Sylvestrians field an inexperienced side

S M Jiffrey Abdeen - Kandy Sports Corr

The squad:

Props: Mohammed Saudh, Amila Weerakoon, Malinda Karunaratne, A A Athauda
Hookers: Mohammed Shukri, T Ramesh Bandara
Locks: Sithara Samarakoon, Mohammed Sajjad, Praneeth Francis,
Flankers: Dhanuka Wijetillake, Thisara Bandara,
No 8: Lasitha Maduranga Attanagoda (captain),
Scrum half: Ishara Kapukotuwa, Dhanushka Perera,
Fly half: Kanishka Liyanage.
Centres: P Aravinda, Mohammed Shiraj
Wingers: Janak Dissanayake, Ishan Rajapakse, A O Kohonawatte, L M Ganegoda.
Full back: Bawanth Perera, Mithun Kapukotuwa, M Fazrullah
Coach: G B Gunadasa.

St. Sylvester's College, Kandy, fielding an inexperienced side will strive hard to remain in the Schools Segment one (B) division Rugby Championship for yet another year and make their pressence felt in the coming season. This will be their objective this season. It will be left to be seen how they set about to achieve their objective.

The Deputy Principal (Sports) and one time Honorary Treasurer of the Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association and live wire of rugby at St Sylvester's College A K B Dodanwela said that the going will be tough this season as many of their players are on the injured list and some do not turn up for practices regularly due to concentrate on studies. Above all they do not have a ground to practise and they will have to either hire the Bogambara Stadium at a tremendous cost or hire out the Peradeniya University grounds. This is our main problem.

St. Sylvester's will be led this season by the burly Lasitha Maduranga Attanagoda playing in his fifth year is the most experienced player in the side. He will occupy the No 8 position and will be the main cover defender. But this season he missed most of the matches due to an arm injury and was in slings and this contributed to their defeat in their first four matches when they lost St Thomas College 43-7, lost to Wesley 51-7, lost to Vidyartha 73-7. But the return of skipper Attanagoda in their match against Mahanama College saw them win their first game 37-34.

Thus they hope to do well in the future matches. The team has just six players from the last year's side, and they will form the nucleus of the side. They are skipper Maduranga Yasitha Attangoda, P Aravinda, look Sithara Samarakoon, fly half Kanishka Liyanage and flanker Dhanuka Wijetillake. In winger Ishan Rajapakse who is a fresher they have one of the best place kickers in the hill capital this season. He is a fresher and a football player who has been moulded into place kicker. He has been converting kicks from mid field and also from difficult angles with ease.