Top two at Thailand Sevens will satisfy Sri Lanka: Matt Turner

By Shamseer Jaleel

Sri Lanka Sevens rugby outfit, led by Fazil Marija, left the Island last morning to Bangkok in order to participate at the Second leg of the Asian sevens in Thailand on 26 and 27 September at the SCG Muang Thong Stadium.

Speaking to the media before departure, Sri Lanka Head Coach, former England Sevens player Matt Turner said: “I am not happy with the number four finish in China. We are capable as a team to end in the top two. We have got some class acts under our belt. At the China Sevens in the semifinal encounter against the hosts, we made some errors which cost us the game. It was also the same against the South Koreans,” he said. 

“The return of skipper Fazil Marija and other players will make a world of difference since these players are very experienced and will not crack under pressure. They have played ample Sevens tournaments in Asia. If we stick to our game plan we can beat any team. This was proved by the Japanese team at the Rugby World Cup 2015 in England where they beat South Africa.”

The final leg will take place in Colombo in mid October.

September 26

Pool A – Kazakhstan, Singapore, Japan

Pool B – Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Taipei

Pool C – Philippines, UAE, South Korea

Pool D – Malaysia, Thailand, China

Sri Lanka vs. Taipei – 1.52 p.m.

Sri Lanka vs. Hong Kong – 4.22 p.m.