Havelocks beat Army 20-10
By Lal Gunesekera
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Two Army players attempt to bring down a Havelocks player who is
tightly clutching onto the ball in yesterday’s Caltex ‘A’ Division
League Rugby Championship match at Havelock Park. Havelocks won
20-10. Pic : Kavindra Perera |
RUGBY: Havelocks scored their second win in three outings when they
scored a 20 points (1 goal, 2 tries, 1 penalty) to 10 (1 goal, 1
penalty) win over Army after being led 3-7 at half time in their Caltex
'A' Division League Rugby Championship game at Havelock Park yesterday.
Havelocks should have scored more than the three tries they achieved
yesterday. They were guilty of aimlessly kicking away possession and the
outsides ran across and were even guilty of "blind" passes. They looked
dangerous when running the ball.
Army too were guilty of overdoing their kicking. They certainly would
have felt the absence of two of their key players in T. A. Silva and
third-row forward Karunaratne. Their right winger Saliya Handapangoda
made two good runs, but was stalled. Once, off one such move in the 17th
minute of the first session, their outsides were set in motion ending
with Kapila Knowlton touching down and converting in himself. Earlier in
the third minute, Knowlton, missed a 40-metre penalty.
The soldiers made a few attacking moves, but could not get past the
Havies defence. Havies rescued the lead through a simple 15-metre
penalty by Zakir Badurdeen in the 26th minute when lemons was taken with
Army leading 7-3.
On resumption, Havelocks left winger Chanaka Fonseka scored far left,
but Badurdeen missed the conversion, but they took the lead (8-7) in the
10th minute.
Four minutes later, they went further ahead when full-back Dilip
Methruwan formed the overlap to score and with Badurdeen adding the
extra points the Havies led 15-7. Knowlton then put over a 35-metre
penalty for Army to reduce the lead (10-15) in the 19th minute, but in
the 30th minute. Havies scored again through No. 8 Tyronne Harrison off
a maul on the left flank, but Badurdeen, failed with the conversion (Havies
20-10).
It was disappointing to note that the momentum of the game was lost
whenever the ball went over the spectator stand onto the BRC side. It
took plenty of time to retrieve the ball, but it was much better in the
second session.
Chief Inspector Nizam Jamaldeen refereed.
Today, there are two games with Old Zahirians playing CH & FC at
Longden Place and Kandy Sports Club taking on Air Force at Nittawela.
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