A season opener for Kandy could not have turned out better with quite a few of the bench getting an airing against the foreigner- less Air Force in their Dialog Rugby clash today at Ratmalane.
The scored told the story with Kandy overwhelming their opposition 71-09 raining tries in what is an auspicious start of the hill country lands.
The second match of the Dialog Ruby League 2014/15 was kicked off sharp at 4.00 p.m at the picturesque Air Force grounds Ratmalana. The home lads kicked off the ball into the blue sky which was perfect conditions for an evening game of rugby.
With two knock forwards early in the game Kandy SC managed to turn over the ball in their favor just inside the first minute of the game. Executing the fundamentals without blunders, the visitors worked out the line passing swiftly across hands. Winger Anurudha Wilwara taking advantage of the lapses in defense touched down in the far left corner to draw first blood of the game. The Sri Lanka 7s hero continued his phenomenal start, to touch down his second leaving the defense trailing in his sight as he accelatered with pace like the wind and landed on the right side try line. Quitnon Crocker bisecting the uprights for both the tries provided the ideal start for the visitors. (Kandy SC – 14 Air Force SC – 00)
Lads from the hill country settled themselves as quick as a wink when Fazil Marija scored the third when Clote Christopher off loaded the pass in to the hands of one of the finest Sri Lankan centers. Quniton Crocker made no mistake when he bisected, his hat-trick to help his side to lead twenty one to zero.
Home team mounting some pressure managed to score the penalty awarded in favor of them just three minutes after Marija`s try. Chathrura Gomez got the scoreboard ticking for the home team. It was a day where only penalties waved hello for the home team as they scored their second penalty just minutes after to revive lost hopes. (Kandy SC -21 Air Force SC – 06)
Kandy SC was in fine tune when they reached the twenty fifth minute of the game where they managed to score with fourteen men when Quinton Crock dashed through the bulwark of defenders to score the fourth try which he converted himself to lead the game by twenty two points.
It was a spate of touch downs by the Kandy SC right after that point until lemons. They were all over the pitch busy with the ball passing, collecting and stealing while air men just sat back and watched the ongoing drama. It was indeed an appalling performance by the home side as they made mistakes in almost all of their set pieces during the first half of the game which was taken with gratitude and paid back in style by their formidable visitors as Oshan Perera and Cloete Christopher touched down yet again as Quinton Crcok converted one but failed just before half time.
Half time – Kandy – 47 Air Force – 06
The final stretch of the game commenced with commanding lead in the hands of the visitors. The home lads rectified their sententious mistakes and played attacking rugby barging into the troops of the visitors. Yet, the defense of the Kandy SC stood ceaseless against the mighty Air Force ambush when they failed to score for the rest of the twenty minutes of the game. The offence and the defense of the visitors were equally strong that they cut short air men multiple times when they tried to get pass them. The Airmen failed to score a single try for the whole of eighty minutes and yet another penalty raised the scoreboard with another three points.
Kandy was not done as a shower of tries started to pour again with Saliya Kumar spotting a gap on the blindside sailed through to the scoring line. Quinton Crocker keeping up with the consistency bought full value to the try. Oshan Perea scored the most sensational try of the game when he dived forward into the lawn making defenders mere spectators after a flawlessly executed working of the line. (Kandy SC – 59 –Air Force SC – 09)
Kandy was unstoppable as three more tries followed right after. Buwaneka Udangamuwa and Eroni Gadolo scored off two tries ten minutes before full time which was bought into full value off Qinton Crcock`s boots. Krisho Jehan took the ammo out of the guns and declared victory when he scored the final try for the game and it was also bought into full value. Airmen with mistakes in set pieces, in the line and the scrum would have never resisted the waylaying of the hill country and thus had to walk away in despair.
Full time – Kandy Sports Club – 78 Air Force SC- 09
Quotes from the satisfied skipper Sean Wijesinghe-
“We started off well, there is a lot more to go and we will go there. Scoreboard are just figures and the most inportant factor is that and it will witness how we played as a one unit”
ThePapare.com player of the match – Quniton Crock (Kandy SC)
