Kandy trounce Police

70-7 to win Clifford Cup:

by S.M. Jiffrey Abdeen

In an amazing Cup final rugby encounter, Kandy Sports Club romped home by a margin of 70 points (six goals, seven tries) to 7 (a goal) to beat Police Sports Club in their Clifford Cup final knock out rugby encounter played at Nittawela, Kandy yesterday.

The fancied Kandy SC won the coveted Clifford Cup for the 19th occasion as they gave a pulsating display of rugby to keep the home crowd jubilant. The winners led 45-7 at 'lemons'. The win may be some sort of a world record for a 'Cup' final as the Policemen although fielding two Fijians players in their ranks gave a pathetic display playing like a bunch of schoolboys who were clueless when to attack and defence as their pattern of play was in total disarray.

On the other hand Kandy SC gave a splendid display in attack and defence to completely rattle the lawenforcement officers. The up country club gave a fine display and furious rugby after many years. With this win Kandy took the grand double by winning the League and the Knockout after four years.

Flanker Marcel Groen Wald opened scoring for the winners with a hat-trick of tries and scored one more to make it four for the match. Marcel's robust style of play made the Kandy team stronger even without their South African player Christopher Cloete who has gone back to his native land.

When the game was barely four minute, sold flanker Marcel Groen Wald opened scoring with a sequence of sidestepping and Roshan Weeraratne gave them the extra points.

He was in fine form scoring in rapid succession to complete a rare Cup final hat-trick. Weeraratne made no mistakes with the conversions and Kandy was cruising 21-0 towards a big score.

Police reduced the deficit when centre Apisai Naqaliva scored the solitary try for Police which Rimzi Jamaldeen added the extra points.

Aruna Rankothge refereed.