CR see red at Longdon Place

By Shamseer Jaleel at Longdon Place

Kandy continued their dominance in the Inter Club Rugby Tournament 2024/25 when they inflicted CR & FC’s second defeat this season when they grounded the Longdon Place Club by 32 points (5 tries, 2 conversions, 1 penalty) to 10 points (1 try, 1 conversion, 1 penalty) at the CR & FC ground last evening.

At the short breather, Kandy led 15-7 in front of a packed and appreciative crowd.

CR dominated proceedings during the early stages of the game with some top-class play by Adeesha Weerathunga, Gemunu Chethiya, and Mursheed Doray. But once Kandy got on attacking ways, there was no stopping them. Danushka Ranjan, Srinarth Sooriyabandara, Tarinda Ratwatte, and Dahan Wickremarachchi were on top of their game.

CR scored first in the 6th minute of the game when Kandy failed to clear a high ball with no one calling for it, which ended in a try for Reds through Achintha Radeeshan. Doray was on target with the kick at goal. Kandy came back strong, with dashing centre Danushka leading the charge, crossing the try line for the Up Country lads.

After another 15 minutes, Ranjan was unstoppable with another try. Surprisingly, the ever reliable Tarinda missed the conversions, but there was time for one more try for Kavindu Perera before the short breather with a lightning pace on the right wing.

After the turnaround, Kandy continued to dominate with more tries from Dahan and Kavindu Perera scoring a try each. Both were converted by Tarinda, who also put over a penalty for the Kandy outfit.

CR & FC struggled to break through Kandy’s structured defence. However, it was not enough to counter Kandy’s relentless attack and superior game management. With this victory, Kandy SC not only secured a bonus point but also extended their lead in the standings. They now hold a 10-point advantage over CR & FC and maintain a comfortable five-point lead over their closest rivals, Havelock SC. The result solidifies their position as the top contender heading into the decisive Super Round, which is set to take place in two weeks.

Kandy’s form has been exemplary this season, and their ability to dominate high-stakes encounters shows their championship pedigree. As the tournament progresses, all eyes will be on Kandy SC to see if they can maintain their flawless record and clinch yet another title. CR & FC will need to regroup and come strong in round 2 while Havies are standing in between the trophy for the Up country lads.

Referee: Raveen Alexander 
In another encounter played at Ratmalana, Sri Lanka Police beat Sri Lions SC 28-10 in their last first-round encounter, which was worked off yesterday. At the short breather, Cops led 7-5.
Amjad Faumy (2), Akasha Madushanka, and Hafiz Thabeeth scored the tries for Police while Navin Kanishka (2), Shane Hopwood, and Hafiz Thabeeth converted one each. Meanwhile, the two tries of Sri Lions’ were scored by Chanaka Chandimal.

Referee: Aruna Shantha