Reds silence Nittawela

CR & FC scrum-half Harsha Maduranga held by Kandy SC’s Akash Madushanka with support coming for the Reds from Enesi Waqanisau

Kandy SC Centre Akash Madushanka on an attacking move (Pix by Shane Senevirathne) 

By Shamseer Jaleel

Defending champions Kandy Sports Club suffered their first defeat of the Inter-Club League season as CR & FC rose to the occasion with a composed and resilient performance to record a 25-point (3 tries, 2 conversions, 2 penalties) to 20-point (2 tries, 1 penalty try, 1 penalty) victory at a packed Nittawela Rugby Stadium last evening.
At the short breather, Reds led 17-13.
The result brought an end to Kandy SC’s unbeaten run and ensured that, with this outcome, none of the nine teams remain unbeaten in the league. CR handled pressure superbly to secure a rare and valuable away win in the Central Hills.
For CR, skipper Lasindu Karunathilake, Thenuka Nanayakkara and Mursheed Doray were outstanding, while for the home team it was Dilshan Fareed, Akash Madushanka and Dinal Ekanayake who were omnipresent.
Playing in heavy rain before a vocal home crowd, CR settled quickly and showed greater composure. Nanayakkara opened the scoring early with a penalty and later converted a try by Fijian No. 8, Enesi Waqanisau, giving the visitors a 10–0 advantage. Kandy responded through tries by Fareed and Ekanayake, but missed conversions proved costly, an issue that would continue to haunt the champions.
Kandy’s kicking woes persisted throughout the match, limiting their ability to control territory and build sustained pressure. CR capitalised after the turnaround when Chatura Seneviratne slotted a long-range penalty before Naveen Marasinghe finished off a powerful forwards’ drive to extend the Reds’ lead.
Kandy fought back gamely and were awarded a penalty try following repeated infringements at a maul, narrowing the deficit to five points. However, handling errors at crucial moments and disciplined defence from CR denied the hosts a late comeback, despite several promising opportunities.
The victory underlined CR & FC’s growing confidence and marked their most complete performance of the season, firmly establishing them as serious title contenders. For Kandy SC, the defeat exposed ongoing inconsistencies, particularly in goal-kicking, that will need urgent attention.
Referee: Raveen Alexander
Kandy SC will play all its second-round games in Colombo if CH & FC ends in the top 4.