Southern Sharks face fierce challenge from North Central Typhoons

S M Jiffrey Abdeen -Kandy Sports Correspondent

From Nuwara Eliya the Carlon Sevens scene will shift to the plantation town of Nawalapitiya where the second leg with be played at the Jayatillake Sports Complex today and tomorrow.

Rugby was hardly known in the Nawalapitiya area until the Jayatillake Park developed into a fully fledged rugby Stadium last year and a team named the Up Country Lions sponsored by Crysbro participated in the Rugby League inter Club 'A' Division tournament and in their first year they played in the semi finals of the Clifford Cup knock out rugby tournament.

All this was possible due to the efforts of the Minister of Sports Mahindananda Aluthgamage whose vision was to promote sports in the area especially rugby and soccer. This was a great effort and no doubt the teams have delivered the goods. This will be also the first time that a rugby tournament of this magnitude drawing the best available talent in the country representing the ten teams will scrum down. Therefore the rugby fans in Nawalapitiya are in for a big treat.

At the first leg of the Carlton Sevens Southern Sharks showed that they had a lot of bite and are capable of swallowing the other teams when they put up a scintillating second day performance to come out on top. They blasted the unbeaten records of two top teams in North Central Typhoons and Northern Gladiators on the second day to finish on top.

Southern Sharks led by Up Country Lions scrum half Srinath Suriyabandara lost to North Central Typhoons 7 - 12 on the first day in the pool match but hit back on the second to defeat Northern Gladiaters and North Central Typhoons to push them into third and second places respectively. These three teams along with Eastern Eagles and Western Warriors will be front runners to win the second leg championship.