Red Shirts send early warning, destroy Sri Lions
Tournament favourites CR&FC launched their campaign in the SLR-Maliban Division ‘A’ Inter-Club Rugby League Tournament with a powerful and disciplined performance, crushing Sri Lions Sports Club by 65-8 at Longdon Place yesterday. The Red Shirts showed their strength in every department, running in 11 tries, and five conversions, and taking a superior 36-3 halftime lead, while the young Sri Lions could manage only a single unconverted try and penalty in this one-sided contest hosted by them.
CR opened the scoring in the eighth minute when winger Chemod Muthunayake broke past two defenders and touched down at the right corner for an unconverted try to take an early 5-0 lead. Sri Lions responded firmly in the 15th minute, when fullback Nathan Gunaratne put over a 25-metre penalty to make it 5-3.
CR’s centre Chamod Muthunayake charges through the Sri Lions defence to brace a try – Pic by Eshan Fernando
But CR struck again quickly. In the 18th minute, winger Aaron Corera finished a smooth move on the left flank after a clean offload from centre Manilka Ruberu. Flyhalf Dinesh de Silva converted to make it 12-3. Prop Thanuja Jayaweera powered through mid-left for CR’s third try in the 23rd minute, though de Silva missed the conversion, the expanded the lead to 17-3.
Sri Lions missed another penalty in the 27th minute, while CR punished them with their bonus-point fourth try in the 30th minute, when scrum-half Harsha Maduranga darted under the posts. De Silva converted as CR further expanded the lead to 24-3. Centre Thenuka Nanayakkara then sliced through the Sri Lions’ defence in the 34th minute, setting up Corera for his second try under the posts, and with De Silva’s conversion CR hit 31-3. Number eight Omalka Gunaratne forced his way mid-left for an unconverted try in the 38th minute, giving CR a strong lead of 36-3 by halftime.
Two minutes after the break, prop Charith Silva scored from a maul with support from flanker Shenal Adikaram, though Nanayakkara missed the conversion as CR’s lead moved to 41-3. Replacement lock Naveen Marasinghe was sin-binned in the 45th minute, but CR still kept scoring. Hooker Venura Kodagoda crashed over mid-right from a powerful maul in the 50th minute, with centre Mursheed Doray converting, as CR cruised to reach 48-3. Replacement flanker Ravindu Anjula added an unconverted try in the 58th minute to put CR beyond reach at 53-3.
In the 63rd minute, three-quarters Shane Hopwood and Mursheed Doray combined well before Doray finished and converted one as CR steamrolled to reach 60-3. Corera completed his hat-trick with an unconverted try in the left-corner in the 66th minute for 65-3. Marasinghe was sin-binned again in the 71st minute, reducing CR to 14 men. Sri Lions finally found a late consolation try through replacement scrumhalf Praneeth Silva in the last minute, ending the game at 65-8.