Lanka face tough task against Japan

Ranjeeva SENEVIRATNE

Asian heavyweights Japan who have reigned supreme in the HSBC Asian Five Nations Tournament should have no difficulty in overcoming Sri Lanka in their final outing at Longden Place today with the kick off scheduled for 4.00 pm.

The lads from Japan led by flanker Takashi Kokutani scored three runaway wins over Hong Kong (45-22), Kazakhstan (61-0) and United Arab Emirates (111-0) and the Lankans have the herculean task of containing the mighty Japanese today.

Last week the Japanese gave a marvellous display to crush UAE by the staggering margin of 111-0 with fly half James Alridge, centres Ryan Nicholas (a hat-trick of tries), Takashi Kokutani and Takehisa Uzusuki giving of their best.

The Sri Lankans will miss the services of centre Gayan Weeraratne and Eranga Swarnatilleke who were injured in the match against Kazakhstan which they lost 18-31 while flanker Danushka Perera who is nursing a hamstring injury is also a doubtful starter.

Swarnatilleke’s place will be taken by Kandy SC’s Kishore Jehan while CR and FC centre Shabbir Mohamed will replace Weeraratne. If Danushka does not play then Sajith Suranga will move to the third row paving the way for Dinesh Sanjeewa to come into the side as a lock forward.

The Lankans will strive to contain the mighty Japanese with some resolute tackling.

The homesters who were promoted to the top division this year are likely to be relegated to the lower division next year having lost two matches to Hong Kong (3-48) and Kazakhstan (18-31) with the game against UAE ending in a 13-all draw.

The Japanese team which arrived in Sri Lanka on Thursday had a workout at the CR and FC grounds yesterday evening under the watchful eyes of coach John Kirwan and are confident of chalking up another convincing win today.

Incidentally New Zealand rugby legend John Kirwan has taken great pains to mould the Japanese into a champion outfit.

Led by flanker Takashi Kokutani, the Japanese have been strengthened by the inclusion of four New Zealanders in their squad of 22. Fly half Shaun Webb, lock forward Luke Thompson, Justin Ives, Michael Leitch in addition to Samoan centre Alisi Tupualai.

The teams.

SRI LANKA: Henry Terrence, Achala Perera, Kishore Jehan, Senaka Bandara, Dinesh Sanjeewa, Sean Wijesinghe (Captain), Danushka Perera or Sajith Saranga, Keith Gurusinghe, Roshan Weeraratne and Chanaka Chandimal, Nuwan Hettiarachchi, Fazil Marija, Shabbir Mohamed, Chula Susantha or Charith Seneviratne, Saliya Kumara.

JAPAN: Kersuke Hacheyama, Hiroki Yuhara, Nazomu Fujita, Hiroshi Ono, Luke Thompson, Takashi Kokutani (Captain), Toetuu Taufa, Itaru Thangushi, Fumiaki Tanaka and Shaun Webb, Hirotoki Onozawa, Yuta Imamura, Alisi Tupualai, Takeshisa Uzusuki, Goshi Tachikawa.

Referee: James Fitzgerald of UAE.