Defending champions Kandy Sports Club kept their hopes alive for the league title for the umpteenth occasion when they outclassed Ceylonese Rugby and Football Club (CR & FC) by 36 points to 8 in their return game of the Caltex inter-club rugby league at Nittawela yesterday.
Kandy put up a stupendous effort in the initial half to lead by an unattainable 29 points 3 at the breather.
Kandy’s play maker and fly half Fazil Marja with three fine tries stood out with a fine performance as the winners added three goals and three tries to the total for which the red shirts responded scantily with a solitary try and penalty.
Though the red shirts showed character after the turn round, they could not attain anything beyond a try for the pressure on them was too great to make amends.
It was winger Mohamed Sheriff who missed out a penalty slot with the kick off drew first blood when he kicked to accuracy in his next attempt and thus the red shirts led 3-0 early in the game.
But four unanswered tries in a row by Kandy placed them in a commanding position. These successful scoring efforts for the home team came in courtesy of Fazil Marja who touched down twice while flanker Asitha Ratnayake and winger Dinesh Kumara scored try apiece. Scrum half Roshan Weeraratne and Marja added the bonus points for two scoring efforts for the teams to cross over for lemons with a 29-3 lead for Kandy .
Upon resumption, the red shirts crossed the Kandy defense for the first time and showed signs of a brave come back and challenge the home team but it was not to be, since scrum half Srinath Sooriyabandara’s unconverted try remained the only consolation for the red shirts in this half.
Wrapping up the affairs in grand style for Kandy was Marja who touched down under the post before he added the extra points at the dying stages of the game and rewarding them with an epic win which they richly deserved.
Priyantha Gunaratne refereed. |
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