Army run down best try but CR win easily

The Ceylonese Rugby and Football Club (CR and FC) registered their second win in the second round when they easily defeated Army by 45 points to 7 in their Caltex “A” division inter club league second round cup segment match at Longden Place last evening.The Red shirts collected their points from three tries, three goals, two penalties and a drop-goal while Army responded with only one try scored by winger Saliya Handapangoda and converted by Kapila Knowlton. Interestingly the Army try was the best of all scored in the match after their three-quarters made a spectacular back-line move from inside CR’s 30-metre line.

In the first half both sides shared possession but in the second half the home side totally dominated the game and scored 20 points.

CR drew first blood in the second minute of the game when scrum half Amjad Buksh collected the second phase ball and exploited a gap to send fly half Ashan de Costa to touch down.

Place kicker Senthil Kumara failed to add the extra points but put over a straight 40-metre and another 25-metre penalty.

A few minutes later centre Lasintha de Costa scored under the post for Kumara to convert.

But then came Army’s try by winger Handapangoda to be followed by CR’s Number Eight Navin Wijethunga touching down to lead the game 25-7 at half time.

After the break CR’s Senthil Kumara was sent into the Sin-bin by referee Orville Fernando for unruly play.

But CR however finished the second half scoring tries by winger Dinesh Kumar, second half replacement flanker Kasun de Silva and replacement scrum-half Suranga Pushpakumara while Kumara converted one try.

Ashan de Costa also executed a drop-goal.