Navy’s tardy play and Ratwatte’s boot made the difference
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Sailors attempt to avert a charging CR player, who goes airborne to save his ground - Pic by Amila Gamage
Flyhalf Tarinda Ratwatte earned the spotlight for the second week running after his boots did much of the talking in CR&FC’s deserving, yet unimpressive 28-22 win against Navy Sports Club in a Dialog Rugby League match played at Welisara yesterday.
The Red Shirts would probably have to reassess their playing pattern and focus more in adhering to the drawing board decisions, as yesterday’s win could be considered a giveaway by the indisciplined Sailors. The hosts conceded as much as seven penalties, and probably even more on other fringes while the game had an overall tally of six players binned — three each from both sides. Navy clearly missed out in adding up points off three penalties, which could have been a crucial factor of the game, as their skipper Thilina Weerasinghe, had a rare out-of-form day.
The game had all the decency that could expect from a player’s point of view but certainly lacked adherence to the current laws of the game. However, the referee Aaqil Jamaldeen, made sure the game had a smooth flow as CR&FC recorded the win with a tally of a converted try and seven penalties, where Ratwatte stood out with his contribution of 23 points out of the total. CR led 19-15 at halftime. The Sailors made an impressive start, but later on failed to maintain it after more than 30 minutes as they worked hard and earned points from three tries, two conversions and a penalty.
The Sailors made the initiative with an early try off third-row-forward Radheesha Seneveratne, to which extra points were added by skipper and fullback Weerasinghe soon after the start. Navy led 7-0 but CR had the opportunity to equalise when Ratwatte missed out on an easy try. But the kicking perfectionist made sure he ended the day with a 100 percent success rate. He put over a penalty in the 11th minute to cut down the deficit to four points, but four minutes later Weerasinghe put over a penalty for Navy to stretch back the gap to seven points, as the home team led 10-3 by then.
Ratwatte struck three back-to-back three penalties in the 23rd, 30th and 33rd minutes to put CR in front by 12-10, but the lead remained only for two minutes, until flanker Nirosh Perera landed a spectacular try after stealing possession from an advancing CR attack. Following a failed conversion Navy regained the lead 15-12. The Red Shirts made the identical retaliation in the brink of the halftime as back division player Mithila Perera made sure to crash under the post and give Ratwatte an easy conversion, and CR took lemons with a 19-15 lead.
The second half looked promising with Navy pacing up the attack from the word go. Despite losing their key player, No.8 Omalka Gunaratne, CR defended well to prevent them from going over. Five minutes later both teams were made even after Gunaratne’s counterpart from Navy, Radheesha Seneviratne, joined him in the sin bin. Both teams battled well for the next 16 minutes, but without any results to the efforts. Ratwatte struck three more penalties in the 56th, 60th and one in the 75th minutes, after Nirosh Perera scored a try off a maul for Navy in the 73rd minute, which followed a successful conversion.
With the win CR moves on unbeaten after two weeks as Ratwatte’s points tally becomes 45 points in two games. CR will take on Police SC next Saturday at Police Park while Navy, who has a win and a loss in two games, take on Havelocks on Friday at Havelock Park under lights.