CR in lackluster win in uneventful game
CR third row forward Omalka Gunaratne barges through the Police defence - Pic by Amila Gamage
A final score-line of 31-26, coming on top of a half-time tally of 20-19 would suggest that the CR-Police match at Longdon Place was full of tension, titillation and excitement. But it wasn’t so. In fact, CR’s win by 31 points (a goal, 3 tries, 3 penalties) to 26 (3 goals,1 try) was the outcome of spasmodic periods of domination and not the result of well-coordinated attacking play.
CR made mistakes and were lucky that they were not punished for them. Apart from a few dropped passes, they committed a couple of tactical blunders. In the middle of the second half when they were being led 25-26, and were a few yards short of the line, they chose the wrong option. The pack tried to push their way over and failed, when there were three unmarked attackers waiting (Godot like) for the ball.
Sanity prevailed finally when Ratwatte made good use of two penalties to put his team five points in the clear. Was this Ratwatte’s tacit admission that the Police defence was difficult to pierce?
Police centre Mushin Faleel gave an early hint of what was in store for the home team when he booted and followed up a dropped high kick by Prince Chamara. However, in the act of touching down, the ball bounced out of his hands, hit him in the face and rolled loose.
Police got on the board through a try by Joel Perera, after they had won a lineout and powered their way over the line. Mohammed Sashan, CR’s winger, then equalised after they worked the line. Three or four Police players merely touched him on the way to the line. Ratwatte converted for a 12-5 lead and followed up by adding another three points via a penalty.
Hooker Rasith Silva fell over off a forwards rush and Sansoni converted for their team to get within sniffing distance of CR (15-12). At this stage fly half Ashan De Costa made a threatening break, but the Police defence rallied to ward off the danger.
A couple of minutes later, CR were penalised for being off side and Radeesha Seneviratne was able to go over. Sansoni made it 19-15 in favour of the Police.
The losers paid a heavy price for not clearing off their line. CR pinned them down in their 22. Ratwatte broke through and weaved his way almost to the line. When the ball came out, CR sent Bhanuka Nanayakkara a long pass and he touched down for an unconverted try to make it 20-19 at lemons. 
Ratwatte who orchestrated most of CR’s moves had a great game, save for his conversions. He converted only one of the four tries his team scored.
Early in the second half he followed up a kick ahead by scrum half Kavindu de Costa and touched down (25-19). Police centre Chula Suantha indulged in a splendid bit of opportunism when he intercepted a pass from the scrum half to the fly, and streaked ahead to score. Sansoni put that over and Police had retaken the lead 26-25.
It was at this stage that Referee Rohan Fernando threw a lifeline to the CR by offering them two penalties in quick succession. They were seized on avidly by Ratwatte to give his team that winning five points magin.