Lanka pick chinks in Chinese armour

Final Rugby Asia Cup underway

By Harry Jayachandra, Pic by Ranjith Perera.

Sri Lanka fullback Radika Hettiarachchi makes a break with help coming from his flanker I. Bistamin.

It was a game riddled with unforced errors and of two halves. Sri Lanka thumped China by 26 points (3 goals and 1 try) to 10 (1 goal and 1 penalty) in the lung opener of the final Singer Rugby Asiad played at Longden Place yesterday.

The first half at times resembled a game of table tennis as both teams opted to kick with rain coming down on a soggy pitch. China missed an opportunity of taking the lead when their full back and captain Zhang Zhi Qiong fluffed a 45 metre penalty. Ball handling errors by both teams left the fairly large crowd frustrated. Prop Senthil Kumar who was entrusted with the kicking duties fluffed two penalties before the deadlock was finally broken.

Lankan fullback Radhika Hettiarachchi chipped ahead, stand off Faziil Marija collected and off loaded to Hettiarachchi who in turn passed to winger Lakala Perera who touched down with ease. Kumar converted. With five minutes to go for lemons Qiong converted a penalty to give the hosts a slender four point lead at the breather.

In the second half Sri Lanka got their act together in style. The forwards were playing out of their skin and were willing to run the ball much more. In just the third minute a Chinese player fumbled the ball in their own 22 and Hettiarachchi kicked the loose ball before touching down. Kumar once again made the conversion. This was followed by a line break in from Sri Lanka’s own 22. Marija scrum half Amjad Buksh and centre Lasintha De Costa all combined to send Perera over the line for his second try with Kumar adding the extra points.

With the game on the line China threw everything other than the proverbial kitchen sink at Sri Lanka. They were duly rewarded with a try by prop Wang Si Bo. Skipper Qiong made no mistake with conversion. But that was to be only a consolation score.

Another fumble by a Chinese player saw winger Sanjeewa Jayasinghe collect the ball and spring about 35 metres to touch down. Buksh failed with the conversion.Referee – Afandi Nordin (Malaysia)

TODAY: India play Pakistan at Longden Place.