Can dejected CR & FC survive Navy’s onslaught? The answer to this question will be found only this evening when these two teams clash in their Dialog ‘A’ Division League rugby second round match at Navy grounds in Welisara, due to kick off at 4.00pm.
The Sailors are in a buoyant mood after three smashing wins over CH and FC (27-24), Army SC (28-10) and Police SC (45-26) and should give the underperforming CR & FC a run for their money.
The lads from Longden Place were thrashed by formidable Kandy Sc outfit by 15 points to 50 in their last outing at Nittawela, so they will have to come up with a much better display if they hope to overcome the vastly improved Navy and notch up their sixth win for the season.
The power-packed Navy ‘eight’ which is laden with national players have outplayed their counterparts in the loose with skipper Danushka “Gertha”
Perera leading from the front ably supported by Adeesha Weerathunga, Lahiru Wishvajith, Steffan Gregory, Dulanjana Wijesinghe, Raveen De silva and Roshan Ranasinghe, but today they will be confronted by the marauding CR forwards spearheaded by former Royal college number eight and rolling maul expert Supun Warnakulasuriya who has been a source of inspiration to his
team-mates with his fiery loose play along with granite hardnumber eight Omalka Gunarathne, fierce tackler cum flanker Shawqat Lahir, Kokila Sammandapperuma, Shemal Weeraekara, Hafiz Adahan and cracking second row forward Charana Chamikara giving of their best hence a terrific tussle for supremacy can be expected.
CR’s hooker Supun Warnakulasuriya should get the better of Navy’s experience hooker Dulanjana Wijesinghe in the set scrums while in the line outs the Navy’s duo of Supun Peiris and Adeesha Weerathunga have the edge over the Red shirts solitary jumper Shemal Weerasekara.
The lads from Longden Place have been let down by their three quarters with diminutive Chamod Fernando and Chanaka Chandimal being the biggest disappointment.
They will hope that their entire three quarter line will make amends by unleashing their powerful runs through Kavindu De Costa, Tharinda Ratwatte, co-centres Kushan Indunil and Sashan Mohammed which would help them to pierce the Sailors defence as they have the services of that hard running skipper and national player Kavindu Perera along with speedy national player Reeza Rafaideen on the wing in addition to an attacking full back in Rehan Silva.
Navy’s three quarters have shown a marked improvement in the last three matches with the halves combination of Heshan Maduranga and Mohamad Abzal having clicked with wingers Saliya Handapangoda and young Buddhima Piyaratne who have made some daring runs and a repeat performance by them should help them to give CR & FC another thrashing.
CR & FC (Probable XV) Hafiz Adahan, Supun Warnakulasooriya, Kokila Sammandapperuma, Gayan Jayamanna, Charana Chamikara, Shawqat Lahir, Shemal Weerasekara, Omalka Gunaratne, Kavindu De Costha or Avishka Heenpalla and Tharinda Ratwatte, Reeza Rafaideen, Sashan Mohammed, Kushan Indunil, Kavindu Perera (Captain), Rehan Silva Navy SC (Probable XV ) Roshan Ranasinghe, Dulanjana Wijesinghe, Stefan Greogary, Lahiru Wishvajith, Supun Peiris, Adeesha Weerathunga , Danushka “Gertha “ Perera(Captain), Ravin De Silva, Heshan Maduranga and Mohamad Abzal, Budhdhima Piyaratne, Lahiru Herath, Musheen Falleel, Saliya Handapangoda, Thilina Weerasinghe
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