Defending champions Kandy Sports Club have already secured the League Championship for yet another year with two more games to spare after their win over Sri Lanka Navy SC in the league fixture played at Welisara last Saturday.
Kandy scored 41 points and Navy managed only 17. Though the Sailors tried to take charge of the game Kandy had the firepower to make it a one sided game. The winners with their classic rugby led 34-3 at half-time.
A big hand should go to play maker Fazil Marija for his ball handling and knowledge of the game which was excellent. It seemed that there was class written in all aspects of his play. Kandy’s play was far better than the Sailors and fully deserved this win. The sailors were obviously hurt and though they tried their best to play well, there was nothing going in their favour. They struggled for survival in the rough seas of the forwards play and drowned. Kandy’s defence was good. The sailors couldn’t get any momentum and couldn’t shift it wider as the winners were off the line so quickly.
A dominant first half from Kandy SC put the game out of reach of the sailors.
Never in the history of Sri Lanka rugby has there been a team as dominant as Kandy SC. They have won all the league games (eleven) and have been the top club in the country for more than 25 years.
They have proved to be invincible, especially in the league and knockouts from 1992 to 2017 and this league win gives them four in a row. They have two more games – next Saturday against Sri Lanka Army followed by the Havelock SC game at Nittawela on 17.
Kandy SC coached by Sean Wijesinghe their success has been due to the forwards and backs. They have two solid props for every match; two towering second rows did their best and were outstanding in loose play.
The fast breaking flankers were there to always to hound the loose ball and were solid in defence and finally the last and the best of them all was the number eight forwards who played in different matches.
The way Kandy SC forwards played it will be good for some clubs to take a few lessons from them.
The scrum half a former captain and present acting captain was outstanding and actually the play maker of the game. Fly half, centers and the wingers were at their best and the last line of defense was well manned.
In their last outing Kandy SC beat Navy SC in their own den at Welisara even though the match had no bearing on the league table, yet it generated a lot of heat among the Sailors . From the kick off it was evident that the boys from the hills had come determined to knock the daylights off the Sailors which they finally did to perfection.
Kandy SC’s rugby is under the chairmanship of Lasantha Wijeysuriya, former Antonian, CH & FC, Kandy SC and Sri Lanka ruggerite who’s advice and guidance has helped them to clinch the title. The man who will be most pleased with the win is their godfather and rightly tagged Mr. Rugby’ Malik Samarawickrema.
The Kandy SC squad that made history – (Coach) Sean Wijesinghe, (Assistant Coach) Saliya Kumara, (Team Manager) Kapila de Silva, (Captain) Gayan Weeraratne, Damith Dissanayake, Richard Dharmapala, Shehan Pathirana, Oshan Perera, Buwenaka Udangamuwa, Dimitri Wijetunga, Thilina Wijesinghe, Jason Dissanayake, Nigel Ratwatte, Lavanga Perera, Fazil Marija, Lasitha Aththanagoda, Danush Dayan, Dhanushka Ranjan, Asitha Ratnayake, Yakoob Ali, Arshad Jamaldeen, Piyumal Machanayake, Anurudda Wilwara, Ganuka Dissanayake, Uchitha Jayasuriya, Shashika Jayawardana, Heshan Kalhara, Srinath Sooriyabandara, Suhiru Anthony, Ashan Darling, Tharindu Chathuranga, Sanushka Abeywickrama, Heshan Jansen, Diluksha Dange, Kasun Srinath, Chathura Seneviratne, Lakshitha Ranaweera.
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