RACECOURSE GROUNDS, Colombo: (ePRESS) – Kandy Sports Club, the leaders of the MasterCard ‘A’ Division League Rugby Tournament, fought off a late challenge from CH and FC to win their Week 3 match 39-28, maintaining their unbeaten record. The match, held at the Racecourse Grounds in Colombo, saw Kandy take a commanding 24-7 lead into halftime, before the Gymkhana Club came alive in the second half with a strong response.
In a highly competitive encounter, Kandy’s three goals, three tries, and one penalty secured them 39 points, while CH and FC’s four goals earned them 28 points. Despite a dominant first half performance by Kandy, where they outscored their opponents 24-7, the second half was much closer. CH scored 21 points; outpacing Kandy’s 15 in a thrilling final 40 minutes.
The game kicked off with a strong start by CH and FC, who were quick to establish control. Their opening try came in the 10th minute after winning a lineout in the Kandy forwards and powering through. Hooker Pulasthi Dassanayake crashed over the line, and Janith Chandimal’s successful conversion put CH in the lead, 7-0.
But Kandy was quick to respond. Just three minutes later, winger Dinal Ekanayake dotted down for an unconverted try after a misjudged clearance by CH’s Chandimal. The score narrowed to 7-5 in favour of the Gymkhana Club.
Kandy’s attack was clinical, with tries coming in quick succession. In the 15th minute, Nigel Ratwatte scored the first of his two tries, followed by an impressive conversion from the tournament’s leading scorer, Tarinda Ratwatte, to put Kandy ahead, 12-7.
A powerful display from the Hill Capital Club’s backs continued. After a period of sustained pressure, the team scored three consecutive tries, with Ekanayake scoring his second in the 20th minute, and Sooriyabandara completing the third. Kandy’s brilliant teamwork, particularly in the backline, gave them a solid 24-7 advantage at the half-time whistle.
Kandy showed their class right after the break, when Tarinda Ratwatte slotted a penalty goal to increase the lead to 27-7 in the 44th minute. Just five minutes later, hooker Wajid Fawmy capitalized on a well-executed maul to score Kandy’s fifth try, extending the lead further to 32-7.
However, Kandy’s momentum took a brief hit when Tharindu Chathuranga was sin-binned in the 54th minute. Despite this, Kandy’s defence held firm, preventing CH from capitalizing fully on the advantage.
CH and FC came storming back with two quick tries. The first came in the 55th minute when lock forward Nirosh Perera barged over the line, and Chandimal’s conversion reduced the gap to 32-14.
Kandy continued to rotate their bench, bringing on Kingswood College’s Asiri Seneviratne for Heshan Jansen in the 62nd minute. The move paid off soon after when Kandy scored again through Kavindu Perera, who finished a brilliant pass from Shahid Zumry. Tarinda Ratwatte converted, restoring Kandy’s advantage to 39-14 in the 66th minute.
Despite the deficit, CH and FC did not give up. In the 72nd minute, they scored their fourth try of the match, with Chandimal once again evading several tacklers to score in the corner. His successful conversion closed the gap to 39-21.
With time running out, CH’s Sanushka Abeywickrama was yellow-carded in the 78th minute for a knock-on, further diminishing their chances. However, in a fitting conclusion to the match, fly-half Thanuja Dilshan powered through the Kandy defence and scored under the posts. Chandimal’s conversion brought the final score to 39-28, but it was not enough to overturn Kandy’s lead.
The match ended with Kandy maintaining their unbeaten record, having outscored CH and FC by 39 points to 28. Although Kandy led for most of the game, the second-half resurgence from CH demonstrated their resilience and fighting spirit.
Kandy’s dominant first-half performance, combined with key moments from their star players, including Nigel Ratwatte, Tarinda Ratwatte, and Srinath Sooriyabandara, helped them secure the win. Despite the spirited comeback from CH and FC, Kandy’s clinical attack and solid defence were enough to see them through to victory.
Referee: Ishanka Abeykoon.
