CR beat CH 30-17 to enter Cup final
Ranjeeva Seneviratne
RUGBY: Defending champions CR and FC withstood a fierce challenge
from CH and FC in the last 12 minutes to win by 30 points (two goals,
two tries, two penalties) to 17 (one goal, one try, one penalty try) in
the second semi-final played at Longden Place yesterday to enter the
final of the Caltex Inter-club knock-out Rugby Tournament for the
Clifford Cup after leading 18-0 at the breather.
CH’s power-packed forwards Achala Perara, Ranaweera, Ruwantilleke,
Sanjeewa, Malewana and Dilanka Wijesekera were given a torrid time by
the CR ‘eight’ especially Mohamed, Senthil Kumar, Dharmatilleke,
Terrance, Wijetunge and Karthelis who came up with a sterling display in
the loose.
In the set scrums CH hooker Achala Perera got the better of his
vis-a-vis Senthil Kumar while the line outs were shared between the CR
duo of Dharmatilleke and Karthelis and the CH trio of Malewana,
Ruwantilleke and Sanjeewa.
The Red Shirts surged into the lead in the 10th minute when they won
a 25-metre line out and fly half Ashan de Costa set the three quarters
in motion and winger Ravindra Wekadapola put the finishing touches to
the move by scoring by the left corner flag. Senthil Kumar missed the
conversion but five minutes later he put over a 25-metre penalty to make
it 8-0.
In the 18th minute Senthil Kumar fired across a 35-metre penalty (CR
11-0). Fourteen minutes later, CR won a 10-metre line out and No. 8
Naveen Wijetunge barged through to score by the right corner flag.
Senthil Kumar made a spectacular conversion to make it 18-0 in favour of
CR at ‘lemons’. In the 4th minute after resumption off a second phase
move CR No. 8 Naveen Wijetunge crashed through for a try mid right.
Senthil Kumar added the extra points and CR led 25-0. Sixteen minutes
later off a three quarter move begun in mid field CR fly half Ashan de
Costa sped over 25-metres before he was brought down in the CH ‘25’. Off
the ensuing maul CR scrum half Amjad Buksh slipped out a pass to centre
Lasintha de Costa who burst through 20 metres to touch down mid right.
Mohamed Sheriff missed the conversion and the score read 30-nil in
favour of CR.
Eight minutes later began CH and FC’s fight-back. Skipper Dilanka
Wijesekera made a break in the CH 25 and sped over 30 metres before
slipping out a pass to fly half Sajith Bandara who in turn sent out a
pass to scrum half Tuan Shamrock who fell over by the left corner flag
for a glorious try. Dinuk de S. Wijeyeratne missed the conversion.
CH came back storming into CR territory once again and were awarded a
penalty try in the 35th minute but Dinuk de S. Wijeyeratne surprisingly
missed the conversion. In the 37th minute, CH were awarded a penalty
five metres away from the CR goal line and scrum half Tuan Shamrock
scampered through to touch down by the left corner flag. Sajith Bandara
made a splendid conversion to make it 30-17 at the final whistle.
Referee: Nizam Jamaldeen
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