·         Park Club eye K/O title after seven years

Trailing 28-12 at half time substitute centre Samoan Amituanai Visesio Jr. and replacement full back Samuel Maduwantha inspired a terrific fightback for Havelocks SC, as they edged Kandy SC 41-38 in a pulsating Maliban Inter-Club Clifford Cup Rugby Knockout second semfinal at Nittawela yesterday (3).

With scores tied 38-all, Maduwantha as he had done through the club rugby season this season executed a peach of a 35 m drop goal on the stroke of full-time, following superb phase play by the forwards, to confirm their place in Saturday’s (7) final against new League champions CR and FC at Longden Place.

The visitors who had one time looked dead and buried with scores at 28-7, engineered one of the finest comebacks witnessed in the local club rugby circuit for some time, thanks to the telling impact of both Visesio Jr. and Maduwantha.

Maduwantha in fact added nine decisive points (three conversions and a drop goal) for his team after coming on in the second half, and his contribution proved critical for the Havies who backpedalled for most of the first half.    

Kandy, who dictated terms to the opposition before the break lost the plot after the restart with their set piece in disarray and came up second best losing the critical second stanza 29-10, to end an underwhelming season having lost thrice to CR in the League.

Havies scored from six tries of which four were converted apart from the match-winning drop goal, to which Kandy replied with five converted tries and a penalty goal, in an absorbing match that really came into life after the turnaround.

For the Park Club scrum half Mohamed Rifan, Fijian lock Vunaki Waqanibau, open-side flanker Udesh Madushanka, prop Nisal Silva, centre Visesio Jr. and hooker Azmir Fajudeen, reeled in the tries with full back Nabeel Yahiya and Maduwantha taking charge of the conversions.

For the dethroned champions outside centre Akash Madushanka stood out with a brace of tries, and lock Thilina Bandara, wing Kavindu Perera and prop Malitha Wijesundara also dotted down, with half back Aruna Perera impressing off the kicking tee with a personal haul of 13 points (five conversions and a penalty).

However, the former champions never bargained for the sterling rally by the Havies led superbly by second rower Janidu Fernando, as they booked a date with the red shirts to try and regain the Knockout title for the first time since 2019.

On that occasion the Park Club had ended a 37-year drought since their previous tournament triumph in 1981, with a 40-21 runaway win over Air Force at Racecourse Grounds.