Navy stave off fierce challenge from CR to win by 30-26
By Sajeewa Jayakody
Defending champions Navy Sports Club staved off a fierce challenge
from the youthful CR and FC outfit to emerge victorious by 30 points
(three goals, three penalties) to 26 (one goal, two tries, three
penalties) in their Dialog ‘A’ Division League rugby match played at
Welisara yesterday after leading 16-9 at the ‘breather’.
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A Navy player makes a powerful run with a CR defender moving
across to tackle him in their Dialog A Division League rugby
match played at Welisara yesterday which Navy won 30-26.
Pix Susantha Wijegunasekara |
Thus the Sailors maintained their unbeaten record as they withstood a
late rally by the gallant Red Shirts.
The Sailors surged into the lead in the 12th minute, through a
45-metre penalty by fullback Reza Mubarak, who then made it six-nil by
firing across a 40-metre penalty.
Then the homesters increased their lead number Eight Fuapau Halafihi
made a break slung out a pass to winger Dinusha Fernando who dashed
through 40-metres and ran round to score under the posts to give Mubarak
an easy kick at goal and Navy led 13-0.
The Red Shirts reduced the lead when Kanchana Ramanayake put over a
40-metre penalty.
Navy went ahead further when Mubarak made no mistake with a 25-metre
penalty to make it 16-3.
Then CR’s Kanchana Ramanayake fired across a 35-metre penalty in the
34th minute and followed it up with a superb 45-metre penalty to make it
16-9 at ‘lemons’.
In the eighth minute after resumption, Navy’s Fijian centre Setefano
Cakaunivalu sliced through the CR defence for 40 metres to touch down
under the posts and Mubarak added the extra points.
Ten minutes later, Navy’s Sathya Ranatunga scored off a rolling maul
and Reza Mubarak made no mistake with the conversion and Navy was
sitting pretty with the score reading 30-9.
Then came CR’s fight back. Their New Zealand Number Eight Puppy
Farrel scored off a rolling maul near the left corner flag Rochana
Hettiarachchi failed with the conversion.
Four minutes later, another move by Number Eight Puppy Farrel ended
with fullback Rochana Hettiarachchi putting the finishing touches by
scoring an unconverted try and the score read 30-19.
In the dying stages of the game, CR’s centre Robbie Malneek scored
near the posts and Hettiarachchi made the conversion to make it 30-26.
CR and FC tried hard to penetrate the Navy defence but the Sailors
defence stood firm and ran out winners by 30-26.
Referee: Eduardo Martin
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