Havelocks confront CH today

Ranjeeva SENEVIRATNE

Havelocks Sports Club which suffered two successive defeats at the hands of CR and FC (5-32) and Kandy SC (17-37) will go all out to redeem lost prestige when they confront CH and FC in their Caltex ‘A” division league rugby match at Maitland Crescent today.

But the Park Club is bound to receive stiff resistance from CH and FC which in a buoyant mood after notching up two consecutive victories over Army (40-5) and Police (18-12) and will be seeking to avenge the 11-19 defeat suffered at the hands of Havelocks in the first round game played at Havelock Park.

The lads from Maitland Crescent have made two changes for today’s game. Navinda Pullikuttiarachchi replaces Wasamba Senarath in the second row while Isipatana schoolboy Sajith Saranga has been brought into the side as a flanker.

The park club too has made two changes. Roshan Rajapakse replaces scrum half Dilan de Zoysa and will pair off with Samantha Lakshan. Full back Dilip Methruwan has moved upto the centre berth with winger Nuwan Hettiarachchi being shifted to the last line of defence.

With the three quarters of both teems having failed to impress this season the game should turn out to be a forwards battle with CH’s power-packed forwards Achala Perera, Sathya Ranatunga, Dinesh Sanjeewa, Dilanka Wijesekera, Sumedha Malewana and Jayantha Ranaweera being confronted by the marauding Havelocks’ “eight” especially Shafi Hassen, Rajiv Perera, Kavinda Jayasena, Sunderuwan, Mohamed Izzadeen and Sharo Fernando likely to come up with another sterling display.

CH and FC: Jayantha Ranaweera (Captain), Achala Perera, Satya Ranatunge or Sashika Cooray, Dinesh Sanjeewa, Navinda Pullikuttiarachchi, Dilanka Wijesekera, Sajith Saranga, Sumedha Malewana, Tuan Shamrock and Omar Hassen, Niranjan Wickremaratne, Rushika Fernando Matheesha de Silva, Shane Dissanayake, Milinda Jayasinghe.

Havelocks - Shafi Hassen, Rajiv Perera, Danushka Sandaruwan, Kavinda Jayasena (Captain), Chaturanga Amerasinghe, Mohamed Izzadeen, Sharo Fernando, Rajiv Ganapathy, Roshan Rajapakse and Samantha Lakshan, Thusitha Samarathilleke, Zakir Badurdeen, Dilip Methruwan, Wasim Thajudeen, Nuwan Hettarachchi.

Referee: Dilroy Fernando