Sri Lanka enter Cup semis with three resounding wins

Singer SriLankan Airlines International Rugby Sevens:
 

by S. M. Jiffrey Abdeen, Kandy Sports Correspondent

RUGBY: Sri Lanka with an unbeaten record to date scored three wins to book themselves a berth in the Cup Semi-finals of the Singer SriLankan Airlines International Rugby Sevens which is an International Rugby Board (IRB) satellite event for the Asian Region which is now being played at the Nittawela Stadium in Kandy. The International matches will be continued today at 9.40 a.m.

Sri Lanka, led by Kandy SC's Pradeep Liyanage, gave one of their best performances in this 9-year-old tournament.

In their opening match the Sri Lankans crushed Cambodia by the huge margin of 47 points (6 goals, 1 try) to nil after leading 19-0 at half time.

Winger Sanjeewa Jayasinghe and scrum half Amjad Buksh made mince meat out of the Cambodians. Sanjeewa Jayasinghe scored two brilliant tries - the first one being a 55 metre effort and the second a 40 metre one with both tries ending up under the posts.

Fly half Fazil Marija also scored two tries, one of them a blazing 50 metre run to touch down under the posts.

Scrum half Amjad Buksh too sliced through the Cambodians to score two tries and he also added the extra points to six of the tries. The seventh try was scored by Skipper Pradeep Liyanage. Buoyant after this victory Sri Lanka next beat the strong Kazakhstan by 28 points (4 goals) to 14 (2 goals) after leading 14-0 at half time.

Amjad Buksh opened the scoring when he darted forward from Sri Lanka's '22' and covered over 40 metres before slipping a pass to skipper Pradeep Liyanage who scored under the post. Amjad Buksh added the extra points.

Another 50 metre run by winger Sanjeewa Jayasinghe which was goalled by Buksh saw Sri Lanka run up a 14-0 lead by lemons.

After the turn around Kazakhstan reduced the lead through a try by Dmitriy Pichugin which was goalled by Anton Rudoy. Kazakhstan 7-14.

But a minute later winger Sanjeewa Jayasinghe ran 50 metres to score under the post with Buksh adding the extra points.

Saliya Kumara showed a clean pair of heels to touch down Sri Lanka's fourth try with Buksh adding the extra points. Kazakhstan tried to come back into the game during the last stages but they were thwarted by Sri Lanka's defence.

Denis Cherkkashin scored the last try for Kazakhstan which was goalled by Anton Rudoy. Sri Lanka made certain of their entry into cup semi-finals when they trounced Thailand by 36 points (3 goals, 3 tries) to 7 (1 goal) after leading 12-0 at half time.

Amjad Buksh opened the scoring for Sri Lanka and added the extra points. Next it was Sanjeewa Jayasinghe who scored which went unconverted.

After the turn around Pradeep Liyanage made the break to Fazil Marija to score under the post and add the extra points himself.

Thailand reduced the lead through a try by B. Ahamedgen which was goalled by J. Douglas.

But Sri Lanka completed the rout through three more tries through Sanjeewa Jayasinghe, Pradeep Fernando and prop Dushantha Lewke with Amjad Buksh adding the extra points to one of them.

Today Sri Lanka will meet Korea in a pool match at 11.40 a.m. but irrespective of the outcome of this match both teams are through to the cup semi-finals.

The other likely cup semi-finalists are Hong Kong and Malaysia.

The results of other matches played yesterday are.

Thailand drew with Kazakhstan 17 all, Chinese Taipei beat India 19-5, Hong Kong beat Malaysia 33-0, Korea beat Cambodia 50-0, China beat India 29-0, Korea beat Kazakhstan 47-12, Thailand beat Cambodia 45-0, Malaysia beat China 15-12, Hong Kong beat India 59-0, Hong Kong beat Chinese Taipei 24-7.

The schools cup finals will be played at 4.50 p.m. and the International finals at 5.30 p.m.