Sri Lanka national sevens captain, Auckland Blues Sevens player cum former S. Thomas’ College Mount Lavinia crack third row forward Sudarshana Muthuthantri will play his first club match for CH and FC today as number eight against unpredictable CR & FC in a Dialog ‘A’ division inter-club league second round match at Longden Place commencing 4 pm.
The rejuvenated CH side go out as firm favourites to overcome the red shirts but the game will be a closely fought out battle for supremacy.
“We are really happy to have the Sri Lankan national seven’s captain ‘Muthu’ playing for us after arriving from New Zealand where he played for Auckland Blues sevens team and had a really successful season over there,” said head coach of CH and FC, Western Samoan Tavita Thulagaese “Laga”.
“I had also coached him before at Havelock’s and he is a fabulous player and a great leader as well as a fantastic reader of the game. We have lot of faith in him and he will do his utmost to bring us to the top of Sri Lankan rugby,” Laga said.
Comparatively CH are the better team than CR in this ongoing league tournament winning against the red shirts in their first round game played at Race Course.
CR & FC will field the same team which did duty for them last week against Air Force.
The red shirts boast of having in their ranks quality talented hooker in the form of granite forward cum rolling maul specialist Supun Warnakulasuriya, who is playing a key role for them this season.
CH and FC will look to register another shock win in today’s game through their think-tank and former national captain cum flanker Yoshitha Rajapaksa along with Muthuthantri who will lead them from the front.
The CR & FC outfit has failed to live upto expectations losing to Kandy SC, Army SC, CH and FC, Havelock SC and Navy SC in this year’s league tourney.
The red shirts have faced an unexpected plight losing some of their key players yet recovering from injuries are bound to field a couple of sidelined big names for today’s game. However adding to the woes would be the absence of their experienced nippy national scrum half Kavindu de Costa from today’s game due to a nasty injury he sustained in the league. Most probably Kavindu will be out for the rest of the season.
CR skipper Kavindu Perera will face another acid test to obtain a win in this game, while the inspirational CH skipper Rohitha “Chichi” Rajapaksa has fared admirably with the young resurgent force by pulling off a superb run away win over a fighting Police SC unit last week.
They will go all out to pull this one through with a bonus point victory to finish this year’s league as the third place team.
Teams:
CR & FC (Probable XV): Udara Gayan, Supun Warnakulasuriya, Kokila Sammandapperuma, Charana Chamikara, Gayan Jayamanna, Shemal Weerasekara or Sashika Ashan, Tariq Saleih or Shawqat Laheer, Omalka Gunaratne, Avishka Heenpalke or Harith Bandara and Tharinda Ratwatte, Chamod Fernando, Kushan Indunil, Kavindu Perera (Captain), Reeza Rafaideen, Rehan Silva or Nalin Kumara, Head Coach: Fereti Verabula (Fiji)
CH and FC (Probable XV): Sathya Ranatunga, Pulathisi Bandara, Terrence Henry, Rohitha Rajapaksa (Captain), Sajith Saranga, Sasanka Ariyaratne, Yoshitha Rajapaksa, Sudarshana Muthuthantri, Avishka Lee and Samuel Maduwantha, Dinushan Ariyapala, Lee Keegal, Warren Weerakoon, Anuradha Herath, Avantha Lee, Head coach: Tavita Tulagese “Laga” (Western Samoa)
AIR FORCE-NAVY
In another match Air Force SC will host Navy SC in their Dialog ‘A’ division inter- club league rugby tournament second round match at Air Force grounds in Ratmalana. Kick off will be at 4.00pm today.
ARMY-POLICE
Meanwhile Army SC will take on Police SC in their Dialog ‘A’ division inter-club league rugby tournament second round match at Police Park today at 4.00pm.
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