Confident Peterites out to blow up Royal

St. Peter's College, Colombo with the return of their skipper Danushka Ranjan will be brimming with confidence when they confront defending champions Royal College, Colombo in their Singer league division one segment 'A' match at the Royal Sports Complex at 4.30 p.m today. Incidentally both teams remain unbeaten this season having won six matches each.

The return of Ranjan will strengthen the Peterite back division which is the strong point of the Bambalapitiya school. In Ruchira Kumara and Shamri Burah they have an adequate halves combination while centres Dulaj Perera and Dilanka Perera will test the Royal defence to the hilt with their daring runs with Dulaj being in tremendous form this season. But the biggest threat to the Royalists will be posed by Skipper Danushka Ranjan with his powerful runs down the flank with full back Kevin Dickson joining the line to from the overlap.

Royal will miss the services of skipper Arshard Jamaldeen who has still not recovered from the injury suffered in the Josephian game and in his absence Rimzl Jamaldeen will occupy the pivotal fly half berth and will pair off with the experienced Ravishan Dassanayake.

Centre Damien Ratwatte makes a welcome return to the side after missing the last two matches due to injury and much is expected from him along with the two speedy wingers Ijaz Bohoran and Nimshan Jayawardena if Royal are to emerge victorious.

Possession plays a vital role in a game of this nature. The set scrums should be shared between Peterite Shenal Abeysekera and Royalist Shuaib Muthaliph while the Peterite duo of Saranga Dulan and Viraj Gunasinghe should hold sway in the line outs.

The Peterites with their superior fitness has a distinct advantage over Royal whose lack of fitness was very much evident in the Kingswood match where the lads from Kandy crossed their goal line thrice during the last 15 minutes after Royal were comfortably leading by 27-5 midway in the second half.

Royal - Eroshan de Alwis (Captain), Shuaib Muthaliph, Lahiru Pavithra, Wasim Bawa, Yasun Weerasuriya, Andrew Siriwardana, Sachin Vithanga, Madusha Kularatne, Ravishan Dassanayake and Rimzi Jamaldeen, Ijaz Bohoran, Damien Ratwatte, Devin de Silva, Nimshan Jayawardena, Banuka Gamage.

St. Peter's - Chathuranga Mendis, Shenal Abeysekera, Johannes Rodrigo, Suranga Dulan, Viraj Gunasinghe, Malith Magage, Royston Jansen, Anuradha Herath, Ruchira Kumara and Shamri Burah, Danushka Ranjan (Captain), Dulaj Perera, Dilanka Perera, Bhanuka, Peiris, Kevin Dickson.