club was forced to use all its energies and experience to record a hard-fought 32-24 win against CH&FC in a well-contested Super Round Cup Championship encounter of the Inter-Club league rugby tournament at Race Course on Saturday (February 3).

The winners were rattled in the first half due to a robust display by the host team, but Kandy turned the game around midway into the second half with a classic display of attack and defence. CH&FC however led 18-12 at half time and even till the 13th minute in the second half of the game till Kandy clawed back with tries coming from the experienced Srinath Sooriyabandara and the ever-reliable Tharinda Ratwatte.

The game probably went Kandy way in the 53rd minute of the game when CH kicker and playmaker Hirusha Nethmina was sent to the sin bin for a yellow card offence. That yellow card was given away when Nethmina attempted a dangerous high tackle on Kandy’s Sooriyabandara when the latter had crossed the line and was on the verge of scoring the Nittawela side’s third try of the game. Kandy from then onwards capitalized on the one-man advantage they had on the field and produced their fourth try when Tharinda Ratwatte jinxed his way through the CH defence with a brilliant side-stepping run to the try line. Ratwatte converted both tries and later in the second half swelled Kandy’s lead with two well-taken penalties.

CH& FC’s Nethmina was in fine form in the first half slotting in two penalties and converting the team’s second try which was scored by Janith Lakshan when the Colombo team got the best off a scrum that wheeled and put Kandy SC under tremendous pressure inside their half. CH’s first try in the game came through the efforts of a forward rush when the game was nine minutes old. The first half was a grudge forwards battle and Kandy SC did well to score twice; first through Jason Dissanayake and later through Wajid Fawmy. Ratwatte managed to convert only one of the tries. Kandy earned a bonus point in the game on the merit of scoring four tries; they collected their total points in the game through four tries, three conversions and two penalties while CH responded with two tries, one conversion and four penalties.

On Friday (February 2) table leaders CR&FC were forced to sweat before pulling off an all-important 12 points to 9 win over Havelock Sports Club in the other Super Round Cup Championship encounter which was worked off at Havelock Park.

The winners collected their points through two tries and one conversion while Havelocks, despite playing attacking rugby and dominating the game, were forced to eat humble pie and end up not scoring a single try in the game. All the points that Havies scored come off the boot of Samuel Maduwantha who booted through three penalties.

CR’s tries came through Zubair Dooray and Amith Gunasinghe while the conversation came through the boot of Manilka Ruberu. CR&FC took home the Commander Matthysz Trophy with an aggregate of 37 points against 19 by Havies.In the Plate Championship tournament, the Army beat the Air Force 21-15 at Panagoda while the Police beat the Navy 37-7 at Welisara.