Jason scores hat-trick in Kandy’s 10th win
Jason Dissanayake landed a hat-trick, which helped reigning Dialog Rugby League champions Kandy SC continue their unbeaten status this season, after a close, yet comfortable 36-26 win against Army SC at Welisara yesterday.
With Dissanayake’s three tries, Kandy completed yet another game with bonus points after scoring from a tally of six tries and three conversions, while leading 26-12 at halftime. Army, who had been quite impressive this season, was bolstered by the presence of Fijian Tomasi Ravouvou, who braced two tries singlehandedly in the second half. Army in the end finished with a tally of four tries and three conversions, while also earning bonus points for the same reason how their opponents gained it.
Lock Dissanayake scored his three tries in the 22nd, 27th and 42nd minutes of the game, but hosts Army made the early breakthrough with a spectacular try from Sudaraka Dikkumbura, which was converted by Isuru Medagedara. Kavindu Perera retaliated within the next five minutes to help Kandy equalise with the conversion coming from Tarinda Ratwatte.
Follwing Dissanayake’s first try which went unconverted, Buddima Piyaratne scored another unconverted try in the 27th minute. But Army managed to bounce back to cut off the deficit with a try from Dhanushka Thalwatte in the 34th minute, yet still Kandy held the lead by 19-12. Dissanayake’s second try followed by Ratwatte’s conversion in the 38th minute expanded Kandy’s lead to 26-12 as the halftime was drawn.
Dissanayake wasted very little time to capture his third opportunity in scoring the hat-trick in the 42nd minute with an unconverted try to further expand Kandy’s lead to 31-12. This was the moment when Ravouvou flummoxed the Kandy defence with his individual brilliance to score a stunning try, which was converted by Chamath Fernando, to drag Army close to Kandy’s score.
The game was on the balance with both teams firing up their pace but Army failed to prevent Tharindu Chathuranga from crossing the line to score an unconverted try in the 73rd minute.
By the time Ravouvou performed a repeater in the 79th minute with another stunner to give Sachin Gamage an easy conversion, they were way too late to outmanoeuvre Kandy from recording their tenth win in 10 outings.