CH out to regain lost prestige

Ranjeeva SENEVIRATNE

The Colombo Hockey and Football Club which has suffered four defeats in a row will be hell bent on regaining its lost prestige when they confront a depleted Sri Lanka Air Force outfit in their Caltex 'A' Division League Rugby match at Maitland Crescent today.

The lads from Maitland Crescent began their campaign for the league title with two smashing wins over Police (39-15) and Havelocks (56-6) before suffering a shock defeat at the hands of Navy (12-18).

Since then they have lost three more matches to Army (12-21), Kandy SC (3-37) and CR and FC (10-17) and are desperately in need of a morale-boosting win.

CH and FC have made a few changes for today's game. Former Royal and Sri Lanka player Bilal Hassen has been named in the starting line up as hooker while his former school-mate Gayashan Wijesinghe comes into the third row replacing the injured Sharo Fernando.

Bilal's elder brother Omar Hassen has been brought into occupy the pivotal fly half berth with regular fly half Sajith Mallikarachchi moving to the centre position to play alongside Avantha Hettiarachchi. Sri Lanka winger Lakala Perera has been sidelined by injury and his place will be taken by ex-Thomian Heshan Guneratne.

Air Force will miss the services of three key players who are on the injured list - fly half Chanaka Chandimal, No. 8 Buddhika Abeysinghe and prop forward Saumya Silva.

In addition skipper Kosala Ranasinghe and Sri Lanka centre Suranga Arunashantha have been left out of the team due to poor form according to Rugby Secretary Wing Commander Sanjaya Fernando.

The forte of the Maitland Crescent Club have been their power-packed forwards No. 8 Dilanka Wijesekera has been a source of inspiration to his team-mates with his fiery loose play and has been ably supported by Jayantha Ranaweera, Sathya Ranatunga, Dinesh Sanjeewa, Sandun Kumara and Senthil Kumar and are expected to give another sterling display in the loose to outplay the Air Force 'eight'.

Air Force's strength lies in their back division. They have the services of two powerful runners on the wings in Gayan Heenkenda and Chanaka Guneratne in addition to hard running centre Buddhika Kaluarachchi and will hope that their new halves combination of Nadeesh Perera and Charith Seneviratne will click today which would enable them to make maximum use of the possession which comes their way.

The teams

CH and FC - Jayantha Ranaweera, Bilal Hassen or Achala Perera (Captain), Sathya Ranatunge, Dinesh Sanjeewa, Sandun Kumara, Gayashan Wijesinghe, Senthil Kumar, Dilanka Wijesekera, Milinda Jayasinghe and Omar Hassen, Heshan Gunaratne, Sajith Mallikarachchi, Avantha Hettiarachchi, Mithun Perera, Indika Udayakumara or Asanka Perera.

Air Force - R. Medagedera, Buddhi Bandara, Liston Silva, Pradeep Kurukulasuriya, D. Medagedera, Migara Madugalle, Nuwan Dharshana, Dinesh Weeraratne (Captain), Nadeesh Perera and Charith Seneviratne, Chanaka Gunaratne, Buddhika Kaluarachchi, Udaya Kumara, Gayan Heenkenda and Gayan Iddamalgoda.

Navy - favourites

The Sri Lanka Navy get a golden opportunity of notching up their third successive win when they play host to Havelocks Sports Club in their Caltex 'A' division league rugby match at Welisara today.

The sailors who scored two smashing wins over Air Force (32-3) and Police (27-3) in their last two outings should get the better of Havelocks which lost to Kandy SC by the staggering margin of 12-73 last Sunday which was their fifth defeat in six outings.

The sailors field a well balanced team with a powerful pack and a fine set of three quarters. The Navy 'eight' have given of their best this season with skipper Yoshitha Rajapaksa, Piumal Manchanayaka, Shehan Deen, Priyankara and sturdily built, Sumedha Malewana giving a power packed performance.

With the halves combination of Suranga Pushpakumara and Samantha Lakshan hitting it off smoothly centres Dilip Methruwan, Chula Susantha and Winger Nuwan Hettiarachchi have punched holes in the opponents defence with their daring runs which has resulted in the sailors notching up three wins in six outings.

The teams

NAVY - Piumal Manchanayake, Anuradha Gunasekera, Duminda Pullikuttiarachchi, Mathakaweera, Shehan Deen, Priyankara, Yoshitha Rajapaksa (Captain), Sumedha Malewana, Suranga Pushpakumara and Samantha Lakshan, Nuwan Hettiarachchi, Dilip Methruwan, Chula Susantha, M.E.R.C. Silva, Eranda Weerakkody.

HAVELOCKS - Shafi Hassen, Rajiv Perera, Danushka Sandaruwan, Andrew Jegan, Chathuranga Amarasinghe (Captain), Poornaka Delpachitra, S.B. Dissanayake, Kavinda Jayasena, Dilan de Zoysa and Roshan Rajapakse, Chanaka Fonseka, Nuwan Samith, Zakir Badurdeen, Sumith Jagoda, Anura Perera.