CR - Havelocks encounter pick of next week's games

Ranjeeva SENEVIRATNE

The confrontation between traditional rivals CR and FC and Havelocks Sports Club for the Commander Eustace Matthysz Trophy on July 30 (Saturday) at Longden Place is the pick of next week's return matches of the Caltex 'A' Division league rugby tournament. On the same day the Sri Lanka Navy Sports Club will play host to unbeaten Kandy Sports Club at Welisara.

The Red Shirts came up with a gallant display in the first round game to beat Havelocks by 15-10 but face another tough task against the Pink and Chocolate jerseyed lads who are in a buoyant mood after their sensational 23-20 win over the formidable Navy outfit.

CR's forwards especially skipper Dushanth Lewke, Sharo Fernando, Ishan Noor and Chilanka Samaraweera came up with a gallant display to bring down the strongly built foreigners of Havelocks No 8 Angsta Sae and centre Atelle Uaisele and will have to give a repeat performance if they hope to emerge victorious next Saturday.

The Park Club back division has been further strengthened by the inclusion of Tongan national sevens players Paula who along with national players Amjad Buksh, Chamara Vithange and Anurddha Wilwara will be relied upon to deliver the goods for the Park club.

The Red Shirts too boast of a strong three quarter lien which includes scrum half Srinath Sooriyabandara, centres Mushin Faleel, Shabbir Mohamed, winger Vishwamithra Jayasinghe, full back Mohamed Sheriff and Reza Mubarak who has occupied the pivotal fly half berth in the absence of young Nigel Ratwatte who has still not fully recovered from the injury he suffered in a Mercantile tournament before the club rugby season began.

But CR and FC's biggest problem will be the lack of a place kicker.

They missed three penalties against Navy Sports Club which resulted in the match ending in a 18-all draw while last week the Red Shirts missed five penalties within kicking range against defending champions Kandy SC to whom they lost 15-22 and were pushed down to third place in the points table.