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| Sunday, 13 July 2003 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Three-year wait ends-CH beat CR 27-20 by LAL GUNESEKERA The three-year wait is over for the CH & FC. They had not conquered CR & FC at Longden Place since the 1999 outfit of Nazim Mohamed won over the 'Red Shirts' at the Mecca of local rugby 23-13. Yesterday, CH, came from behind to beat CR 27 points (2 goals, 2 tries, 1 penalty) to 20 (2 goals, 2 penalties) after being led 12-17 at half time in their "return" Caltex 'A' Division League Rugby Championship game. Last Sunday too, CH, came from behind to beat Army 29-28 after being led 5-28 and it was their Fijian centre Jim Bolokora who was the star. Yesterday it was another Fijian in flanker Kinijoji Rakata who scored three of CH's four tries to be their match winner. CH, who lost only to defending champions Kandy Sports Club 13-35 at Nittawela in the first-round, looked to be the only side to give the "champions" a run for their monies worth, and continue to be second in the points table. It was Rakata who was the star yesterday. He came in only in the 25th minute of the first session and after only a few minutes was sent into "Sin Bin". On his return, he stamped his class. Flanker Bertie Jayasekera put CH into an early 7-0 lead when he went over off a line-out on the right flank for Saranga Jayakoddy to make certain of the conversion. This was in the second minute, but in the 18th minute, CR made the equaliser through left winger Dilan Abeygunawardene whose try was converted by Roshan Pieris. Then in the 35th minute, Pieris, made certain of a simple 15-metre penalty for CR to lead 10-7. Five minutes later, CR, struck again. This time their Fijian centre Charles Lassaisauve out in between the forwards and fly-half off a scrum to send skipper Shumley Nawaz over. Pieris converted again and CR led 17-7. Five minutes into injury time, CH, reduced the lead through Kinijoji Rakata off a short-tap, but Nalin Dissanayake failed with the conversion (CH 12-17). After the "turn around", Roshan Pieris put CR further ahead in the 10th minute with another simple 10-metre penalty (CR 20-12), and then came CH's great fight back. Rakata following up a Bolokora move scored in the 17th minute and with Jayakoddy converting CH had reduced the lead to 19-20. They got into the lead four minutes later off a 22-metre penalty by Jayakoddy and in the 35th minute stretched the lead to 27-20 with Rakata touching down for the third time and Jayakoddy failing with the conversion. Apart from Rakata, another CH player - right winger Dinesh Kumara, was sent into "Sin Bin" early in the second session, and they made quite a few changes too when they brought in Bolokora for the Samoan centre Alex Talea, Sashi Cooray for Malith Hettiaratchi and Pradeep Srikantha for Dinesh Kumar himself. Nizam Jamaldeen refereed Today, Army take on Havelocks at Galle Face. |
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