First selection game today

Asia Rugby Under-19 

Championship in Taipei

By Shamseer Jaleel

The Sri Lanka rugby team’s preparation for the Asia Rugby Championship Under-19 tournament in Taipei will kick off today when the Colombo and Kandy outfits lock horns in the first leg at the Nittawela Rugby Stadium.

Kick-off is scheduled for 3.45 p.m. to avoid the evening rain.

Defending champions Hong Kong, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Taipei will meet each other in a group format with the winners booking their place at the Junior World Rugby Tournament (JWRT) of 2019 as the Asian representative in the Division I encounter.

The Kandy outfit will be coached by Sumeda Malawana, the former Navy and Vidyartha Head Coach, with Kingswood Head Coach Gamage assisting him while the Colombo outfit will be coached by Royal Head Coach Sanath Martis with Mohamed Mushtaq assisting him. The Kandy outfit will be led by lanky St. Anthony’s College second-rower Mohamed Shabbir.

Kandy team

Prop forwards: Pavindra Wijethilake (Trinity), Rashmika Chandraratne (Kingswood), Malitha Wijesundera, Kelum Madushan (both from Maliyadeva) and Tharinda Ratnayake (Vidyartha)

Hookers: M.S. Weerasinghe and T. Dilshan (both from Kingswood)

Second row: K.M. Bandara, J. Vikumsara (both Sri Sumangala), Ruwan Amarasinghe and Mohamed Shabbir (Capt.) (both from St. Anthony’s)

Flankers: M. Amarasinghe (St. Anthony’s), H. Dhananjaya (Maliyadeva) and Iroshan Kavinda (Vidyartha)

Number 8: Kavishka Bandara (Vidyartha), Tharindu Weligampola and Janitha Ratnayake (both from Kingswood)

Scrum-half: Inod Sasika (Vidyartha), Tuan Sohail (St. Anthony’s) and Hirusha Sampath (Kingswood)

Fly-half: Ishara Herath (Maliyadeva), S. Hettiarachchi (Vidyartha) and Randika Pathirana (St. Sylvester’s)

Centres: Naveen Devadasan (Trinity), L. Daulagala (Malyadeva), K. Jayasooriya and Ishara Liyanaga (both from St. Anthony’s)

Wingers: Vishwa Ranaraja (Trinity), Sathsara Weligampitiya (Vidyartha)

Fullback: Avishka Sheik (Trinity), Dilshara Kodagoda (Vidyartha)

Colombo team

Forwards: Daiyan Sabar (Wesley), Maleesha Madumewan, Fadhil Adhan and Ifham Fareed (all from Royal), Christian De Lile (S. Thomas’), Tharindu De Alwis (St. Joseph’s), Tharindu Hasith (Wesley), Adeesha Handunpathirana (S.Thomas’), Javidu Fernando (St. Peter’s), Harith Senanayake (S. Thomas’), Julian Charles (St. Peter’s), Ravindu Anjula (Isipathana), Shevon Gregory (St. Joseph’s), Abdullah Faiz (St. Peter’s), Thuwan Zamil (Lumbini), Shehan Eranda (St. Joseph’s), Hiamantha Hirushan (Royal), Shamika Milinda (Science) and Lakshan Uduwana (St. Peter’s).

Backs: Gamunu Chethiya (St. Joseph’s), Nikhil De Silva, Shabith Feroze (both from Royal), Shan Akila (St. Joseph’s), Kavinda Keshan (St. Joseph’s), Kenneth Wimaladasa (St. Peter’s), Rukshan Madhushanka (St. Peter’s), Jason Karunarathna (St. Peter’s), Risith Fernando (Royal), Mubeen Faleel (Royal), Shenol Shenuka (St. Peter’s), Kalindu Nandila (Royal) and Janidu Dilshan (Royal)