Kandy Sports Club claimed a dominant 39-28 victory over CH & FC in their third-week fixture of the Mastercard Inter-Club ‘A’ Division Rugby League 2024/25, held at the Racecourse Stadium.
In the final game of Week Three, Kandy Sports Club visited Colombo for the first time this season to face a confident CH & FC side, fresh off a win last week. CH began strongly, controlling the opening exchanges and scoring early through hooker Pulasthi Dasanayake, who powered over from a rolling maul. Janith Chandimal’s conversion gave the home side an early lead. (CH 07 – 00 Kandy)
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Kandy wasted no time responding, capitalizing on a critical error from CH. Thilina Bandara charged down Chandimal’s clearance kick, gathered the loose ball, and delivered a precise pass to Dinal Ekanayake, who finished with a well-timed dive over the line to put Kandy back in contention. (CH 07 – 05 Kandy)
Kandy sustained their momentum, taking advantage of CH’s misstep. Heshan Jansen’s clearance kick caused confusion in the CH defense, leading to a fumble. Jansen reacted swiftly, gathering the loose ball and charging into a disorganized CH defensive line. A few quick, precise phases later, the ball found playmaker Nigel Ratwatte, who crossed the line effortlessly. Tharinda Ratwatte added the conversion, extending Kandy’s lead. (CH 07 – 12 Kandy)
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Kandy maintained their high-tempo play, relentlessly pressuring CH’s defense, which struggled to cope and continued conceding penalties. Capitalizing on a penalty advantage, Heshan Jansen cleverly spotted space behind the CH defensive line. He expertly chipped the ball over, giving Dinal Ekanayake the perfect chance to chase it down. Ekanayake raced past the defenders, gathered the ball effortlessly, and scored his second try of the game. (CH 07 – 17 Kandy)
CH mounted brief resistance, but the speed and precision of Kandy’s backs quickly proved overwhelming. A quick ruck ball from Heshan Jansen set up a series of slick, fast passes, creating the perfect opportunity for skipper Srinath Sooriyabandara to dive over for the bonus-point try. Tharinda Ratwatte added the conversion, further extending Kandy’s lead as they headed into halftime.
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Half Time: CH & FC 07 (1T, 1C) – Kandy SC 24 (4T, 2C)
Kandy picked up in the second half right where they left off, as CH continued to concede penalties. Tharinda Ratwatte added three more points with a well-struck penalty, extending their lead to a commanding 20 points. A few minutes later, Kandy scored another try from a five-meter scrum, with their forwards overpowering the CH pack. No. 8 Wajid Fawmy capped off the dominant effort by powering over the line following a strong carry from the back of the scrum. (CH 07 – 32 Kandy)
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The game slowed momentarily as CH controlled possession, stringing together a few phases and testing Kandy’s resolute defense. Their persistence paid off when Nirosh Perera crashed over from close range after a series of powerful carries, with Janith Chandimal adding the conversion to narrow the gap. (CH 14 – 32 Kandy)
Kandy quickly responded with a trademark play, featuring swift ball movement and a back-of-the-hand pass from Shahid Zumri, which created space for Kavindu Perera to score in the corner. Tharinda Ratwatte converted from a tough angle, restoring Kandy’s commanding lead. CH replied with a well-executed series of pick-and-go phases, drawing in Kandy’s defense. Dinesh De Silva delivered a long cut-out pass to Janith Chandimal, who finished with a well-taken try. Chandimal then converted his own score, narrowing the gap. (CH 21 – 39 Kandy)
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In the final moments, CH scored a consolation try after a series of powerful forward carries. Scrum-half Thanuja Dilshan spotted a gap and darted over to score under the posts, with Chandimal adding the conversion. However, it was too late, as Kandy sealed their third consecutive victory in dominant fashion.
Full Time: CH & FC 28 (4T,4C) – Kandy SC 39 (6T,3C,1P)
Player of the Match: Thilina Bandara (Kandy SC)
Points Breakdown
CH & FC 28
Pulasthi Dasanayake 1T, Nirosh Perera 1T, Thanuja Dilshan 1T, Janith Chandimal 1T,4C
Kandy SC 39
Dinal Ekanayake 2T, Nigel Ratwatte 1T, Srinath Sooriyabandara 1T, Wajid Fawmy 1T, Kavindu Perera 1T , Tharinda Ratwatte 3C,1P
