Army power to clinical 29-3 win over Police

Army SC playing cohesive rugby weathered a fiery onslaught in the first half from Police SC before counter attacking in style to pull off a effortless 29-3 win in a Caltex ‘A’ Division Premier League rugby match at Galle Face last evening.

The winners who led 7-3 at the interval scored their points from three converted tries, a try and a penalty to that of a penalty by the losers in a match which failed to produce the desired rugby fireworks.

The soldiers who were expected to win this game anyhow were tested fully in the first half but had the staying power to cut loose after the turn around to nail the cops in commanding fashion.

Police who ran Army close in a closely fought out first half suddenly lost the bearings following the turn around and a tendency to go for the man instead of ball saw them being taken apart by the home side mid way through the second half.

Police fly half Harshana Wijeweera who cut a sorry figure with his place kicking having bungled with two kickable penalties in the first 20 minutes of the match lastly arrowed one correctly in the 24th minute to put his club to the lead.

Wijeweera normally a dependable goalkicker altogether missed three penalty kicks out of four attempts in this game and it really put the cops on the backfoot as the hosts cashed onto outscore the visitors by four tries to none.

But Army who were stretched to the hilt during this period hit back moments before the teams went for a breather when inside centre Kenyan Edwin Shimanga drew the Police defence and slung out a long pass to full back T A Silva who joined the line forming the overlap to score mid right.

Silva converted as the soldiers hung on grimly till half time with the intention of opening out with all their might in the second half.

And after the turn around it became a rather one sided affair as Army took the law enforcement officers by the scruff of their necks to score 22 unanswered points to run away as easy victors.

For the men from Galle Face right winger Parakum, centre Edwin Shimanga and substitute lock forward Pascal Watukhe respectively scored their three tries in this half as the men from Police park crumbled on a heap to lose without a fight.

Centre Shimanga really stood out in this game for the winners and on one occasion he gave chase to a clever chip kick by left wing Vajira Jayathileke to cover some 60 metres in a sizzling solo run to fall over for a tremendous try under the uprights late in the match.

Police did not help their cause indulging in rough house tactics and the situation forced referee Anil Jayasinghe to issue one red card to one of the Police locks while sending experienced centre Nilusha Fernando to the sin bin. (JK)