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Sports

Oh for a reliable place-kicker!
The white clad machine from Kandy yet again proved as to why they are the 'kings' of local rugby. Last evening they completed an execution on the Police outfit with the competence of a well trained army. The score line of 37-10 tells the real tale of the Kandy dominance.

At the inception Police matched the wits of their opponents and marked them man to man. But, on the loose it was different ball game. The Kandy line given slightest chance were on fire.

Their superior knowledge of the game kept them streets ahead of their opponents. The Kandy lads over lapping and their change of direction and mainly the understanding of the body language of the team brought a soothing effect on any rugby loving eye.

The harder Police tried, the more alternate ploys Kandy adopted. More than once the entire Police XV were made to look like mere by-standers. They looked like champions and played like champions. Like in every story there was some thing lacking in the Kandy armoury too. Maybe they missed the bridegroom Nalaka, but, they indeed missed a reliable place kicker.

Police too had a bright moment or two. They drew the first blood to go three up. But, they too sadly missed the services of someone who could convert penalty kicks at goal into points.

The Fijian cop Lauke's ratio of this business of place kicking was far short of what Police was famous for about a decade or a little more ago.

Then there was this man who made his come back in a blue jersy this time in aging Apisi Nagata. It was nice to see Nagata back amongst us once again but at 38 years it looked as if age had caught up with him as he far too slow to pose any threat to Kandy from the base of the scrum.

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