CR confront Army today

Ranjeeva SENEVIRATNE

CR and FC which scored a smashing 32-5 win over Havelocks on Saturday should have no difficulty in overcoming the Sri Lanka Army in their Caltex ‘A’ Division League rugby match at Police Park today. The kick off is scheduled for 4.45 p.m.

The Red Shirts will field a depleted team for today’s game with two key players on the injured list while several others have been rested. Lock forward Anuradha Dharmatilleke and scrum half Amjad Buksh have been sidelined by injury while flanker Pavithra Fernando, hooker Anuja Perera and prop forward Shamil Mohamed have been rested.

Duminda Pullikuttiarachchi will replace Mohamed in the front row while Navin Wijetunge will play in the unaccustomed position of hooker.

Burly Henry Terrance will replace Dharmatilleke in the second row. Former Trinitian Suranga Pushpakumara will operate from the base of the scrum and will pair off with Ashan de Costa.

The Red Shirts will strive to beat the soldiers by a big margin and score at least four tries which would help them to get a bonus point and remain in contention for the ‘A’ Division League Title.

The soldiers who suffered three heavy defeats at the hands of Kandy (0-53), Havelocks (7-48) and CH (5-40) should come up with a much better display if they hope to contain CR today.

CR and FC - Duminda Pullikuttiarachchi, Navin Wijetunge, Henry Terrence, Gayan Fernando, Ashen Karthelis, Kasun de Silva, Danushka Perera, Diren Warnakulasuriya, Suranga Pushpakumara and Ashan de Costa, Dinesh Kumara, Niroshan Karunanayake, Mohamed Sheriff, Ravindra Wekadapola, Reza Mubarak.

Army - Nushal Meepage, Asoka Jayalal, Nishantha Kotelawela, Sarath Kumara, Ajith Pushpakumara, Wickremanayake, H. Karunaratne, Manoj Silva, Tharindu Darshana and Upul Kumara, Maurice Abeyratne, Asanka Perera, Duminda Wickremaratne, Saliya Handapangoda, T.A. Silva (Captain).