CR and FC face a fierce challenge from Air Force

Ranjeeva SENEVIRATNE

CR and FC which scored an unimpressive 24-12 win over Army last week will face a fierce challenge from Sri Lanka Air Force in their Caltex 'A' Division League rugby match at Katunayake today. The Airmen went down fighting to Kandy SC last week by 11-18 and the Red Shirts will have to give a much better display if they hope to topple the Air Force and remain in contention for the 'A' Division League rugby title.

Up front a terrific tussle for supremacy can be expected with CR's power-packed 'eight' especially Shehan Dimitri, Ishan Noor, Anuja Perera, Sharo Fernando, Chilanka Samaraweera and skipper Dushanth Lewke being confronted by equally good forwards in Air Force's Uchitha Jayasuriya, Ranaweera, Shenal Dias, Soysa, Wasamba Senarath and 'evergreen' Pradeep Kurukulasooriya.

The Red Shirts boast of a superior back division. The shifting of Reza Mubarak to the fly half berth has paid rich dividends with centres Mushin Faleel, Shabbir Mohamed and winger Vishvamithra Jayasinghe testing the opponents defence to the hilt with their daring runs with fullback Mohamed Sheriff joining the line to form the overlap.

The Airmen will strive to nullify this advantage with some bone-crunching tackling as they have fierce tacklers in flankers Kurukulasooriya, Senarath and centres Chandimal and Hettiarachchi who could cripple CR's three quarter moves.

CR and FC: Dunstan de Silva, Anuja Perera, Shehan Dimithri, Ishan Noor, Sharo Fernando, Gayan Ratnage, Chilanka Samaraweera, Dushanth Lewke (captain), Srinath Sooriyabandara and Reza Mubarak, Ashen de Costa, Mushin Faleel, Shabbir Mohamed, Vishvamithra Jayasinghe, Mohamed Sheriff.

AIR FORCE: Jayantha Ranaweera, Uchitha Jayasuriya, Shamir Fajudeen, Shenal Dias, Prasanna Soysa, Pradeep Kurukulasooriya, Wasamba Senarath, Asanka Thalagalarachchi, Milinda Jayasinghe (captain) and Gayan Iddamalgoda, Suranga Arunashantha, Radhika Hettiarachchi, Chanaka Chandimal, Pupubu Kodagoda, Mithun Hapugoda.