CR - strong contender for 'A' Division League Title

Ranjeeva Seneviratne

RUGBY: The reigning Clifford Cup Champions and runners up of the Caltex 'A' Division League Rugby Tournament for the last three years Ceylonese Rugby and Football Club will once again field a star studded outfit this year. Their main ambition will be to clinch the 'A' Division League Title which has eluded them for the last eight years.

The Red Shirts have been in the forefront of club rugby during the period 1996 to 2006. During those eleven years CR and FC clinched the symbol of rugby supremacy - the 'A' Division League Title twice - in 1996 and 1998 and emerged runners up six times.

Last year they had another successful season finishing second in the Caltex 'A' Division League losing just three matches and also bagged the richest prize in club rugby - the Clifford Cup with a smashing 37-5 win over arch rivals Havelocks in the final. The Red Shirts also won the second leg of the Singer Professional Sevens at Ratgama by beating Air Force 36-29 in the final.

This year the Red Shirts field a team packed with national players and have also obtained the services of several outstanding ruggerites who shone for their schools last year.

Isipatana skipper Ashan de Costa (who played for Sri Lanka as a schoolboy last year), his brother Lasintha de Costa, Kingswood skipper Navin Wijetunga, Sri Lanka under 19 player Gayan Fernando of Ananda, Trinity's centre Kosala Tissera and Royal's flanker Gayashan Wijesinghe have joined the Longden place club along with former Kandy SC and Sri Lanka winger Radhika Hettiarachchi and ex-CH and FC second rower Duminda Pullikuttiarachchi.

Tavita Tulagaese affectionately called Laga by his friends who was a member of the champion CR teams of 1996 and 1998 has returned to his former club and has been entrusted with the task of coaching the Red Shirts this year. He should be able to harness the talent of the Red Shirts, motivate them and mould them into a champion outfit.

Leading the Red Shirts this year will be former Isipatanian Anuradha Dharmatilleke, a fine line out jumper and a terrific player in the loose who has been an automatic choice for the Sri Lanka team for the last two years. He will play in his pet position of lock forward while former Ananda skipper and Sri Lanka youth player Gayan Fernando and strongly built Duminda Pullikuttiarachchi will fight it out for the other berth.

Former Sri Lanka prop forward Danushka Boteju and either Josephian Henry Terrence or ex-national player Shamil Mohamed will bind down in the front row. Young Anuja Perera who was picked to play for Sri Lanka against Arabian Gulf last month will be the regular hooker with Suneth Chathuranga as stand-by.

The Longden Place club boast of a formidable third row. Former skipper Pavithra Fernando a terrific player in the loose and a fierce tackler and the omnipresent Ashen Karthelis who had a marvellous season last year will be the two flankers with former kingswood skipper Navin Wijetunga occupying the number eight berth. Former Isipatanian Senthil Kumara is the other player who could fit into the third row.

The Red shirts are fortunate to have the services of two top scrum halves with Sri Lanka's number one Amjad Buksh facing a strong challenge from another national player Zulki Hamid.

The pivotal fly half berth will be filled by either Omar Sariffodeen or Lasintha de Costa (who played for Sri Lanka at the Hong Kong sevens and against Kezakhshan). The Longden place club will have the services of two superb centres in Sri Lanka players Mohamed Sheriff and Ashan de Costa two hard runners who are capable of slicing through the opponents defence. The other player who is eyeing a centre berth is former Trinitian Kosala Tissera.

Sri Lanka winger Dinesh Kumara who has stood out with his powerful runs down the flank will man one wing with sturdily built Radhika Hettiarachchi, Ravindra Wekadapola and Nuwan Chamara battling it out for the other position. The last line of defence will be once again manned by veteran Asanga Rodrigo who has been a tower of strength with his safe collections and booming kicks to touch and with his ability to join the line to form the overlap.