Kandy Sports Club reclaimed their lost title with a game to spare, securing a commanding 39-20 victory over CR & FC in the Mastercard Inter-Club ‘A’ Division Rugby League 2024/25 Cup Segment clash at Nittawela.
Kandy SC Reclaims League Title with Dominant Win Over CR & FC
>>CH & FC Crush Army, On the Brink of Plate Glory<<
The home team was determined to exact revenge by defeating the Longdon Place side and reclaiming the league title they had lost to the same opponent last season. They started with intent, capitalizing on CR’s sloppy defense early on. A quick pass from Nigel Ratwatte off a ruck near the halfway mark found lock forward Chathura Soysa, who sprinted past the CR defense untouched to score the first try. Tharinda Ratwatte made no mistake with the conversion, giving Kandy an early lead.
>>Downpour Cuts Short CR & FC-Havelocks Clash<<
(Kandy 07-00 CR)
Kandy kept up the pressure, opting for a lineout from a kickable penalty. Their forwards executed the rolling maul to perfection, driving deep into CR territory before hooker Dilshan Fareed powered over in the corner. After the try, both kickers traded penalties—Mursheed Doray got CR on the scoreboard, while Tharinda Ratwatte responded for Kandy. However, Kandy suffered a setback when Malitha Wijesundara was shown a yellow card, temporarily reducing them to 14 men.
>>Relentless Kandy Outmuscle Air Force<<
(Kandy 15-03 CR)
CR stuck to their strategy of taking points from penalties, with Doray slotting another three-pointer. But Kandy responded immediately from the restart, as Nigel Ratwatte’s deep kick caused confusion in the CR ranks. Scrum-half Chathuranga Perera misjudged the bounce, and with no one able to collect it, Dinal Ekanayake chased down the loose ball and touched down, dealing another blow to CR’s defense. Tharinda Ratwatte added the conversion to extend Kandy’s lead.
>>Police Display Attacking Flair and Defensive Grit to Overcome CH & FC<<
(Kandy 22-06 CR)
In the dying moments of the first half, CR finally built some momentum through their forwards. A well-structured rolling maul gained them valuable meters and forced repeated penalties from Kandy. Eventually, Omalka Gunaratne burrowed over from close range, capping off a strong maul effort. Mursheed Doray added the extras with a well-taken conversion, keeping CR in the contest heading into halftime.
Halftime: Kandy SC 22 (3T, 2C, 1P) – CR & FC 13 (1T, 1C, 2P)
The hosts started the second half strongly, adding an easy penalty through Tharinda Ratwatte to extend their lead. However, the visitors stuck to their tried-and-tested rolling maul strategy. After earning a penalty, they kicked to the corner and set up a powerful drive. Venura Kodagoda broke away from the maul but was stopped inches short of the try line. Quick thinking from Omalka Gunaratne saw him collect the ball from the ruck and power over for his second try of the game. Mursheed Doray continued his fine kicking form, slotting the conversion to cut the deficit to just five points.
(Kandy 25-20 CR)
For the next ten minutes, CR managed to keep Kandy at bay, but their momentum was disrupted when prop Senura Perera was shown a yellow card for a high tackle. With the man advantage, Kandy kicked to the corner and attempted a rolling maul, which was initially halted by CR’s defense. However, the hosts maintained possession and patiently worked through pick-and-drive phases before replacement hooker Kenula Hettiarachchi crashed over for Kandy’s bonus-point try—securing both the win and the league title in the process. Ratwatte added the conversion, further increasing their lead.
(Kandy 32-20 CR)
Kandy put the icing on the cake with a brilliantly executed move from a 10-meter scrum. Replacement No. 8 Wajid Fawmy broke away on the short side and linked up with Heshan Jansen, who in turn set up Dinal Ekanayake for his second try in the corner. Tharinda Ratwatte capped off a flawless kicking performance with another successful conversion, sealing a dominant victory as Kandy Sports Club reclaimed the league title with one game to spare.
Full Time: Kandy SC 39 (5T.4C,2P) – CR & FC 20 (2T,2C,2P)
Swisstek Player of the Match: Heshan Jansen (Kandy SC)
Points Breakdown
Kandy SC 32
Dinal Ekanayake 2T, Chathura Soysa 1T, Dilshan Fareed 1T, Kenula Hettiarachchi 1T, Tharinda Ratwatte 4C,2P
CR & FC 10
Omalka Gunaratna 2T, Mursheed Doray 2C,2P
