Kandy-CR match worthy of a cup final

Ranjeeva SENEVIRATNE

RUGBY: Kandy Sports Club and Ceylonese Rugby and Football Club which have reigned supreme in club rugby for more than a decade clash in their Caltex ‘A’ Division League Rugby match at Longden Place tomorrow which is worthy of a cup final.

Kandy SC have clinched the Caltex ‘A’ Division League Rugby Title for the last six years and are aiming to make it seven in a row this year while CR and FC which bagged the ‘A’ Division League Title in 1996 and 1998 are making a determined bid to regain it this year having emerged runners up six times during the last eight years.

Both Kandy SC and CR and FC which are studded with national players remain unbeaten this season having swept aside their opponents in the seven matches they have played so far this season in their bid to clinch the symbol of rugby supremacy - the Caltex ‘A’ Division League Rugby Title.

Up front a terrific tussle for supremacy can be expected. Kandy’s power-packed forwards spearheaded by number eight Dushanth Lewke have dominated in the loose. Lewke has been a source of inspiration to his team-mates with his fiery loose play ably supported by Wijesinghe, Selvam, Bandara Jayasinghe, Walpola and skipper Galgamuwa but will be confronted by CR’s marauding ‘eight’ especially Pavithra Fernando, Boteju, Anuja Perera, Karthelis, Gayan Fernando and skipper Dharmatilleke.

In the set scrums the experienced Sri Lanka hooker Anuranga Walpola of Kandy SC should get the better of his vis-a-vis Anuja Perera while in the line outs the CR trio of Dharmatilleke, Karthelis and Gayan Fernando have the edge over the Kandy duo of Bandara and Jayasinghe.

With Sri Lanka player Fazil Marija (who played as centre in the last few matches) returning to his pet position of fly half Kandy’s star studded back division should give a sparkling display.

Centres - ex-Sri Lanka skipper Sajith Mallikarachchi and Pradeep Liyanage are hard runners who should be able to punch holes in the CR defence while on the wings they will have the services of Sri Lanka skipper Sanjeeva Jayasinghe who will pose the biggest threat to the Red Shirts with his powerful runs down the flank with veteran full back Nalaka Weerakkody joining the line to form the overlap.

Nalaka Weerakkody has been a tower of strength in the last line of defence with his safe collections and booming kicks to touch while his accurate place kicking and ability to drop goals from even as far as 35 metres out saw him emerge as their match winner in the last two outings against Havelocks and CH and FC.

CR’s three quarters have turned in a dazzling display of open rugby. The halves combination of Amjad Buksh and Omar Sariffodeen has hit off smoothly while centres Mohamed Sheriff and Lasintha de Costa have tested the opponents defence to the hilt with their side-stepping and speed with Dinesh Kumara making some daring runs on the wing in addition to an attacking full back in Radhika Hettiarachchi who has been preferred to Ashan de Costa due to his experience.

CR and FC - Anuradha Dharmatilleke (Captain), Danushka Boteju, Anuja Perera, Duminda Pullikuttiarachchi, Ashen Karthelis, Charith Deshapriya, Pavithra Fernando or Kasun de Silva, Gayan Fernando, Amjad Buksh and Omar Sariffodeen, Dinesh Kumara, Mohamed Sheriff, Lasintha de Costa, Ravindra Wekadapola, Radhika Hettiarachchi.

Kandy SC - Jeewa Galgamuwa (Captain), Anuranga Walpola, Saranath Hettiarachchi or Kishore Jehan, Senaka Bandara, Sumedha Jayasinghe, Sean Wijesinghe, Dilip Selvam, Dushanth Lewke, Prasad Chathuranga and Fazil Marija, Sameera Silva, Pradeep Liyanage, Sajith Mallikarachchi, Sanjeeva Jayasinghe, Nalaka Weerakkody.