Here we are after the conclusion of five weeks of club rugby, with the last week providing us with one of the most entertaining clashes, arguably the most anticipated match played between table toppers, the reigning champions Kandy Sports Club and third placed Havelock Sports Club – at Nittawela, a hallowed venue of the oval ball game in the island nation.
The ongoing Nippon Paint Inter-Club Rugby League has shown the avid follower many pointers to look upon. One key learning is that any team is beatable, even mighty Kandy, who in their ranks having almost the uncanny Sri Lanka National backline, were put to test by a young Havies outfit comprising a majority of fresh blood.
Week five also opened a historic chapter in Sri Lanka’s rugby history; Charani Liyanage and Ayesha Perera became the first female match officials/assistant referees to officiate in a Top Division Rugby Union game in the island. They are both former Sri Lanka National Women’s players. Perera, the former national skipper, officiated at the CH&FC vs. Air Force game and Liyanage carried out her duties at the CR&FC vs. Navy encounter.
Kandy 27 beat 22 Havelocks at Nittawela
Just like the Stats_Pert Boa Athu – The Daily Morning Sports guest contributor – always says – “kicks win matches”. Kandy, only for the second time in the league this season, opted to kick at goal at a crucial juncture in the early second half. This three-pointer came in handy at the final whistle where a mere five points separated the two teams. Havies got the losing bonus point whilst Kandy bagged the four-try bonus point five weeks in a row. It is just one-point separating them with second placed CR&FC who are the only other unbeaten team.
Kandy will face one of their easiest hurdles this week when they face a depleted and bruised Navy side who are yet to win a game. Kandy’s coaching staff – led by former national star Fazil Marija – will definitely look to bring in all their fresh legs on the park and rest some of the seniors before their biggest hurdle against CR in the last week clash at Nittawela, which will decide who will top the table at the end of round one.
Havies will take a mammoth load of confidence from their game against Kandy where they came inches close towards a famous victory at the Nittawela Fortress, however it was too little too late for the park club lads. They will play their trophy game against archrival CR&FC this week, which is going to be the Red Shirts’ real litmus test before the biggest clash against Kandy.
CH&FC 14 beat 10 Air Force at Colombo Race Course
The Gymkhana Club defended with all their might to stop the Air Force attack in the latter part of the game where the airmen were oozing with morale. At one stage in the second essay, hosts CH had their skipper Avantha Lee and deputy Hirusha Sampath both sin-binned for high shots and the Pink and White shirts played with only 13 players on the field.
However the rest of the unit rose up to the occasion to pull off a hard-fought win, giving Air Force the losing bonus point. With this win CH almost sealed the top-four spot with stiff resistance coming from Police, whom they will face this week at the Colombo Race Course, their home venue. Police will come all guns blazing to prove a point. Air Force on the other hand are a very talented team under debutant coach Asela Deshapriya. They have to now play their best game in the bottom four to secure the Plate Championship.
CR&FC 57 beat 06 Navy at Welisara
The Longdon Place club completely outplayed and outsmarted the sailors in their own backyard. The Reds scored a total of nine tries whereas the already battered Navy side could muster only two penalties, which they scored early in the first half to take a shocker lead. CR brought in their A-game later to send a warning to the opponents that they are going for the biggest prize this season in their post-centenary year to quench a 25-year-long thirst for league glory. Navy still lingers in the bottom-most place, searching for a breakthrough with a young side.
Police 19 beat 10 Army at Police Park
Youngster Akash Madushanka’s heroics in the backline proved vital for the cops as they managed to fight and survive yet another day to grasp that all-important top-four cup championship berth after a gruelling contest against the Soldiers at home. Police avenged their previous week’s defeat to Havies at the same venue in a lacklustre performance where Army could have pulled off a victory with their razzle and dazzle coming from their speedy backs.
A few ardent followers of the game spoke to The Daily Morning Sports on their views of the crunch game between Havies and Kandy:
Sujith Silva (Sports historian/archivist and Founder of Quadrangle): “Come on… accept it, Kandy didn't play their top game, yet they managed to win it with their depth of the squad confined to defending most parts of the game. Without possession and territory, they turned the heat up with the virtual Sri Lanka backline, that too wellexperienced. Havelocks, playing away, and mostly with a young side did admirably well. If we go to pick on referees... it will never end because the rub of the green was enjoyed by all sides this season. Well, Kandy was lucky more than once too.”
Arun Pillai (sports columnist): “Samuel Maduwantha couldn’t make the difference with his boots, missing four kicks at goal which eventually threw away the game from the Park Club. Those missed kicks cost too much.”
Hamza Hidayathullah (former Executive Director of Sri Lanka Rugby): “Havies had their chances and I feel their scrum-half should have been at least one second faster in feeding the ball off breakdown, especially over the gainline. Samuel’s missed kicks (roughly 10 points), despite Nittawela being his home ground as a schoolboy, made a huge difference in the final scorecard.”
Boa Athu (World Rugby Coach Educator): “Both the teams’ attack shapes were very predictable. There were too many holding-on penalties in a short time period. It was quite poor from both sides when it came to skillset execution without errors, but it kept the game tight and interesting.”
Meanwhile it’s an all CR affair with Thenuka Nanayakkara leading the top points scorers list and Lasindu Karunathilaka along with Lasantha Kumara of Army leading the top try scorers list. In some fascinating news, there are five players levelled at four tries each as the league tenses up with high-tempo games.
