Dave Anand star for CR

RUGBY: A masterful exhibition of place-kicking by stand-off Dave Anand (12 points) and tireless loose-play by number eight Dushanth Lewke and lock forward Ishan Noor steered table-leaders CR & FC to a sound 32-10 win over Navy SC in their Caltex League Inter-Club Rugby match ended at Longden Place, yesterday.

Fly-half Anand was a revelation for the red shirts as he executed a peach of a drop goal to set the ball rolling for his team and ended up converting three tries and firing a penalty goal as well.

Both Lewke and Noor (playing his first-year in club rugby) stood out from the CR forward pack as they rattled the Sailors in the set-pieces setting the platform for the outside back to punch gaping holes in the defence.

The winners scored from three converted tries, a try, a penalty goal and a drop goal to which the sailors replied with a converted try and a penalty goal.

Navy SC struggled for fluency throughout but with the entry of replacement number eight and eldest son of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Namal, they managed to hold their own after the turn around.

It was Navy SC who first scored when right-wing Nuwan Hettiarachchi kicked a 40-metre penalty in the seventh minute before CR & FC hit back five minutes later when Anand fired a field goal 40 metres out to tie the scores 3-all.

The home-side took control for the rest of the first-half when in the 20th minute scrum half Srinath Sooriyabandara crossed over after a close-range scrum and the ensuing blind side break.

With Anand adding the extras CR led 10-3 before the outside had made it 13-3 with a superb 40 metres penalty in the 29th minute. After the interval, CR & FC grabbed three more tries before Navy SC also managed to touch-down once through the individual brilliance of Namal Rajapaksa.

For the red shirts right wing Nuwan Chamara scored in the 46th minute while left-wing M. Jabbar scored a wonderful try running over 50 metres in the 54th minute after a cut out pass from centre Chamara Vithanage.

Three minutes from full-time prop Terrence Henry also had a touch down while moving to the backline, as Deve Anand converted two of those tries.

For the Sailors Namal Rajapaksa got into the score sheet in the 64th minute after he broke off from a line out and the resultant forwards rush. It was converted by substitute fly half Samantha Lakshan.

Refree: Nizam Jamaldeen. (JK)