League champions Kandy SC have the edge over CR and FC

Ranjeeva Seneviratne

The mighty Kandy Sports Club which won the Caltex 'A' Division League Rugby Tournament for a record eighth successive year will strive to keep their unbeaten record intact by overcoming arch rivals CR and FC in their Caltex 'A' Division League rugby match at Longden Place today. The kick off is scheduled for 4.30 p.m.

The lads from Kandy won the first round game by 18 points to 15 at Nittawela and a victory in today's game will see them emerge unbeaten league champions for the second successive year. The lads from Kandy will be virtually at full strength with the only doubtful starter being hooker Anuranga Walpola. If he does not play then Eranga Swarnatilleke will take his place.

The Red Shirts will miss the services of two key players - Dinesh Kumara and Lasintha de Costa both of whom are on the injured list while hooker Anuja Perera, scrum half Amjad Buksh and fly half Ashan do Costa will not be in the starting line up and will be on the bench.

Today's game should turn out to be a battle between CR's power-packed forwards and Kandy's speedy three quarters.

The CR 'eight' especially Shamil Mohamed, Duminda Pillikuttiarachchi, Anuradha Dharmatilleke, Kasun de Silva, Dushanth Lewke and Pavithra Fernando have given a terrific display and should get the better of the Kandy 'eight' in the loose.

The set scrums should be shared but in the line outs the Kandy trio of Sumedha Jayasinghe, Zaffer Jehn and Imran Bithamin should hold sway. Kandy SC with a star studded three quarter line should make the maximum use of the 'good ball which comes their way.

The halves combination of Saliya Kumara and Fazil Marija have hit it off smoothly while centres Pradeep Liyanage and Gayan Weeraratne should breach the CR defence with their probing runs but the biggest threat to the Red Shirts will be posed by dashing winger Sanjeewa Jayasinghe with his powerful runs down the flank and has been their match winner on several occasions. In addition Kandy SC will have the services of an attacking full back in Radhika Hettiarachchi who joins the line to form the overlap.

Kandy SC first won the 'A' Division League Title in 1994 under the leadership of Indrajith Bandaranayake and since then they have bagged the title on eleven more occasions in 1995, 1997, 1999 and from 2001 to 2008.

CR and FC - Shanil Mohamed (Captain), Suneth Chathuranga or Anuja Perera, Duminda Pullikuttiarachchi, Anuradha Dharmatilleke, Buddhi Bandara, Kasun de Silva, Pavithra Fernando, Dushanth Lewke, Suranga Pushpakumara or Anjad Buksh and Charith Kodagoda or Ashan de Costa, Mohamed Jabbar, Niroshan Karunanayake, Senthil Kumar, Nishan de Silva, Reza Mubarak.

Kandy SC - Jeeva Galgamuwa, Anuranga Walpola or Eranga Swarnatilleke, Kishore Jehan, Sumedha Jayasinghe, Zaffer Jahn, Dilip Selven, Sean Wijesinghe (Captain), Imran Bisthamin, Saliya Kumara and Fazil Marija, Sameera Silva, Pradeep Liyanage, Gayan Weeraratne, Sanjeeva Jayasinghe, Radhika Hettiarachchi.

Referee: Pradeep Fernando