Kandy SC thrash Veterans 110-8

by S.M. Jiffrey ABDEEN - Kandy Sports Corr.

RUGBY: It was a rugby night to remember in the first ever floodlit rugby match in the hill capital - the defending Caltex rugby deague champions Kandy Sports Club beat Kandy Sports Club Veterans, calling themselves ex-Kandy SC players by the huge Margin of 110 Points (10 goals, 8 tries) to 8 (1 try 1 drop goal) in an exhition rugby match organised by Kandy Sports Club and played at the Nittawele Stadium on Friday right. At half-time, Kandy Sports Club led 77-3.

It was refreshing to see some of the former Kandy and Sri Lanka ruggerites scrum down again to give the rugby fans a taste of the vintage past. Some of them were; Nalaka Weerakkody, Kapila Silva, Rubudu Fernando, Pradeep Basnayake, Saman Kotalawala, Shantha Rohana, Sameera de Silva, who stood out.

Fullblack Nalaka Weerakkody who 'hung up his boots' three years ago, showed a little of his drop goal magic' by executing an amazing drop goal from 40 metres out.

Kandy Sports Club led by the Sri Lanka skipper Saliya Kumara, scored tries through centre Amila Bandara (3) stand-off Fazil Mariya (2), full-back Saliya Kumara (2) Winger, Sanjeewa Jayasinghe (3), Winger Mohammed Jabber (1), Scrum half Prasad Chathuranga (2), Flanker Sajith Saranga (1), Flanker Buddhika Talagampola (1) and Centre Dinesh Kumara (1), Scrum half Roshan Weeraratne (1) and Flanker Arvinda Udangamuwa (1) Fullback Saliya Kumara goalled 7 tries and Fazil Mariya added the extra points to 3 tries.

The winners tally would have been more, had they taken some of the try conversion especially in the second half. For Kandy SC veterans, winger Sameera Silva scored an unconverted try while the drop goal was executed by fullback Nalaka Weerakoddy.

Aruna Rankothge referee.

Chairman Rugby, Kandy Sports Club-Lasantha Wijesuriya speaking to the media after the match said that this was a good experience for the Kandy SC ruggerites and the large number of spectators who were present had their money's worth.

The veterans team, though some of them catching up in age, put up a fine display and it was the speed and power-play by Kandy's ruggerites which resulted in a glut of tries.