Kandy thrash Sailors
Kandy playmaker Tarinda Ratwatte being challenged by a Sailor
Despite an early setback, reigning champions Kandy SC went on rampage after gradually accelerating the pace of the game to hand Navy SC a 48-7 defeat in the penultimate weekend of the first round of the SLR Nippon Paint Club Rugby League at Welisara yesterday.
After leading 17-7 at halftime, Kandy completed the game with a resounding tally of seven tries, five conversions and a penalty, while earning a crucial bonus point to their final count. The Sailors, who did well to challenge their unbeaten opponents, scored from a solitary converted try, thus completely failing after the first quarter of the game.
Kandy set off with their intentions of gaining a big win with a well-orchestrated backling move, which gave skipper and centre Lavanga Perera the honour of touching down as early as the fifth minute. Centre Tarinda Ratwatte, who played the complete game in solid fashion, made the conversion to give them an early 7-0 lead.
However the Sailors were highly penetrative forcing Kandy to defend briefly, before forward Uchitha Jayasoorya found an opening to score an unconverted try in the 22nd minute as the eventual winners expanded the lead to 12-0.
But Navy were up with their battling attitude, which culminated with a peach of a try from winger Amith Madushanka four minutes later, as fullback Isuru Kongahawatte converted successfully to have them trailing by 7-12. Two minute before the halftime centre Danushka Ranjan pierced through the Navy defence to land an unconverted try as Kandy led 17-7 by the end of the first half.
The resumption was an entire one way traffic as Kandy went on to add four more tries to their tally, beginning their quest with a try in the 43rd minute by lock Thilina Bandara. With Tarinda Ratwatte’s conversion they expanded the lead to 24-7.
Three minutes later scrumhalf Heshan Jansen ripped through the Navy defence to land a try that was converted by flyhalf Nigel Ratwatte to further expand the lead to 31-7. The Rawattes combined in the 53rd minute to complete a neat three-quarter move with Tarinda touching down and Nigel making the conversion to have Kandy further away to 38-7.
Opting entirely to attack the Navy territory, Kandy spent the rest of the duration of the game wholly on their opponent’s half, while also adding immense pressure. This gave an opening for Kandy to add a penalty to their tally, as Tarinda Ratwatte gave his team three more points to make it 41-7 by the 60th minute.
While making all the available substitutions, Kandy played mostly with fresh legs during the final quarter of the game, while the pace of the game decelerated rapidly. Yet they added their seventh try of the game through centre Kavishka Bandara, who ran through the Navy defence and gave Tarinda Ratwatte an easy range to make the conversion.
This will push Kandy to their crucial game against CR&FC, as one of the two teams are set to lose their winning streak next week when the two teams meet at Nittawela before the tournament reaches the Super Round.