Police SC recorded their 1st win of the season when they trounced Hambanthota Sharks by 20-08 points in their Dialog Rugby League 2014/15 week 3 encounter which was played at Police Park on Friday and Saturday due to unavoidable circumstances.
The match was stopped due to lightning on Friday evening at the 24-minute mark when the hosts were leading the game 10-05 points and the officials rescheduled the game for Saturday. As per the rules and regulations, the match was recommenced from the same place where it ended.
Both teams took the field without any wins under their belts. Earlier on Friday, Police center Apisai Naqaliva kicked-off the game under heavy clouds which were hovering over the ground. Police SC got their act together from the 1st min itself as the visitors conceded a penalty with their defensive line being offside. Samantha Lakshan fired across a 30-meter penalty kick. (Police 03 – Sharks 00)
The Sharks center Emori Waqavulangi gave them the leader’s baton of the game when he collected a loose Police ball and dashed to the try line with a 50-meter sprint to score the first try of the match in the 5th minute of the match. Amjad Buksh missed the conversion.
(Police 03 – Sharks 05)
After 15 minutes of slow-stop rugby, Police SC got to the lead once again through their foreign recruit and their number 8 Filimoni Seru who took a quick-tap from the 5-meter line to barge over for a try. Samantha Lakshan made no mistake with the conversion. (Police 10 – Sharks 05)
As the rain started to get pretty heavy with 20 minutes done and dusted, Police SC got a regulation penalty kick which was missed Samantha Lakshan. The amount of knock-ons slowed down the pace of the game as the Policemen held the edge and referee Dinka Peiris halted the game due to lightening in addition to completely soggy conditions.
The game got underway on Saturday evening once again with a 5-meter scrum down deep inside the Sharks territory. Bright and sunny conditions ensured both teams got the perfect opportunity to play a good game of running rugby.
Both teams took time to settle down with only 16 minutes left on the clock and in the 32-minute in the game clock, Joseph Dunn of Hambanthota Sharks was yellow-carded for a dangerous tackle but the first blood on the new day was taken by the visitors as Amjad Buksh bisected the posts with an easy 25-meter penalty kick after the hosts were infringed for hands in the ruck. (Police 10 – Sharks 08)
Just before the half-time whistle, Police extended their lead to 5 points through Samantha Lakshan’s boot after he kicked his 2nd penalty kick of the match.
Half Time: Police SC 13 (1T,1C, 2P) – Hambanthota Sharks 08 (1T, 1P)
After the lemons, Sharks fly-half Priyantha Ekanayake got the game underway. Police SC’s trump card and their try-scoring machine, Apisai Naqaliva collected the ball from a ruck and rushed away to the try line in the 1st minute of the 2nd half. Samantha Lakshan converted with ease. (Police 20 – Sharks 08)
Sharks misery of giving away unnecessary penalties continued to torment their chances of a comeback but both teams were guilty of playing poor rugby with many unforced errors.
In the 48th minute of the game, Amjad Buksh failed to bisect the uprights after the Sharks were given a penalty due to the offside play by the Policemen. At the end of the 3rd quarter of the game, Sharks received yet another penalty after the Police prop-forward Randira Silva was sin-binned for continuous foul-play but Amjad Buksh again disappointed his team with his place-kicking.
The Sharks had a young side and they showcased their poor decision-making which resulted in the turnover of the ball in the breakdowns. They tried their very best to find a point scoring opportunity as the game progressed into the final few minutes with the Policemen still ahead by 12 points but they failed to cross the line as the strong defense strategies by the hosts prevailed. The match was not a crowd pleaser and both teams will have to work on their set-plays and many more aspects of the game if they are to trouble the big clubs in the season ahead.
Full Time: Police SC 20 (2T,2C, 2P) – Hambanthota Sharks 08 (1T, 1P)
Referee – Dinka Peiris
ThePapare.com Player of the Match – Hashan Gomes (Police scrum-half)
After the game, Police SC head coach, Australian Douglas Bursill gave his thoughts exclusively to www.thepapare.com on the game, “ Good to have our first win and there will be more and more wins. We need to work on our fitness but I thought our guys played according to the phases and patterns. “
