Kandy won't have it easy against Navy

S M Jiffrey ABDEEN- Kandy Sports Corr

Defending champions Kandy Sports Club will not have it easy when they take on the challengers Navy Sports Club in a key Caltex League rugby tournament match which is to be played at the Nittawela Rugby Stadium, Kandy, today Saturday (July 9) at 4.30 p.m.

On form Kandy should have the edge as they are not only unbeaten but also have won all their matches played todate to head the table of points. They should consolidate this position.

Navy Sports Club though unbeaten in the five matches played by them, have won four of them and figured in a draw which puts them behind Kandy in the table of points. A win here should take them to the top of the table. Both wins have been registered at Welisara by the narrowest of margins.

Kandy on the other hand have scored wins over the sailors by bigger margins. The last time these two teams met was at the Clifford Cup finals at the neutral venue of Bogambara Stadium and the Kandy team scored a comfortable victory, driving home the point that they are virtually invincible up in the hills.

Kandy Sports Club will go into this match without two of their key players in skipper Buddhi Talgampola and national captain Sean Wijesinghe. The team will be captained by lock forward Senaka Bandara.

Last week Kandy SC were made to fight hard before posting a 18-11 win over Air Force in a match marred by spectator incidents.

Kandy SC (from)

Kasun Yasaisuru, Achala Perera, Kishore Jehan, Senaka Bandara (Capt), Dinesh Sanjeewa, Kasun de Silva, Arvinda Udangamuwa, Sajith Saranga, Roshan Weeraratne and Fazil Marija, Mohammed Jabbar, Pradeep Liyanage, Gayan Weeraratne, Sanjeewa Jayasinghe, Tharindu Chanaka, Prasad Chathuranga, Liston Flatney, Shashika Jayawardena and Amila Bandara, Mohamed Faizal Marija, Krishantha Rajapakse, Dinesh Kumar.

Navy SC (from)

Piumal Manchanayake, Dushyantha Wijesinghe, Sathya Ranatunga, Sumedha Malawara, Soyuru Anthony, Namal Rajapaka, Mohammed Izzadeen, Yoshitha Rajapaksa (Capt), Dhanushka Perera, Samantha Lakshan Dev Anand, Dinusha Chathuranga, Kosala Tissera, Chula Susantha, Niranjan Wickremaratne, Erande Werakkody and Suranga Pushpakumara.