It will be an exciting tussle for supremacy when CR & FC lock horns with arch rivals Havelock's Sports Club in the first leg of the Dialog ‘A’ Division inter club league rugby tournament match for the Commander Eustace Matthysz trophy at Longden Place, kick off will be at 4.00 pm today.. Going by how the two teams fared this season, Havies have a definite chance of coming on top and this factor makes the event a thrilling tussle.
The trophy, is named after Commander Eustace Matthysz, a rugby stalwart and former dynamic Ceylon prop forward who also represented Sri Lanka Navy and Havelock’s SC with distinction, before he brought fame and honour to the country as the President of the Asian Rugby Football Union in 1974. This coveted trophy is on offer since 1991 and was won by the Red Shirts in the inaugural year, beating the Park Club by an aggregate of 14 points to 12.
It is the Park Club which won last year by an aggregate of 41 points to 16 after winning both legs,(10-06) at the end of a closely contested battle at Havelock Park in the first leg and triumphed by 31 points to 10 in the second leg at Longden Place, hence they are the current holders of the trophy.
The lads from the Longden Place lost their last three matches in a row to young CH and FC side by 12-19 and to Army side by 20 points to 24 and lost again to the formidable Kandy SC 12-24 last week at Longden Place. Havelocks were really fortunate and just managed to edge out the fighting Army SC by 29-19 at Police Park last week after a close game.
Red shirts will have a definite advantage when it comes to the two hookers where in form Supun Warnakulasooriya will strike very much faster and will be the man to watch in the loose play than the Havies hooker Prasath Madushanka.
The Park Club boys with the presence of a sturdy set of forwards who are capable of pulling off the game in their favour, will have to play a vital role in today's game and if the speedy three quarter line of the Havies spearheaded by their dynamic play maker former Peterite and the present national centre Nishone Perera delivers the desired results today then it will be a daunting task for the Red Shirts in countering their attack to gain a much needed victory in the end.
CR & FC (Probable XV)
Udara Gayan, Supun Warnakulasooriya, Kokila Sammandapperuma, Gayan Jayamanna, Charana Chamikara, Sashika Ashan, Shemal Weerasekara, Omalka Gunaratne, Kavindu De Costha and Tharinda Ratwatte, Sashan Mohamad, Kushan Indunil, Rehan Silva, Kavindu Perera (Captain), Reeza Rafaideen,
Havelocks (Probable XV)
Dushmantha Priyadarshana “ Bodhi ”, Prasath Madushanka, Liston Flatney, Shehan Dias, Jason Melder (Captain), Sharo Fernando, Shenal Deelaka, Sithum Peiris, Sudam Sooriarachchi and Niroshan Fernando, Chamara Dabare, Hirantha Perera, Nishon Perera, Ramesh Fernando, Dulaj Perera or Reeza Mubarak
CH-Air Force a close game on the card
The confrontation between two top rugby clubs in CH and FC and Air Force SC in the Dialog ‘A’ Division inter-club league rugby first round match at Air Force grounds in Ratmalana today should turn out to be a close game. The match will kick off at 4.00 pm.
CH and FC who has been really playing well this season came to their normal pattern of play from their very first match against Kandy under their new captain Rohitha “Chichi” Rajapaksha.
The CH side has been training hard under the coaching of dedicated and hard working former national coach Western Samoan Tavita Tulagaese “Laga” last few weeks and they are determined to pull off a morale-boosting win.
Air Force on the other hand started training two to three months back under the watchful eyes of their new coach ex Airmen Saumya Silva who is also a former Air Force captain some time back. Airmen will have to be at their very best if they are to beat the rejuvenated CH team even though it is on their home grounds at Ratmalana.
The forte of the CH & FC team has been their power-packed forwards. The CH ‘eight’ especially their ever green flankers Yoshitha Rajapaksa and Sasanka Ariyaratne, along with Sathya Ranathunga, Terence Henry, Matheesha Sarathchandra and Sajith Saranga have always given a terrific display in the loose but today they will be given a torrid time by the Air Force forwards spear headed by crack national flanker Radeesha Seneviratne along with burly Saraka Waralla, captain Pushpakumara Samarahewa, Dinesh Weerarathne Madagedara brothers Prasad and Ranuka ably supported by Charles Praveen.
In the set scrums the CH hooker ex Peterite Ravin yapa should get the better of his vis-a-vis Parakrama Rathnayake while the line outs should be shared between the CH duo of Saranga and Sarathchandra and Air Force's Madagedara and Thilina Bandara.
With the halves combination of Avishka Lee and Shamry Burah having clicked very well in the last couple of matches the CH side will hope that Avishka will set his three quarters in motion at every turn as they have two hard running centres in Lee Keegal and Ryan Weerakoon.
In addition they have two experienced wingers in Anuradha Herath and Dinushan Ariyapala who have stood out with their powerful runs down the flank with full back Samuel Maduwantha often joining the line to form the overlap.
Going by the two team's starting line ups a close tussle for supremacy can be expected.
CH and FC (Probable XV)
Sathya Ranathunga, Ravin yapa, Terrence Henry, Matheesha Sarathchandra, Sajith Saranga, Sasanka Ariyaratne, Yoshitha Rajapaksha, Rohitha Rajapaksa(Captain), Avishka Lee and Shamri Burah, Dinushan Ariyapala, Lee Keegal, Rayan Weerakoon, Anurada Herath, Samuel Maduwantha,
Air Force (Probable XV)
Pushpakumara Samarahewa (Captain), Parakrama Rathnayake or Lahiru Udayanga, Prasad Medagedara, Thilina Bandara, Ranuka Medagedara, Dinesh Weeraratne, Radeesha Seneviratne, Saraka Waralla, Gayantha Iddamalgoda and Nuwan Perera, Kaushal Manupriya, Sooriya Crishan, Charith Seneviratne, Ranindu Padmasanka, Ishara Madushan or Rumesh Ramdas
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