Kandy overcome a stiff CH challenge
Yesterday at Nittawela it was a different story. They were terrific pressure from a marauding CH side which almost played out of their skins. Yet, Kandy with their undoubted experience coming to the fore, stayed the course to run out winners by 34 points (3 goals, 2 tries, 1 penalty) to 23 (1 goal, 2 tries, 2 penalties).
Young Samuel Maduwantha playing before his home crowd seemed to suffer a bout of nerves as he failed to convert two tries and also missed to convert a penalty or two. These points would certainly have tilted the scales CH’s way.
It was a moment or two of pure magic with the clock ticking by, Yositha Rajapaksa emerged with the ball and went for the line, swerving the side stepping. Very much alive to the danger, the Kandy defence came round and stopped him a few yards short of the line. If he had scored, and if the conversion had been made it would have given the lead to the visitors.
A thing of beauty is a joy forever, fly half Fazil Marija made a beautifully weighted cross kick into the hands of winger Dhanushka Dayan who had merely to fall over for that final try.
CH piled the pressure from the start and Kandy took around ten minutes to enter their territory. Marija then kept on asking questions and a try seemed likely at any time. In the 18th minute Kandy kicked ahead, into a gap. A defender came across but quick thinking Nigel Ratwatte priced the ball from his grasp and ran the rest of the way. He could not put out the icing on the cake.
Maduwantha then reduced the deficit with a simple penalty. Pathirana added to Kandy’s tally after Dimitri Wijetunga had done the hard yards.
Kandy’s defence was a dither at this point. A CH player came out of the maul and the ball was directed to Lee Keegel who went over. The referee Dinka Pieris had recourse to the TMO before awarding the try.
A good kick by Marija took play deep into CH territory. There was a scramble for the ball, and then scrum half Srinath Sooriyabandara went through what was left of the defence (19-10). Lemons were taken at this score.
Kandy were just that bit loose in this half, while CH’s efforts lacked co-ordination.
Early in the second half, the CH who were clearly hungrier and more determined came up with a score. Winger Hashan Maduranga spotted a tiny gap and went through, even though he had an unmarked man beside him (19-15).
Marija’s long pass was seized upon by a player who side-stepped and scored a converted try (26-15). Kandy had not quite their wits at this stage. Keegel broke through and switched a pass. The move ended with hooker Pulasthi Bandara scoring. It was 26-20 now, but almost at once, a Ratwatte penalty widened the gap. Maduwantha cancelled the effort almost immediately by converting a penalty.
Kandy was not playing at their best – further the prolific Anuruddha Wilwara and Dhanushka Ranjan were kept under control. They did seem to miss the inventive Richard Dharmapala who had been given a one match ban.
The CH must be complimented for their cover defence. It was ultimately a case of near yet so far.