A stunning and fiery run-and-pass game late in the second half by Army who scored six tries made the fancied Havelocks team escape by the skin of their teeth in their Nippon Paint inter club league rugby match at Havelock Park yesterday.
Havelocks won 43-41 after leading 33-7 at half time that was a clear indication of how Army returned to the fray to almost win the contest that would have marked a season’s first upset result.
Army scored six tries, five of which came in the second half onslaught and Havelocks were lucky only three were converted including one that missed its target in the dying moments of the game.
Havelocks scored seven tries, three of which converted and one penalty to give them the narrow win.
It was a grand finish by the Army team that looked to pass the ball among their three-quarters who in turn found the openings to pierce the defence.
The Army player who gave them the inspiration to go forward and add the points was Sudara Dikkumbura the wing three-quarter who was all over the ground. He and skipper Ashen Bandara were behind all their try scoring opportunities that helped them to score six tries in all.
They looked threatening to score when they had possession that eluded them in the first half.
Havelocks opened scoring in the sixth minute of the first half through a try by skipper Azmir Fajudeen who went over after a forwards rush.
Samuel Maduwantha was in good kicking form and made the conversions after missing the first one.
Havelocks scored again through Panditha Warnapura in the tenth minute before Army scored their first try by Dilshan Hattiarachchi.
Havelocks scored three more tries after that through Christian De Lile, Jayantha Rajarathne and Azmir Fajudeen. Maduwantha was successful in converting all these three tries.
It was all Army in the second half. They scored in the 44th minute through Dikkumbura off a three-quarter move.Shehan Dias scored next for Havies a piercing run that was goaled by Maduwantha to give them 40 points.
Skipper Samantha Bandara scored a try followed by another by Lahiru Ratnayake and Wasantha Kumara to have Army close the gap in the scores.
Havelocks were fortunate to gain a penalty for a high tackle and the attempt at conversion from nearly 35 metres out was successful.
Thereafter, Army took over and scored two more tries through Wasantha Kumara and Dikkumbura. They managed to convert one try but the crucial conversion in the final minute was missed by Bandara that could have given them the equalizer.
Aruna Shantha refereed.
