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by S.M. Jiffrey Abdeeen ,Kandy Sports Correspondent

A bruising battle is in store when the reigning Caltex Clifford Cup Champions Kandy Sports Club take on Sri Lanka Army in the finals of the Clifford Cup knock out rugby tournament sponsored by Caltex which will be played at the picturesque Nittawela Rugby Stadium on September 6 (today) at 5 p.m.

This is one game Kandy SC will have to pull up their socks and play as they have not produced the sparkling rugby at least during the last four outings. They beat the Army 23 - 17 and next lost to CR & FC down in Colombo which surrendered their unbeaten tag this season.

Then came the Clifford Cup knock out tournament and they put up an unimpressive performance in their 72-12 win over the Air Force. Kandy could have performed much better in this match as the scoreline was not a true reflection of the run of play. In the semifinals after trailing CH & FC's score during the first sixty minutes of play, Kandy mustered all their resources against a tired CH who were probably resting on their laurels, to pull off victory (35-22) in the last 20 minutes of play.

Kandy SC has been dominating the Clifford Cup tournament which is the oldest rugby tournament in the island since their emergence as a dominant force in 1992 following the crossover of a number of players from CR & FC that year. The same year they won the Clifford Cup (1992) for the first time in their rugby history as at that time, the Club was 118 years old. Since then they have not looked back with the tremendous backing they received from their benefactor Malik Samarawickrema to whom the credit should go for lifting the club from the doldrums of 1991 when it even had to play a relegation match against Petersons SC to ensure their survival in the 'A' Division rugby tournament.

Kandy SC's first ever Clifford Cup win came in 1992 under Ananda Kasthuriarachchi though he did not play in that match. They won it again in 1993 under Indrajith Bandaranayake and continued their winning sequence from 1995 to 1997. In 1998 the tournament was not hold, but when it was resumed in 1999 they continued their winning streak and won it in 2000 and 2001 as well. It was only in 1994 that their dominance of this trophy was broken when CH & FC won it. Another matter of interest is the fact that Kandy SC has met Army in the finals and beaten them quite convincingly. This year they will be meeting for the third year in succession.

Kandy SC who have already annexed the Caltex league title cannot take this game lightly the way they allowed CH & FC to dictate terms last week as they could find themselves at a point of 'no return' if the soldiers fire all their salvoes and also they have built up a reputation for their fitness and run and pass game.

The introduction of the Samoan Tavita Tulagese (Laga) into Kandy's pack has not made much of a difference, though adding much weight but his fitness has to improve and they have leaned heavily on that roving third rower Harris Omar and Dilip Selvam who has displayed extraordinary talent for a scrum half to play as a flanker using speed as his destructive weapon.

Army on the other hand have a hard set of forwards who did extremely well to topple the Red Shirts last week and though there are no big names in their side they are capable of upsetting Kandy through hard play and team work.

KANDY SC Sarana Hettiarachchi, Mohammed Buksh, Jeewa Galgamuwa, Pradeep Basnayake, Captain, Asoka Jayasena, Dilip Selvam, Harris Omar, Tavita Tulagaese (Laga), Amjad Buksh and Nilfer Ibrahim, Pradeep Liyanage, Indrajith Bandaranayake, Sajith Mallikarachchi, Radhika Hettiarachchi, Nalaka Weerakoddy.

ARMY SC J.M.J. Jayatilleke, Y.P. Rajapakse, or S. Udayakumara, N.D. Kotalawela, Nishantha Jayasuriya, Duminda Pullikuttiarachchi, Colin Rodrigo, Herathge Karunaratne, Sanjeev Pulendran or Samantha Samarasinghe, Nauffer Rahim and Ajith Perera (Captain) Nalin Witjitha, Kapila Knowlton, Vajira Jayatillake, Sithara Fernando, T.A. Silva.

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