Kandy in a must–win game

 Havies skipper Niroshan Fernando led the team very well this season need a good end in their next 4 games

By Shamseer Jaleel

Kandy Sports Club will be feeling the Colombo heat once again when they lock horns with CR & FC this week-end. This will be a must win game for the Kandy outfit, who were pushed down to number 2 position after their defeat to CH & FC last week-end.

Leading referee from Hong Kong Rugby Football Union (HKRFU) Lawrence Wilkinson will officiate in the Kandy SC vs. CR & FC and CH & FC vs. Havies game this week-end.

 

Tense battle on the cards

A tense battle will be expected when Kandy play CR & FC at Longdon Place. CR, though down and out, recovered in no time, with two sensational wins over the Soldiers and Sailors. This gave them a glimmer of hope in the top 4 end this season. Meanwhile, Kandy, going through some tough times, going down to Army at Home and CH & FC away in Colombo, has pushed them down to number 2 behind Park Club.

Their star, Dhanushka Ranjan has recovered as expected, to return to play at his pet position as Centre. Meanwhile their pack leader, Buwanaka Udangamuwa, will be out as he is still not recovered fully. For the same reason, Srinarth Sooriyabandara will be out of action for another three weeks. Kandy will depend deeply on Shehan Pathirana, Sayuru Anthony, and Yakoob Ali in the forwards line. Their three-quarter line will depend on Ranjan, Nigel, and Wilwara, with Thilina Wijesinghe playing a vital part as the fullback and goal-kicker of the up-country outfit.

Meanwhile, the Red Shirts will be expecting their playmakers, Kavindu Perera, Omalka Gunaratne, Tharinda Ratwatte, and Reza Rafaideen to play at their best. Tharinda, who won many matches for the Longdon Place club, will be playing a vital part. A win here for CR could guarantee them a number 3 position in the league.



 

Referee: Lawrence Wilkinson (NZ)

Army hold the edge

Army SC, after their defeat at the hands of CR & FC, were shaken a bit, but recovered fully with a win against Air Force last week-end. Army did the unthinkable this season when they beat Kandy in Kandy, and the Sailors away at Welisara.

Mohamed Rizvi, Ashoka Jayalal, and Gayan Salinda have stood out for the Soldiers this season. They will be not only aiming at a win but also focused on number 4 position to feature in Super 4 round.

Police and Shamly Nawas need to concentrate on consistency, which the Cops lacked this season, Wageesha Weerasinghe and Fahmy being the lonely fighters, with Sachith Silva being outstanding both in defence as well in attack.

Referee: Priyantha Gunaratne

Navy to earn an easy win

Navy SC will be back at home at Welisara when they face the last-placed Air Force. A win for Navy could give them some confidence, but they will end up in featuring in the Plate segment and very unlikely a top 4 end after round 2.  Buddhima Piyaratne, Musheen Faleel, and Mohamed Abzal have stood up for the Welisara outfit. Leadership and decision making is the major issue for them, with Thilina Weerasinghe being average this season, not only in his leadership but also his kicking abilities as well.

Meanwhile the Air Force outfit will depend on the form of Seelagama, Iddamalgoda and Senanayake to lead them from the front.

Referee: Dinka Peiris 

Top rugby expected at Havies vs. CH game

Some top class Rugby is expected when the table leaders, Havelock SC and third placed CH & FC, battle it out at the Racecourse rugby grounds.

Havies stood up more than what was expected from them this season. Chamara Dabare, Sharo Fernando, Reza Mubarak, and Madushanka have played their part for the Park Club this season. They have won the battle and the war is just yards away from winning it this season. They will need to end their last two games on a winning note to earn the home advantage. But this will be a daunting task for them, with the Kandy game being the last one, but playing at home could give them some relief.

Meanwhile CH & FC outfit did very well in Round 2, with Ronny Ibrahim and company delivering the results for them. Yoshitha Rajapakse, their regular skipper, is expected to return after his jaw injury which kept him away from rugby for nearly one month. His presence will give lot of confidence for the CH outfit. Sooriyarachchi, Sathya Ranathunge, Nishon Perera, and Muthuthanthri, all in peak form, could be an advantage for them. Samuel Maduwantha too has found his form at the correct time. On form, there is hardly any differences between the two sides though the pattern of play differs from each other. This game could go either way but will be a very close margin in results.

Referee: Lawrence Wilkinson (NZ)