Match focus:

Kandy do the grand in grand finale!

Ken de Joodt

Last Saturday, August 4, many rugby fans ‘climbed’ their way up the mountainous, curvy roadway to the cool climes of the Kandyan territory, to witness the final league match of the Caltex Rugby tournament. Red shirted CR & FC took on the ‘2007 League Champs’ Kandy Sports Club wearing their usual smart, white rugby shirts with patterns of red and displaying their key sponsor’s name ‘Singer’, on the front.

It would have gladdened the heart of the Chief Guest Hemaka Amarasuriya, Chairman Singer Sri Lanka Limited, giving him the ‘thrills’ of seeing Kandy sporting on the ‘Singer’ jerseys, before the ‘spills’ over the CR, of a Champion side waltzing through to victory!

Amidst a massive crowd on a picturesque, soothing setting, everything augured well for a classic game of rugby, making it look tough and rough but calling for quality play, in team work as well as in individual play.

There among the distinguished guests, were the SLRFU super sponsor “Caltex” and Chevron Lanka PLC, CEO Kishu Gomes (who later ‘did the honours’ of presenting the ‘Caltex Trophy’ and medallions to the winners and the runners up), their Sales Manager Shehan Perera (it is believed that he will joyfully ‘tie the nuptial knot’ within the next two weeks!) and Nimal Fonseka (Caltex Chevron), seated in the ‘VIP Box’ - with much hope of a sizzling, ‘well-oiled’ game!

Former SLRFU President, Malik Samarawickrema and the present SLRFU President DIG Nimal Leuke plus the SLRFU CEO Dilory Fernando, were all there to add to the glamorous gathering, together with many other rugby stalwarts young and old!

At ‘match-time’ - Orville Fernando, one of Sri Lanka’s best and most experienced SLRFU referee, tossed the coin for the Kandy skipper Jeewa Galagamuwa and the CR & FC captain Anuradha Dharmakirthi, to decide who will ‘kick-off’ first or choose the side of the grounds to play from. Kandy presumably and wisely, opted to play the first half running into a Westerly wind and a partly setting Sun, (between 4.30 p.m. and 5.30 p.m.)

This was a calculated move, to give Kandy some distinct advantages in the second half when they would play with their backs to the Sun (and not have the glare of the Sun in their eyes), while they also had a good ‘tail wind’ behind them to push them on, instead of the strong wind against them, which would tire them out!

With their past experiences on their ‘home’ grounds, it would make Kandy’s play a little more comfortable to see ‘CR’ ‘kick-off’ in the first half and then battle the second half, against a fairly strong wind which blew across the length of the grounds. It was also apparent that the setting Sun, sometimes troubled their sight of the ball and the opposing players.

This could well have been the reason for their ‘stumbling and fumbling’ with the low and high ‘kicks-ahead’ - which got them into trouble and caused uncertainties in their second half play. It restricted them to scoring just 10 more points, early in the second half - whereas Kandy went on to pile up 20 more points with relative ease!

Sharp on time, at 4.30 p.m. the CR & FC kicked off, using their first wind and ‘fresh legs’ to follow the ball into the Kandy territory and ‘hound’ it out from Kandy’s powerful ‘pack of Lions’ and retain, possession of the ball.

This virtually impacted a clear message to the Kandy team, that CR were going to make a ‘real match’ of it! However, due to CR’s mishandling, Kandy was able to regain the ball with a good ‘turnaround’ and run it down the line. Full back Nalaka Weerakkody joined the line, next to his brother inside - three Eranga Weerakkody, to make the ‘extra man’.

Kandy’s three quarter line ran too much across the field instead of running straight up the field, resulting in Sanjeewa Jayasinghe, Kandy’s classy wing three quarter, having no room to run down the touch line. He was bundled out into touch just five metres from the CR goal line, on the right corner flag - and a sure try went awry. What an exciting start to the first session of play!

CR defended with sheer gusto and were often seen tackling hard and ‘turning ball over’, to win the ball back. In attack too, they worked with equally strong venom, particularly in the first half when scores were neck and neck, right up to half time.

Kandy’s 10 points came through two forceful tries, the first off a scrum when scrum-half Saliya Kumara, changed direction and reversed a pass to prop forward Kishore Jehan, who cleverly barged through a ten metre gap to score.

Next, was a fine try by the well-aligned centre-threes with Eranga Weerakkody and Fazil Marija in position to make a breakthrough and give over to Pradeep Liyanage, who sped over 30 metres to touchdown. It must be said, that this scoring effort came from the initial moves made by flanker Imram Bisthamin.

As the game ‘hotted up’ more excitement was in store, when shortly after Kandy planted that try, there came an unexpected move by CR’s wing three quarter Ravi Wekadapola. He broke through and did a hasty run down the left flank and when challenged by his opposite number, he neatly ‘chipped’ the ball over.

Kandy’s full back Nalaka Weerakkody, came across in defence but was beaten by the bounce of the ball. It bumped right into the hands of Ravindra Wekadapola, who kept his eyes on the ball and made a clean ‘snap -up’ before darting off like a hare! Kandy gave up the chase for almost 40 metres and Wekadapola touched down by the left goal posts. Senthil Kumar added the extra two points conversion.

Some minutes later, an off-side from a scrum saw Kandy penalized, giving CR the choice of a distant penalty kick at goal, or a kick to touch. As the ‘throw-in’ would be for CR they could have aimed at a try if they won the line-out but instead CR opted to take the kick at goal, from over 40 metres.

Senthil Kumar used his wiry, hard ‘hooking’ legs to poise himself in a well-balanced position, concentrate (amidst the ‘boos’ and jeers from the Kandy crowd!) and gave it all the strength he had to put over a grand penalty, giving CR & FC the opportunity to equal scores at half time - CR 10 pts. to Kandy 10 pts.

CR proved themselves ‘a team to reckon with’ having played consistently well throughout this season, helped by classy play from their flashy pack of forwards and three-quarters. Kaushal de Costa helped himself to two brilliant tries, winger Radhika Hettiarachchi’s piercing runs were a cut above the rest.

Special Feature

In this game, not many realized that there were three sets of two brothers playing on each side - Kandy had one set - Nalaka and Eranga Weerakkody, while CR & FC had two sets - Ashan and Kaushal de Costa and Radhika and Udaya Hettiarachchi. A rare and unique instance, of three sets of brothers playing in the same Rugby match!

In a pre-match ‘chit-chat’ with Nalaka Weerakkody, the outstanding Kandy full-back, he emphasized the absolute need for fitness and practice. He said, how he could upset the ‘game-plan’ of the opposition by taking the earliest opportunity to ‘bang-over’ a drop gal from any distance that is within his capability.

He certainly kept to his ‘master plan’ and wrecked the ‘game plan’ of the CR, by attempting three drop-goals at different stages of the game with his right foot.

Then came the ‘one’ with his left foot, taking all by surprise (even his teammates!!) and illuminating the crowded grounds with the brilliance of individual skill!! One brilliant left-footed kick, which sailed over the bar from about forty metres out, to land plumb between the posts.

Nalaka’s contribution towards the total score was fifteen points, that included two penalties, three conversions and the drop-goal. This was yet another fabulous performance, which keeps him elevated above the others to engrave his name in gold - in the ‘Hall of Rugby Kickers Fame’!

Nothing can ever be taken for granted, as we saw the supreme brand of Rugby that was produced by both teams. Yet, it was Nalaka’s consistency and his ‘magical’ performances, particularly with his boots, that made the difference!

It is evident that Nalaka has also put in much practice to perfect his style from his young days at Kingswood College, Kandy and throughout his glittering Rugby career, while playing for Clubs and the country, over the last decade or more.

Bringing to mind some decades before, Ken McPherson (a Scottish Tea Planter) played for Kandy, Dimbula and Up-Country and excelled as a fly-half with a stylish drop-kick. (His coaching enabled me to be an affective drop-kicker in my Rugby playing days at Trinity and during my spell of Tea Planting in Kandy and Uva).

He had this to say “no one is born a great kicker, but he is made one - through practice, practice and more practice”! As the old saying goes “Practice makes one perfect” - in anything!

In this ‘grand finale’ the scores here are no indication of how intensely the game was played and what a high quality of good Rugby was maintained throughout the game. Kandy and CR & FC both ‘bartered and bargained’ to keep the scores level at 20 - 20 till almost half way through the second half.

It all finally went in favour of Kandy, with their magnificent sustaining play, to retain the prestigious “Caltex Trophy” - and win the Championship League title for the seventh year, creating history in the annals of the SLRFU Rugby Tournaments. “Well done Kandy!”