Navy's first half rally helps sink CR&FC
Navy turned in a fine performance in the first half during which time they gained a 27- 8 lead and at the end of the game they led 44- 20 over CR& FC in a second round Dialog Inter- Club A Division rugby game at the CR& FC ground, Longdon Place yesterday. Navy's 44 points was made of 7 tries, 3 goals and a penalty while CR's points came off three tries, one goal and a penalty.
Navy's first half blitz saw them scoring at regular intervals. Flanker Sharo Fernando scored first when he blazed through to score by the corner flag. Full back Nuwan Hettiarachchi converted to put the Sailors ahead at 7- 0. In the eleventh minute fly- half Chanaka Chandimal scored an unconcerted try to put the Navy ahead at 12- 0. In the next minute Navy went further ahead when Hattiarachchi put over a penalty to make it 15- 0 in favour of the Navy.
Navy kept up the pressure and Chanaka Chandimal touched down next to give them a 20-0 lead. This try was unconverted. Navy kept on attacking and No.8 Navari Eramsi, the Fijian turning out for the Sailors, scored next, enabling Hettiarachchi to convert it. Navy led 27-0 at this stage.
CR woke up from the slumber they were in when flanker Sasanka Ariyaratne scored in the 28th minute and Kanchana Ramanayake was off target with the conversion. Six minutes later CR's centre Kanchana put over an easy penalty enabling Navy to lead 27-8 at the breather.
Referee Nizam Jamaldeen was extremely strict after there start sin- binning four Navy players in the course of play. Navy scored five points in the 49th minute of the second session with centre Naikasau Leo scoring an unconverted try to put them ahead at 328. Then in the 55th minute Navy's Sathya Ranathunga was shown a yellow card and CR scored soon after through flanker Sasanka and Kanchana was on target with the coversion. Navy- 32. CR-15.
Fighting with all their might CR scored an unconverted try next through Shameer Fajudeen. Navy- 32, CR- 20. In the dying moments of the game scrum half Srinath Sooriyabandara, playing after an injury, made a dash covering nearly 45 meters to seal the issue beyond doubt at 37-20.
Just before the long whistle Navy skipper Sajith Saranga touched down, which was converted by Thilina Weerasinghe to put the final tally in favour of the Sailors at 44-20.