Right-winger Jayathu Rajaratne grabbed a brace as Havelock Sports Club (SC) withstood a fierce assault from Air Force SC to post an ultimately hard-fought 40-22 win in their Mastercard Inter-Club Rugby League second-round Cup segment match at Havelock Park yesterday (8).

Havies, who were expected to roll over the Airmen, were stretched to the limit on the day, as the visitors took the game up to the home team through opportunistic tries in the first half.

However, midway through the second half, Air Force unravelled following a close arm-wrestle in the first 40-minute period, as the more experienced hosts sped away to an eventually facile victory.

For the Havies, besides Rajaratne, scrum-half Mohammad Rifan, lock Udara Lakshan, out-half Sandesh Jayawickrama, and substitute prop Charana Sendanayake had a touchdown each, while fullback Samuel Maduwantha kicked 10 points via five conversions.

For Air Force, prop Manuka Perera, inside centre Pramod Pathmasanka, replacement Vimukthi Fernando, and hooker Shamika Kawshan crossed the whitewash, with Gayantha Iddamalgoda adding the extras to a solitary try.

In a game which featured 10 tries, the Park Club scored from six tries, of which five were converted, while the Airmen responded with four tries of which one was converted.

Air Force drew first blood in the sixth minute when prop Perera scored following a terrific break by second rower Maleesha Weerakoon and with the conversion led 7-0.

Havies opened their account 10 minutes later, when halfback Rifan sniped through the fringes and with the fluffed conversion trailed Air Force 5-7.

In the 23rd minute, Havelocks took the lead for the first time, when lock Lakshan went over from a rolling maul off a close-range line-out and with Maduwantha’s conversion led 12-7.

Three minutes later, the visitors hit back courtesy of inside centre Pathmasanka, who superbly collected a cross field kick to dot down, but with the unsuccessful conversion, the scores were tied 12-all.

In the 34th minute, a barnstorming run by substitute forward Fernando which saw him crossing the try line took the Airmen to the lead with the missed conversion by Iddamalgoda 17-12.

But four minutes out from the ‘break,’ the home side regained the lead through Rajaratne’s first try, which was an intercept, and with Maduwantha bisecting the uprights they led 19-17.

After the turnaround, however, Havies sealed the deal by taking the second stanza 21-5, to comfortably subdue a spirited showing by the visitors.

For the winners, five-eighth Jayawickrama, Rajaratne, and Sendanayake dotted down respectively in the second half, while for the men from Ratmalana, prop Sandanu Mandive scored their solitary five-pointer in the 48th minute. 

Police SC – Navy SC

In a Plate segment match played between Police SC and Navy SC in the Mastercard Inter-Club Rugby League second-round fixture, the former recorded a 33-12 win over the latter at Police Park yesterday (8).

The Cops scored from five tries of which four were converted, while the Sailors could only reply with two tries, of which one was converted. 

(JK)