The unbeaten Kandy Sports Club kicked off their Cup Segment campaign in style with a dominant 50-17 victory over Air Force Sports Club in the Mastercard Inter-Club ‘A’ Division Rugby League 2024, played at the Air Force Grounds in Ratmalana.
The unbeaten Kandy Sports Club traveled to Colombo for their final league match, facing a challenging Air Force outfit.
It was the hosts who struck first, as their forwards strung together a few patient phases of pick-and-drives before No. 8 Shashika Fernando found a gap in Kandy’s defense to sneak through and score for the Airmen. (Air Force 05-00 Kandy)
Kandy slowly grew into the game and won a penalty for a breakdown infringement. They opted for a kick, with Tharinda Ratwatte slotting it through to cut the deficit to just two points. With rainy conditions making handling difficult, Kandy’s forwards took charge, applying relentless pressure through continuous phases. After drawing in multiple defenders, they finally spread the ball wide, where Tharinda Ratwatte found space. Just before losing his footing, he managed to offload to his center partner, Dhanushka Ranjan, who crossed over for Kandy’s first try. Ratwatte added the conversion, extending their lead. (Air Force 05-10 Kandy)
Kandy began to build momentum, and their forwards were rewarded for their dominance. A massive push at a five-meter scrum resulted in a turnover, allowing No. 8 Dahan Wickramarachchi to pick up the ball and power his way over the whitewash for Kandy’s second try. Ratwatte made no mistake with the conversion. (Air Force 05-17 Kandy)
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Air Force struggled to contain Kandy’s onslaught, and their woes continued when they fumbled a loose ball. Chathura Soysa reacted quickly, kicking it ahead to take play deep into the Airmen’s 22-meter zone. Air Force conceded a penalty for holding on, and before they could reset, Nigel Ratwatte took a quick tap and executed a pinpoint cross-kick. Dilan Ekanayake collected the ball effortlessly and touched down, with Ratwatte converting yet again. (Air Force 05-24 Kandy)
Kandy pressed on just before halftime, quickly spreading the ball wide. Tight head prop Milan Weerasinghe then produced a stunning back-of-the-hand pass to Dahan Wickramarachchi, who brushed past multiple defenders to score his second try of the game. Ratwatte continued his flawless kicking display, landing his fourth conversion to cap off a dominant first half for Kandy.
Half Time: Air Force SC 05 (1T) – Kandy SC 31 (4T,4C,1P)
The hosts flew out of the blocks in the second half, earning an early penalty and opting to kick for the corner to set up an attacking lineout. From there onwards, Shamika Kaushan burrowed over for the Airmen after a powerful driving maul, with Gayantha Iddamalgoda adding the extras. (Air Force 12-31 Kandy)
Despite conceding early, Kandy stuck to their game plan and piled on the pressure. Nigel Ratwatte once again showcased his precision, delivering a pinpoint pass deep inside the Air Force 22 to Thilina Bandara, who burst through a massive gap before fending off the final defender to score under the posts. Ratwatte converted with ease. Just minutes later, Bandara made his presence felt again, charging down a clearance kick from Ishara Madushan before collecting the loose ball to touch down for his second try. (Air Force 12-43 Kandy)
Kandy ran away with the game as Shahid Zumri made a blistering break from halfway, drawing in multiple defenders before executing a brilliant back-of-the-hand pass to Tharinda Ratwatte. Ratwatte then sent replacement winger Diluksha Dange dashing over in the corner, before stepping up to nail a difficult conversion from the touchline. (Air Force 12-50 Kandy)
Air Force’s forwards regained some control after Kandy’s onslaught, stringing together multiple pick-and-drive phases to gain valuable meters. Their persistence paid off when Shashika Fernando shrugged off several defenders to power over for his second try of the match. (Air Force 17-50 Kandy)
The Airmen made a last-ditch effort in the dying moments to secure a bonus point, but Kandy’s defence held firm. Maintaining their unbeaten run, Kandy comfortably clinched the game with ease.
Full Time: Air Force SC 17 (3T,1C) – Kandy SC 50 (7T,6C,1P)
Player of the Match: Thilina Bandara (Kandy SC)
Points Breakdown
Air Force SC 17
Shashika Fernando 2T, Shamika Kaushan 1T, Gayantha Iddamalgoda 1C
Kandy SC 50Danushka Ranjan 1T, Dahan Wickramarachchi 2T, Dinal Ekanayake 1T, Thilina Bandara 2T, Diluksha Dange 1T, Tharinda Ratwatte 6C, 1P
