Havelock SC will have another chance to leave a mark as top contenders for the title when they take on Kandy SC in their 2022/23 SLR Nippon Paint Inter-Club League Rugby Tournament first-round encounter at Havelock Park on Saturday.
Both teams of course, have already secured their place in the Cup Championship Super-Round but the Havies will certainly be determined to redeem some of their lost prestige and conclude the first-round stage on an impressive note.
This game could also turn out to be a stern test for the defending champions Kandy SC, who have been hanging on a string for the past two weeks with some below par performances away from home.
In fact, Kandy SC have never looked like the champion team this season as they have struggled to emerge victorious in their last few games against CR and FC (13-11), Air Force SC (24-18), Navy SC (21-18) and CH and FC (27-25) respectively.
In contrast, Havelock SC had a successful run with more convincing victories against Navy SC (22-10), Army SC (31-15) and CH and FC (31-17) before their campaign derailed following a shock 19-21 defeat against Police SC last week.
Kandy SC, of course have rallied around through their superior back division this season but this time they will be up against the more dynamic Havelock SC three quarters, who will be keen to produce their best.
Navy SC v Air Force SC
Meanwhile, two evenly matched teams Navy SC and Air Force SC will lock horns in a vital SLR Nippon Paint Inter-Club League Rugby Tournament fixture at Welisara today.
This game is important for both teams as they are very much in contention to finish among the top four of the league points table and qualify for the Cup Championship Super-Round segment.
Both teams have the identical record of having notched up two wins each from their six outings but the Airmen are slightly ahead in the points table with more bonus points to their credit.
Air Force SC will take the field brimming with confidence following a morale boosting 27-19 victory over Army SC in their previous outing and Navy SC too will look to draw inspiration from last week’s game, where they gave favourites CR and FC a tough time before losing 27-33 at Longden Place..
Police SC v CH and FC
Police SC will have another chance to underline their growing reputation as one of the most unpredictable teams this season when they confront CH and FC in another SLR Nippon Paint Inter-Club League Rugby Tournament fixture at the Police Park in Colombo on Saturday.
Police SC had a fantastic outing last week where they stunned the favourites Havelock SC 21-19 at Havelock Park and will look to keep the momentum in this last game of the first-round.
CH and FC will also look to make amends for the earlier setbacks as they have played some good rugby in patches but have lacked the killer instinct, while resulting in losing a couple of matches by narrow margins.
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