Foreigners play key role in Havelocks' resurgence
Ranjeeva SENEVIRATNE
A team which has recaptured its past glory in rugby is Havelocks
Sports Club. After being in the doldrums for several years this season
has seen a remarkable change in the fortunes of the Park Club which lies
in second place in the points table after the conclusion of the first
round matches of the Caltex 'A' division league rugby tournament.
|
Angsta Sae
(on left) and Attella Uaisele |
The presence of two outstanding foreign players No 8 Angsta Sae and
centre Atella Uaisele along with talented Sri Lanka Youth players
Anuruddha Wilwara and Sudharshan Muthutantri has transformed the Park
Club into a formidable outfit which has matched upto mighty Kandy SC, CR
and FC, Navy and Air Force.
Three weeks ago the Park Club was further strengthened when two
former Sri Lanka ruggerites - former Kandy SC and Sri Lanka centre
Chamara Vithanage and ex-Kandy SC and Sri Lanka scrum half Amjad Buksh
joined the club. The latest recruit to the club is Tongan national
sevens player Paula.
The Park Club went down fighting against defending champions Kandy
Sports Club by 13-18 in the curtain-raiser of the Caltex 'A' division
league and then scored two smashing wins over Army (36-13) and Air Force
(22-13). After coming off second best against traditional rivals CR and
FC (10-15) the pink and chocolate jerseyed lads made amends by notching
up two superb wins over CH and FC (31-16) and Police (18-7).
Confronting the formidable Navy outfit in the last match of the first
round the Park Club staged a superb fight-back to edge out the Sailors
by 23 points to 20 with centres Anuruddha Wilwara, Chamara Vithanage and
their latest recruit Paula from Tonga playing a key role in their
success with three dazzling tries.
The victory over Navy propelled Havelocks into the second place in
the points table and should give Kandy SC a close run for the league
title.
It was eight years ago that the Park Club last won a major trophy in
15-a-side rugby when boosted by the Tongan duo of centre Joseph Waka and
No 8 Alex Taka, the pink and chocolate jerseyed lads clinched the
Premier Champions Trophy by edging out traditional rivals CR and FC by
21-19 in the final after overcoming a formidable Army outfit in extra
time in the semi-final.
|