Round one completed, Kandy on top Navy second
The first round of the Dialog sponsored inter club league rugby season ended on a pulsating note with close contenders of the title Kandy signing off on a smashing note with a 71-5 win over the hapless CH and FC team at Maitland Crescent last Saturday.The end result not only gave Kandy the top slot at the end of the first round but also exposed the sad state of affairs at CH and FC which has already spoken of quitting the second round of the League for want of a ground to practice.
Kandy even after resting their top players like Marija, Wilvara, Nigel Ratwatte and the South African Chris Cloete were formidable enough to score as many as ten tries. Their forwards merely ran through the CH outfit at every given opportunity while their backs made plenty of headway on the move with some fast open rugby to entertain a small crowd.
Pradeep Liyanage and Dhanushka Dayan were particularly outstanding on the move virtually encountering very little or no resistance at all.
Another Kandy player who had the fortune of impressing in the absence of the top players was full back Tharindu Chanaka who made several breaks and that gave his team plenty of territorial advantage with his kicks and runs.
Place kicker Arshad Jamaldeen showed that he has matured well and truly as he made eight conversions some from very difficult angles besides scoring one try signalling that Kandy have plenty of resources at their disposal.
A thought ought to be spared for the CH team. They went into the match not being able to practice for nearly three weeks without their ground which has been taken over by the club’s cricket team. They have also sent back all their foreign players with their funds drying up and unable to make ends meet.
The only time CH came close to breaching the Kandy defence was early in the second half which they did and scored their only try through their captain Radeesha Seneviratne.
The most interesting match of the week was however between CR and FC and Air Force which ended in a close call for the Longden Place club which won 31-28.
The Air Force forwards gave CR a tough time by being on the ball most of the time and were rewarded with three tries just one less than what CR scored. Where Air Force had some stiffer competition was in open rugby that CR were better at with a faster backline.
The last week of first round matches also started well for Havelocks who thrashed underdogs Hambantota Sharks by 43 points to 10.
Havelocks ran the ball at will and had virtually nothing to worry about as far as the result was concerned. They matched an improved performance by scoring seven tries which bore a marked contrast to what they produced in the previous games. They are third in the points table behind Kandy and Navy and although they cannot win the title the Park Club can look forward to some better moments in the second round to finish as the third best team.
Army signed off on a refreshing note when they comprehensively outplayed favourites Police by 41 points to 20 also in their last first round game.
Army thus also signed off on a high note to rise up in the rankings dislodging Police from the fifth slot.
For Army it was a combination of their forwards as well as their backs producing a well coordinated display to outsmart Police. The way Army played was an indication that they could really mean business in the second round games if only they could take their game seriously and maintain the standard. They could as the second round progresses cause a few upsets down the line and may be alter the final placing in the points table.Army posses one of the best backlines in the club scene and could really be the obstacle to all teams in the fray given the weight and speed available in their ranks.
Police however were a big disappointment to their fans and did nothing to justify their status as one of the best competing teams in the fray. The biggest let down was Fijian centre Apisai who had an off day and was never a threat to Army. He dropped sitter passes on the run and also at times over ran passes which was quite not like his usual self.
That Army were able to score six tries showed to what level Police had dropped their game before moving into the second round which starts next week.
As for the standings at the end of the first round Kandy are well placed on top leading the defending champions Navy by a single point.
The advantage that Kandy has is that they will play against Navy on their home turf at Nittawela in the second round which will be the ultimate decider in the League.
Third placed Havelocks with three defeats have already kissed the title goodbye making the second round a two-horse race.
| This current tournament is the most expensive domestic sport event in the country with an estimated budget of nearly Rs 300 million. This event has also lured some of the finest international players from around the world. The Fijians have come in their numbers as for some of them it appears that they have found the end of the rainbow. Star Fijian International 7′s players have opted to play for their local clubs here as against representing their island nation in the ongoing World Series International 7’s tour. However, one thing that has been clearly seen during the completed first round is the inconsistency of play by some of the Fijians which a concern of worry. This has been put down to some of them having an ‘off day’ on the field. As the second round continues spectators and ardent fans will be keeping a close eye on some of the foreign players and hope that they will perform to their optimum potential and fulfil the purpose of them being flown down. Let’s hope that they do not have any more “off days” during the second round as an “off day” could be measured as pricier than the cost of gold. |