CH hold CR to a 15-all draw

Ranjeeva SENEVIRATNE

CH and FC came up with a stupendous performance to hold the more fancied CR and FC to a 15-all draw in their Caltex ‘A’ Division League rugby match played at Maitland Crescent yesterday after leading 10-nil at the breather.

The lads from Maitland Crescent scored three unconverted tries while the Red Shirts obtained their points from one goal, one try, and one penalty.

CH’s forwards came up with a terrific display to outplay their counterparts in the loose. Flanker Dilanka Wijesekera was a source of inspiration to his team-mates with his fiery loose play and was ably supported by Jayantha Ranaweera, Achala Perera, Dinesh Sanjeewa, Wasamba Senarath and strongly built Sumedha Malewana.

CH’s Dinesh Sanjeewa and Wasamba Senerath had the edge over the CR duo of Dharmatilleke and Gayan Fernando in the line outs while the set scrums were shared between CR’s hooker Anuja Perera and CH’s Achala Perera.

The famed CR three quarters too could not make much headway with centres Karunanayake and Kosala Tissera being nailed by their opposite numbers Rushika Fernando and Shane Dissanayake with some bone - crunching tackles.

But on the few occasions CR managed to send out the ball to the wings Dinesh Kumara made some threatening runs before he was brought down by a desperate CH defence.

CH and FC opened scoring in the 34th minute of the first half when CH forwards began a move in mid field and slipped out a pass to scrum half Tuan Shamrock who scampered through for a try mid right.

Omar Hassen’s kick at goal struck the upright and rebounded. CH scored again off the ensuing kick off when flanker Dilanka Wijesekera collected the ball sped over 20 metres and sent out a pass to winger Niranjan Wickremaratne who burst through to fall over for a glorious try by the left corner flag. Omar Hassen missed the conversion and CH led 10-0 at ‘lemons’.

In the 10th minute after resumption CR’s Senthil Kumar fired across a 30 metre penalty to make it 10-3.

Three minutes later CH went ahead further when a CR three quarter spilled a pass and CH’s threes booted the ball and winger Lakala Perera who followed it fell on the loose ball in the in-goal area. Omar Hassen missed the conversion and CH led 15-3.

The Red Shirts staged a superb fight-back and in the 24th minute of the second half off a second phase move in the CH ‘25’ skipper Shamil Mohamed crashed through for a try under the posts. Senthil Kumar made no mistake with the conversion and the score read 15-10 in favour of CH.

In the 30th minute of the second half CR won a line out 25 metres away from the CH goal line and set their three quarters in motion and centre Niroshan Karunanayake sliced through the CH defence to fall over for a try by the right corner flag. Senthil Kumar missed the conversion and the game ended in a 15-all draw.

Referee: Nizam Jamaldeen