Sri Lanka in must-win game against Hong Kong

By Shamseer Jaleel

Sri Lanka rugby outfit, under Nikila Gunadheera, will be ready for one of their toughest days on tour when they lock horns with the defending champions Hong Kong at University Putra Stadium in Kuala Lumpur.

Hong Kong won their opener against Taipei 54-8 while Sri Lanka needed to sweat out all their energy in order to beat the hosts Malaysia 27-21 in a thriller. Hong Kong, who qualified for the Junior World Rugby Trophy (JWRT) in Zimbabwe, will be a tough team to beat. In any form, Hong Kong is one of the obstacles for the Sri Lankan outfit in junior or senior level.

Scrum half Bandara, centre Kushan Indunil and fly half Sandesh Jayawickrama will play a vital part if Sri Lanka is to win. The forwards will be led by skipper Nikila Gunadheera. The forwards were outplayed by the Malaysians in the last outing and will need to come on top if they are to contain the strong Hong Kong outfit that is heavier than the Sri Lankans.

Sri Lanka Head Coach Nilfer Ibrahim said: “We made a number of mistakes against Malaysia and we need to get on top early in the game against Hong Kong. We need to settle fast. I am very confident the boys will play according to the plan and come on top.”

The winners of this tournament will secure a berth at next year’s JWRT Division II in Uruguay. Japan, who were placed last in 2016 JWRT division I, will be demoted to Division II in 2017. Already Uruguay, Fiji, Chile, Namibia and Japan have secured their place for the 2017 JWRT Under-20 tournament in Uruguay. The winner in Malaysia will join as the second team from Asia for this tournament. Sri Lanka’s only representation in this format was in 2002 when they played in Chile.