Dialog Rugby League week 3: Competition cut wide open

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Yet another brilliant week of rugby was put out by the clubs with the Dialog Rugby League heightened and underdogs giving the top teams a scare.

Both CR & FC and CH & FC held their own against champions Navy and revived-force Army notched up two great performances while Kandy snuck in a last minute try to usurp a good Havies performance in Nittawela. 

Navy v CR&FC

The Sailors are the only team still unbeaten after round three of Dialog Club Rugby season 2014/15. Keeping in mind that they are the defending champions, at times it seemed like they were taking the oppositions easy.  Nevertheless, they did play like champions in the first half and up to the 60th minute where they led 16 – 09 and increased the lead in to 30 – 09 by the third quarter of play. In the last quarter. the body language displayed a lack of strength and fitness to carry forward as a result CR&FC managed to score three tries. This is something to worry for coach Leonard De Zilva, especially when they take on Kandy this weekend. 

In addition to that, Robbie Malneek the Tasman Makos full back who came in to the field in the second half for CR was simply astonishing. He made two tries with his twinkle- toes, stepping four defenders and is a million dollar asset for CR without doubt. CR played with a running game, not kicking even in their own 22m. This is fresh off the All Blacks manual and also Imthi Marikkar mentioned before the league that their plan was to play running rugby.

 

Kanchana Ramanayake CR centre played a gem of a game with his kicking boots making 3 good penalties and a conversion. Shanaka Kumara the regular kicker and also the highest points scorer for CR thus far, is out injured and Ramanayake fitted the boots well enough. Some decision making in the first half didn’t go well for the visitors 1)as in the above graphic -in the 10th minute of the game Kanchana had three players out wide he just had to draw and pass instead he kicked which did not find touch as a result Rizah Mubarak collected and made a thumping 60m kick. 2) They had two kickable penalties one was missed by the centre Billy Ropiha and the other one was taken to touch instead kicking at goal in the first half. 

Fijian 7s legend Setefano Cakau who is back with Navy team also started well in this new season. Cakau scored two tries in the finals of the IRB (Gold Coast) 7’s last month where Fiji beat Samoa. Srinath Sooriyabandara (Soori) won the ball from a break down and he was well supported by Cakau where Soori didn’t even have to turn to pass but knew he had support. An interesting capture was that 5’2 Dilan Zoysa the little scrum half of CR&FC showed no fear and made two brilliant tackles on 6’1 Cakou. 

Navy already showed great strength in their lineout but it was not Achala Perera’s day as he found two throws one not straight and one stolen by the visitors. Navy 1- 7 is pretty much the Tuskers starting lineup, so the margin for error is so little and this needs to be sorted out sooner rather later. Rizah Mubarak on the other hand yet again produced a 100% kicking record in this game with 3 penalties and 3 conversions and also made some good territorial kicks on play.

Talking Points : Robbie Malneek – Navy lineouts scrappy – Rizah Mubarak / Cakau’s return

Kandy v Havelock’s

You can never underestimate playing Kandy in Kandy until the final whistle and with the urging of the most fervent  rugby loving fraternity in the island. Havelock’s going into the lemons after leading 17 – 03, would have hoped on winning, but the decision making in the dying stages was poor and they had to suffer the loss as a result. 

Future prospect for Tuskers No10 shirt Dulaj Perera had done his homework after the disappointing match against CR&FC in week 2. Kandy did not come with a plan to oppose Sandun Herath and Mithun Hapugoda running between the lineout and 5m mark, as both Lavanga Perera and Anurudda Wilwara know their counter parts only too well having been team mates in the national side.  Nevertheless, it was the Havies wingers who won the first half as Sandun reading Crocker’s pass well, intercepted to go under the post and Mithun crossed over for the second try collecting Dulaj Perera’s pass. 

Havelock’s lineouts and scrums have been terrible and this is something Coach Glen Christini needs to look at. Shehan Pathirana and captain Muthuthantri were brilliant once again both in attack and defense. In the last quarter of the game the Havelock’s defense left so much space which allowed Kandy to run at. Kandy on the other hand was not quite up to the standards of rugby that they usually play, still struggling to get the perfect starting lineup and combinations. Perhaps this must be a tactic used by Johan Taylor but there was no major improvement in contrast with the last game where they lost to Army after 11 years.

Last week we mentioned about Wilwara not getting the ball as much as Kandy wanted, Well, did he not prove it by scoring the last gasp try; he was the savior of the weekend for Kandy. He is immensely talented and he knows how to score tries. Despite Kenyan 7s star Oscar Ouma scoring two tries for Kandy, the question to be asked is, is he the right utility player as he moves from pack to play as a Centre.? The answer for that will hopefully  be witnessed this weekend when Kandy plays with defending champs at Welisara.

Talking Points :  Wilwara the Savior – Havelock’s set piece (-)/Dulaj Perera (+) – Oscar Ouma

CH & FC v Army

The Maitland Crescent club will be playing most of their home games at the Royal Complex. Army just had to Pole Vault from their home ground Race Course to visit the CH. After a great win against Kandy everyone would expect this to be a one-sided game as CH&FC are the clear underdogs after finishing bottom in the last season.

Ramuwai Sanivalati the Army centre read the game perfectly as he scored by an intercept try and scored his second try from a break down. It was Rimzie Jamaldeen who scored all the 15 points from his boots for the hosts. Gayan Rathnage provided with some effortless breaks from the scrum and the speedster Eranda Ranaweera was astounding with his run for CH. 

It was very much a physical battle between these two teams but with the rain coming down in the second half, the intensity slowed-up and both teams made a mess with handling the wet ball. Referee not allowing a try for the hosts is a much spoken controversy; however, the red stripes still had a chance with a penalty from a different angle where Jamaldeen couldn’t make it. Nonetheless, CH has showed a potential young outfit, which can make this league unpredictable after this performance. 

The Soldiers on the other hand must have taken notes from this match and will surely come with a better performance against the airmen in the next outing. Fijian Legend Pio Tuwai was well marked and he did not get much room to run with the ball, but Prince Chamara continued his kicking form which is a positive thing for Army. 

Talking points : Ramuwai Sanivalati  – Disallowed try for CH – Rimzie Jamaldeen

Police v Sharks

Police recorded their first win of the league against probably the youngest and most inexperienced outfit, the Hambanthota Sharks. After playing 24 minutes on Friday this game had to stop due to heavy showers and lightning over the Police Park. It was started from where it left-off on the next day and the hosts capitalized on the errors made by the visitors.

Apisai Nagaliva the Police centre who has already made a big impact in the season, once again provided his services where Police benefitted. His opposite number was none other than his fellow countrymen Waqawulagi Emori and Joseph Dunn both who represented the Tuskers. Heshan Gomes Police captain controlled the game smoothly providing some good passes to Samantha Lakshan. Amjad Buksh the veteran scrum half could not turn some penalties in to points on that day for the Sharks.