CR and FC in 45-7 win over Army

Ranjeeva SENEVIRATNE

RUGBY: The Ceylonese Rugby and Football Club scored a convincing 45 points (three goals, three tries, two penalties, one drop goal) to 7 (one goal) win over Sri Lanka Army in their Caltex ‘A’ division league rugby match played at Longden Place yesterday after leading 25-7 at ‘lemons’.

The Red Shirts won an abundance of possession with hooker Senthil Kumara getting the better of his vis-a-vis Mahesh Perera in the set scrums and the duo of Anuradha Dharmatilleke and Ashen Karthelis towering above the rest in the line-outs.

The Red Shirts could have won this game by a much bigger margin if not for some good spoiling work by the Soldiers.

CR centres Lasintha de Costa and Shane Aravinda were often tackled in possession by their opposite numbers Pilimatalawa and Wijesooriya but on the few occasions they managed to send out the ball, winger Dinesh Kumara made some daring runs. CR also blundered by playing Sri Lanka centre Mohamed Sheriff on the wing.

The Red Shirts surged into the lead in the 2nd minute when off a second phase move in the Army ‘25’ scrum-half Amjad Buksh made a break and slung out a pass to fly-half Ashan de Costa who scored mid-left.

Senthil Kumar missed the conversion but made amends for it by firing across a 40 metre penalty to make it 8-0 in favour of CR. In the 18th minute CR increased their lead when Senthil Kumara made no mistake with a 25-metre penalty.

Four minutes later CR’s centre Lasintha de Costa booted the ball off a spilled pass by his opposite number Pilimatalawa and picked up the ball on the follow through to touch down under the posts. Senthil Kumara added the extra points (CR 18-0).

In the 30th minute off a move begun in mid-field Army’s full back Kapila Knowlton made a break and slung out a pass to winger Saliya Handapangoda who dashed through over 30 metres to fall over under the posts for a glorious try. Kapila Knowlton converted to make it 18-7.

On the stroke of half time CR won a 10 metre line out and number eight Naveen Wijetunge powered his way to touch down under the posts. Senthil Kumara converted to make it 25-7 at the breather.

In the 19th minute after resumption off a second phase move in mid-field scrum-half Amjad Buksh set the three quarters in motion and winger Dinesh Kumara put the finishing touches to the move by scoring by the right corner flag. Senthil Kumara made a spectacular conversion and CR led 32-7.

Five minutes later off another second phase move winger Dinesh Kumara made a powerful run but was brought down but he managed to slip out a pass to flanker Kasun de Silva who fell over for an unconverted try (CR 37-7).

In the 33rd minute CR fly-half Ashan de Costa dropped a peach of a goal from 35 metres out to make it 40-7 in favour of CR. Two minutes before the final whistle CR’s substitute scrum-half Suranga Pushpakumara took a shot tap 10 metres away from the Army goal line and scampered through to fall over for an unconverted try mid left to make it 45-7 at the final whistle.

Referee: Orville Fernando