CH face a strong challenge from Police

Ranjeeva SENEVIRATNE

The formidable CH and FC will face a strong challenge from a determined Police outfit when they clash in the curtain-raiser of the Caltex 'A' division League Rugby tournament at Maitland Crescent today.

The lads from Maitland Crescent have been strengthened by the inclusion of three outstanding ruggerites - former Kandy SC and Sri Lanka skipper Sajith Mallikarachchi, ex-Sri Lanka and CR and FC centre Avantha Hettiarachchi and former Havelocks flanker Sharo Fernando but they will come up against a police team which is packed with seasoned campaigners.

Up front a terrific tussle for supremacy can be expected with the power-packed CH forwards Achala Perera, Ranaweera, Ranatunge, Dinesh Sanjeewa, Wijesekera and Sharo Fernando being confronted by the marauding police 'eight' especially Hewawasam, Sivadason, Wilson, Archarige, Indrachapa and T.D. Seneviratne.

In the set scrums Sri Lanka hooker Achala Perera should get the better of his vis-a-vis Akmal Hossan while the line outs should be shared between the police duo of Wilson and Dinesh Kumara and CH's Dinesh Sanjeewa and Wasamba Senarath.

CH with a superior back division will strive to make maximum use of the 'good ball' which comes their way. They will hope that their new halves combination of Tuan Shemrock and Sajith Mallikarachchi will click today as they have a hard running centre in Avantha Hettiarachchi while on the wings they will have the services of that powerful runner Lakala Perera and strongly built Ajit Upawansa (who returns to the side after a five year lay off.) The Policemen will prefer to keep play with their forwards with fly half Wijeweera's long kicks to touch likely to give them territorial advantage as their back division has been considerebly weakened by the absence of three key players in wingers Hasith Nilanga, Danushka Pubudu and full back Jeevan Amaradasa all of whom are on the injured list.

CH and FC - Jayantha Ranaweera, Achala Perera (Captain), Sathya Ranatunge, Dinesh Sanjeewa, Damith Perera, Wasamba Senarath, Sharo Fernando, Dilanka Wijesekera, Tuan Shamrock and Sajith Mallikarachchi, Lakala Perera, Avantha Hettiatachchi, Rushika Fernando, Ajith Upawansa, Milinda Jayasinghe.

Police - Cherake Hewawasam, Akmal Hossen, Sivadason, Pradeep Wilson, Dinesh Kumara, Gemunu Indrachapa, Nalin Archarige, T.D. Seneviratne or Nishantha Welagedera, Milinda Bandara and Harshan Wijeweera (Captain), Viraj Devasurendra, Priyantha Ekanayake, D. Samarathilleke, Niresh Chathuranga or Lahiru Gurusinghe, Ranjith Kumara