Red Shirts take Sailors on a stormy voyage
Navy Sports Club were pushed on to a stormy voyage by CR&FC, who ran riots at Welisara to record a commanding 10-try 64-15 win in their SLR-Maliban Club Rugby League 2025/26 encounter yesterday. Despite a slow and cautious start, where both sides had the edge by the 15th minute with a slim margin of two points, the Red Shirts stinging from last weekend’s unexpected 32-34 defeat against traditional rivals CH&FC, transformed their agony to deliver a powerful message to title contenders of the competition.
After leading by an unassailing 31-3 at halftime, CR&FC went on to gather their points from 10 tries and seven conversions, while Navy SC scored from a penalty try, an unconverted try and a penalty.
Hooker Venura Kodagoda scores one of CR's 10 tries against hapless Sailors
The Red Shirts, who looked rather vigilant not to lose their ground and add another unexpected outcome as last weekend, played safe during the opening minutes until they found confirmation to retaliate. Yet during that phase they moved cautiously before spreading wings and giving flyhalf Zubair Doray the honour of opening the score in the 10th minute far left.
But the Sailors became more hostile, which forced CR to concede a penalty, to which flyhalf Isuru Kongahawatte obliged to narrow down the gap as Navy SC trailed by 3-5 by the 14th minute. CR gradually paced up their game to see their efforts end up with a try as hooker Venura Kodagoda landed a try soon after to give centre Thenuka Nanayakkara an easy conversion.
With CR leading by 12-3 and progressing their approach each second of the game, the Sailors were left with little or no option than to defend. Lock Senal Adikaram landed a try in the 26th minute, with centre Nanayakkara adding extra points to expand the lead to 19-3, followed by an uncanny move by prop Senura Perera in the 28th minute to further swell the lead to 24-3.
The visitors were in full throttle by the 30th minute of the game as they frustrated the Sailors and trapped each desperate move made for a breakthrough. Yet, the Red Shirts turned over each of the Sailors’ moves and turned an opportunity that popped up in the 38th minute to score. Hooker Kodagoda did the finishing touches to add CR’s fifth try as centre Nanayakkara converted the try to give them an imposing 31-3 lead by halftime.
The Red Shirts doubled their effort after the resumption as they went on to tame the Sailors with luxury and add four more tries a phase of 15 minutes. Lock Nirosh Perera joined the bash with his contribution of a try in the 44th minute, while prop Charith Silva added CR’s seventh try in the 47th minute, both through forward moves.
Then came the marauding third-row forward Naveen Marasinghe, who solely destroyed the Navy defence to brace a try in the 54th minute. Lock Adikaram posted his second, and CR’s ninth try in the 57th minute, as centre Nanayakkara converted three of the four tries posted during the second half to rake up 12 points from CR’s total of 57-3.
With replacements taking the field, CR’s approach paced down for a brief, as Navy seized each moment to capitalise. Yet they failed to breach CR’s defence, until flyhalf Isuru Kodagoda booted one from far right to the opposite direction to give centre Chanaka Jayalath an obvious scoring opportunity in the 70th minute.
But the Navy back was found tackled before landing on collection by CR centre Dimuth Perera, who was sin-binned with a yellow card, making the Red Shirts one man less for the rest of the game. Navy SC was awarded a penalty try, which wiped their appalling deficit to 10-57. Boosted by the sudden vigour Navy SC managed to flummox the CR defence that saw scrumhalf Koojana Kulatunga score a stunner far left, to make it 15-57.
The visitors reordered their camp to change the brief setback and add their tenth try through replacement scrumhalf Hashan Maduranga in the 75th minute, with replacement fullback Shane Hopwood making the conversion to end the game with a commanding 64-15 win.