CR face fierce challenge from Havies

Ranjeeva Seneviratne

RUGBY: CR and FC whose hopes of clinching the league title were virtually dashed by a gallant CH and FC outfit which held them to a 20 - all draw, will confront traditional rivals Havelocks Sports Club in their Caltex 'A' Division league rugby match at Longden Place today.

The Red Shirts won the first round game by 28 points to 6 but they face a fierce challenge from the vastly improved Havelocks who came up with a fine display to beat Police by 21-10 last week. CR will miss the services of their outstanding winger Dinesh Kumara due to an injury and his place will be taken by centre Lasintha de Costa with Avantha Hettiarachchi filling the centre berth.

The forte of the park club have been their power-packed forwards and players of the calibre of Hassen, Rajiv Perera, Jayasena, Amerasinghe, Ganapathy and Ravi Jayasuriya should give another sterling display today against the Red Shirts 'eight' for whom Karthelis, Terrance, Mohamed, Swarnatilleke and Pavithra Fernando have stood out with their fiery loose play.

In the set scrums the experienced Havelocks hooker Rajiv Perera should get the better of his vis-a-vis Senthil Kumar while the line outs should be shared between Havelocks Amerasinghe, Jayasena and Jayasuriya and the CR trio of Hasitha Perera, Dharmatilleke and Karthelis.

The Red Shirts with a superior back division should make maximum use of the possession that comes their way. Fly half Ashan de Costa who wasted the 'good ball' by frequently kicking ahead last week should feed his three quarters as they have two hard running centres in Mohamed Sheriff and Avantha Hettiarachchi while on the wings they will have the services of that powerful runner Lasintha de Costa in addition to an attacking full back in Radhika Hettiarachchi.

Fly half Samantha Lakshan was Havelocks hero in the last two matches. He contributed 17 points against CH by firing across five penalties and converting the solitary try while last week he added the extra points to all three trios against Police including a spectacular conversion from near the corner flag and the Park Club will expect a repeat performance from him today.

CR and FC - Suranga Swarnatilleke, Senthil Kumar, Shamil Mohamed, Hasitha Perera, Henry Terrance, Anuradha Dharmatilleke (Captain), Ashan Karthelis, Pavithra Fernando, Zulki Hamid or Amjad Buksh and Ashan de Costa, Avantha Hettiarachchi, Mohamed Sheriff, Lasintha de Costa, Ravindra Wekadapola, Radhika Hettiarachchi.

Havelocks - Shafi Hassen, Rajiv Perera (Captain), D. Sandaruwan, Kavinda Jayasena, Chathuranga Amerasinghe, T. D. Seneviratne, Rajiv Ganapathy, Ravi Jayasuriya or Tyronne Harrison, Roshan Rajapakse and Samantha Lakshan, Ruchira Ratnage, Nuwan Samith, Niroshan Karunaratne, Chanaka Fonseka, Zahir Badurdeen.

Army-Police

Two evenly matched teams Sri Lanka Army and Police will battle it out in their Caltex 'A' Division League rugby match at Police Park today.

A terrific tussle for supremacy can be expected with both teams desperately in need of a morale-boosting win having suffered three successive defeats.

Army - Nushal Meepage (Captain), Kapilaratne, Nishantha Kotalawela, Ajith Susantha, Pushpakumara, Nishantha Kobbekaduwa, Asoka Jayasena, Manoj Silva, Tharindu Dharshana and Kapila Knowlton, Saliya Handapangoda, Asanka Perera, Suranga Pilimatalawa, Sampath Wijesuriya, Upul Kumara.

Police - Charaka Hewawasam, Chaminda Silva, Nishantha Welagedera, Pradeep Wilson, Asala Vithana, Asanga Dias, Gemunu Indrachapa, Mohamed Nizam, Sudesh Dissanayake and Harshana Wijeweera, Hasith Niranga, Nilusha Fernando, Priyantha Pradeep, Hettiarachchi, Jeevan Amaradasa.