Kandy Sports Club quenched their thirst to retain the league trophy for yet another year when they thrashed title-seeking Havelock SC by 26 points (4 tries, 1 penalty, 1 drop goal) to 11 (1 try, 2 penalties) in their Dialog ‘A’ division league rugby second round match played under lights at Havelock Park yesterday.
Kandy showed better control of the ball under flood light conditions and turned the match in their favour with a rousing second half rally.
The Kandy boys put up an unthinkable effort to topple the Havelocks who led 3-0 with a Dulaj Perera penalty in the 5th minute.
The winners dared to run the ball and gained in meters whenever a gap in the opponents’ defence was detected.
Kandy was always sure of what to do, in contrast to the Havies who only knew to run straight, often ramming into their opposite numbers.
Havies, who dominated the first 20 minutes of the first half lost the grip as they seemed hampered and hopes of winning seemed thrust under a ‘dark cloud’ when the team’s place kicker, Dulaj Perera who put over a 35-meter penalty was carried off the field with a serious knee injury and didn’t take any further part in the match.
In the 13th minute Kandy equalled the score to 3-all with a Thilina Wijesinghe 30-metre drop goal. They scored again with a Richard Dharmapala unconverted try in the 20th minute to grab the lead 8-3.
Havies closed the gap to 8-6 with a Rahul de Silva penalty in the 32nd minute.
At half time the score read 8-6 in Kandy’s favour.
Kandy made a striking return to the game in the second half with two tries scored in the 56th and 61st minutes through hooker Damith Dissanayaka and centre Danushka Ranjan. Wijesinghe missed both the conversions. Kandy led 18-6.
In the 67th minute Havelock’s cut down the lead when centre Nishone Perera scored the try of the match going through six Kandy defenders. Rahul de Silva missed the conversion and the score read 18-11.
The Hill capital boys increased the lead to 21-11 with a simple Wijesinghe penalty in the 76th minute.
The winners who enjoyed the major share of possession from the set pieces, sealed the game in the 80th minute when Srinath Sooriyabandara found his way over the Havies try line from a midfield run, Wijesinghe who had a miserable day with the boot missed the conversion for the final score to read 26-11.
Referee: Charlie Brown (Singapore)
Police SC upsets Army 27/21
In another Dialog ‘A’ division league match played at Army grounds in Diyagama yesterday, Police SC beat Army SC by 27 points (3 tries, 3 conversions, 2 penalties) to 21 (3 tries, 3 conversions). At half time the winners lead 20-7.
Add new comment