Kandy SC won’t have it easy against Navy

Ranjeeva SENEVIRATNE

Kandy Sports Club, the only unbeaten team in the Caltex ‘A’ Division League will face the tough task of overcoming Sri Lanka Navy Sports Club in their return league match at Welisara today. The lads from Kandy edged out Navy by 15 points to 12 in the first round game at Nittawela but the sailors will go all out to topple them today and remain in contention for the ‘A’ Division League Title. Incidentally Navy emerged victorious against Kandy at Welisara in the last two years by 11-10 (2009) and 12-11 (2010) respectively.

Up front a terrific tussle for supremacy can be expected with Navy’s power-packed ‘eight’ spearheaded by Sri Lanka flanker Yoshitha Rajapaksa well supported by Sathya Ranatunge, Bilal Hassen, Kalana Amarasinghe, Danushka Perera and the omnipresent No 8 Namal Rajapaksa being confronted by equally good forwards in Kandy’s Achala Perera, Kishore Jehan, Senaka Bandara, Dinesh Sanjeeva, Kasun de Silva and Sajith Suranga.

Kandy possess a much better back division. The halves combination of Roshan Weeraratne and Fazil Marija have clicked in virtually every match. They have two solid centres in Pradeep Liyanage and Gayan Weeraratne and two powerful runners on the wings-Sanjeeva Jayasinghe and Mohamed Jabbar who are capable of piercing the sailors defence.

Navy will strive to nullify this advantage as they have some fierce tacklers in Dev Anand, Kosala Tissera, and Dinusha Chathuranga. In addition fly half Dev Anand is a superb place kicker who has kicked them to victory on many occasions with his drop kicks from difficult angles.

Navy - Sathya Ranatunge, Bilal Hassen, Piumal Manchanayake, Kalana Amarasinghe, Sumedha Malewana, Danushka Perera, Yoshitha Rajapaksa (captain), Namal Rajapaksa, Suranga Pushpakumara and Dev Anand, Niranjan Wickremaratne, Kosala Tissera, Dinusha Chathuranga, Eranda Weerakkody, Sheilandra Chandrasekera.

Kandy SC - Kishore Jehan, Achala Perera, Kasun Yasaisuru, Dinesh Sanjeewa, Senaka Bandara (captain), Kasun de Silva, Aravinda Udangawa, Sajith Saranga, Roshan Weeraratne and Fazil Marija, Sanjeeva Jayasinghe, Pradeep Liyanage, Gayan Weeraratne, Mohamed Jabbar, Tharindu Chanaka.