Bahrain Rugby Football Club spoils Kandy party

Asia Rugby Western Club Champions League 2017

By Shamzeer Jaleel

Bahrain Rugby Football Club spoiled the Kandy party when they edged out the Sri Lankan club champions Kandy Sports Club in a tight encounter by 24/23.

All credit should be given to the Kandy Sports Club head coach Sean Wijesinghe, who opted to give his young blood the much needed exposure before the season opener just one month away. Kandy lost nearly 11 of their senior players – seven of them recovering from injury while four of them were away in South Korea on national duty at the Asian Sevens 2017. They did not have the luxury of Fazil Marija, Roshan Weeraratne, Nigel Ratwatte, Shehan Pathirana, Vishwamithra Jayasinghe and Richard Dharmapala all recovering from injuries while Dhanushka Ranjan, Dhanushka Dyan, Jason Dissanayake and Srinarth Sooriyabandara all were on national Sevens duty in South Korea.

The Asian Western Club Champions League has proven to be the most competitive version of the tournament so far, with two close wins and a draw this year showing the close competition among the three leading teams in South Asia. Last year’s winners Abu Dhabi Harlequins won the tournament in tandem thanks to the close one point win by the Bahrain RFC that made them the champions once more.

 In the opening game, the Abu Dhabi Harlequins hosted Bahrain at Zayed Sport City in Abu Dhabi and won the game 36/32 in a close tensed encounter which could have gone either way.

 In the second game, Kandy Sports Club hosted the Abu Dhabi Harliquins at their Nittawela stadium. After an early lead by the visitors and nearing the end too they dominated with a 29/17 lead. But the young Kandy outfit hit back through two unanswered tries towards the end of the game with a 29-a-piece tight draw. If the conversion kick heed been on target, Kandy could have pulled it off. The first half was dominated by the defending champions Harliquins but the latter half was dominated by the fast running Kandy three quarters.  In the last game of the tournament, Kandy hosted the Abu Dhabi Rugby Football Club at Nittawela. The visitors who had settled down fast took a clear 24/13 lead at the short breather. But once again, Kandy SC and their youngsters let it for the late burst as they ran riot with their three quarter line. Their experienced player Anurudha wilwara recovering from an injury scored a brace while Gayan Weeraratne too returning after an injury showed his class when he handed off nearly three opposition players to score one of the best tries of the tournament. Kandy who missed out more than two try-scoring opportunities looked threatening in their three-quarter moves but lineout throws and jumping looked an area to work urgently. They could have also pulled off as they received more than two kickable penalties but they were going for a try-scoring opportunity which was required and a bonus point win in order to secure the cup for the first time. But in the end it was a close call “Kandy had it in their hand but could not put in their mouth”. 

With the inter club league just one month away, senior players returning for training will have a tough time with the juniors performing remarkably well with their limited exposure playing with bigger made forwards. This experience will come in handy for the Kandy outfit and their skipper Gayan Weeraratne in the 2017/2018 rugby season where they will play CH & FC in their opening encounter in Colombo.

 Results 

Abu Dhabi Harliquins beat Bahrain RFC 36/32

Abu Dhabi Harliquins drew with Kandy SC 29/29

Bahrain RFC beat Kandy SC 24/23

 West Asian Club Rugby Champions 2017-Abu Dhabi Harliquins