Joes look set to book their final berth

By Shamseer Jaleel

Joes will battle it out with the Rajans in the first semi-final of the Milo Knockout rugby tournament which will take place at the Racecourse rugby grounds today (17).

Kick-off is scheduled at 4 p.m.

Rajans who received a walk over from Royal who pulled out citing injury as a reason will have an uphill task to bring down the Joes who are playing with lot of confidence. 

Skipper Sachith Silva, Gemunu Cheethiya, Tharindu De Alwis and Chathura Seneviratne will be key players in their game against the Kandy School. Both Cheethiya and Alwis have already been selected for the Youth Commonwealth Games 2017 in Bahamas. 

Rajans who ended as number 2 to the Antonians in the Plate segment need to stop the free-running Joes outfit who look set for a final berth. Joes Head Coach Nilfer Ibrahim, regarded as one of the top readers of the game in school rugby, will be eager to end on top and book their final berth next weekend. He will want to celebrate his new appointment as Army SC Head Coach with a final show down in one week’s time with either Isipathana or the Peterites. 

Dharmaraja on their part played well in the Plate segment losing out only to the winners, Antonians. They almost beat Royal in a close encounter where the Reid Avenue outfit was lucky to escape through a last minute drop goal win by a mere point. 

Rajans led by Chamika Perera, Bawantha Udangamuwa and Dulanjana Piyatissa are their key players. Piyatissa will tour with the national Under 18 squad for Youth Commonwealth Games 2017 in Bahamas.

17 June (today)

St. Joseph’s vs Dharmaraja

Irshard Cader

Racecourse grounds

18 June (tomorrow)

Isipathana vs St. Peter’s

Dinka Peris

Racecourse grounds