CR & FC hold onto a close win
CR & FC had to grind hard in order to record a close 17- 13 win over Police SC in their opening fixture of the Dialog Rugby League 2019/ 2020 worked off at Longden Place yesterday. As the rain poured down throughout
Secretariat underperformed bigtime with the military staff merely directing you hither and tither without assigning to themselves the task of seeing it done and delivered. So much so that the National Sports Association’s (NSA) had to go from pillar to post to get all the formalities done without the benefit of a one-stop-shop which could have cut to the chase, the myriad details and dynamics that is required in an event such as this. Remarkably, the Chief-de-Mission (CDM) was relegated to the role of Traffic Controller in Kathmandu rather than the pivotal role of the games contingent organiser and director. What appears to be evident to those involved with this spectacle was the clamour for power and power- broking rather than the the course of the match, both teams s t ruggled with ball- handling. Therefore, all the forwards had the biggest workload. The visitors put the first points on the board when Janith Chandimal bisected the posts with a brilliant 38- metre penalty kick in the third minute of the match.
However, the home team enjoyed most of the possession and territory in the first half of the match. They had plenty of scoring opportunities which they couldn’t convert into points. They were patiently building phases together which allowed outside center Janidu Dilshan to score the first try of the match in the 24th minute. Experienced Riza Mubarak added the extra points.
CR & FC, despite being in the lead, were down to 14 men with only 27 minutes on the game clock when flanker Risith Fernando was yellow-carded for tackling a player in air.
The Cops flunked a couple of try- scoring opportunities due to poor ball- handling before the half- time whistle. They were also given a kickable penalty kick which Chandimal failed to convert into points as CR & FC went into the break in the lead as scores read 7-3.
After lemons, Police played a better, structured game at the start of the second half. They perfectly executed a rolling maul in the 47th minute as hooker Rasith Silva put the Cops in the lead by touching down in the near corner.
However, Police stayed in the lead only until the 55th minute when their prop forward Lahiru Pavithra was sent to the sin- bin due to a high tackle which allowed Mubarak to put over a much-needed penalty kick.
In the final 20 minutes, both teams introduced several players from the bench to change the pace of the game. But, it was Dilshan’s clever thinking that paved the way for the second try for CR & FC as he took a quick- tap off a penalty advantage, caught the Police defense napping and freed winger Gemunu Chethiya to blitz through and score under the posts. Mubarak added the extra points to extend the lead.
Two more yellow cards in the dying stages of the match were given to two CR & FC players - Rahul De Silva and Rehan Weerakkon.
With the hosts not having their full quota of players in the park, Police scored a consolation try courtesy Sujan Kodituwakku but it was little too late as CR & FC held onto a fourpoint lead.
Referee – Priyantha Gunaratne
CR & FC, despite being in the lead, were down to 14 men with only 27 minutes on the game clock when flanker Risith Fernando was yellow-carded for tackling a player in air.