HERATH HAMSTRING HAMPERS HAVIES’ HOPES
Havelock Sports Club’s Cinderella Story appears to be coming to an end as the Park Club facing arguably the toughest couple of weeks of their season in the Dialog Inter-club League Rugby Tournament Super Round which gets underway today when they take on CR and FC at Havelock Park.
The Havies Head Coach Sanath Martis was suspended on Thursday following a video that had been leaked in the eve of their crunch game against Kandy SC last week which they did win to return to the top of the points table.
However, the suspension for Martis is a major blow for the Havies who are chasing what could be their first league title in six years.
On the other hand their top two performers this season prop Dushmantha Priyadarshana and centre Dinuk Amarasinghe had already been ruled out of league campaign, and making things even worse they will be without senior winger Sandun Herath for the all important clash.
The Havelock SC management confirmed that Herath is out with a hamstring injury which leaves them with a very inexperienced backline comprising former Isipathana College wing three quarter Asitha Gayashan who is making his first start of the season in addition to the centre combination of Randy Silva and Theekshana Dassanayake.
Priyadarshana’s injury means Faiz Abudulla will remain in the starting lineup and they would look up to senior men like Sharo Fernando and Liston Flatny to step in to the big occasion.
CR and FC on the other hand would look to finish the season on a high note as they have no chance of winning the league. It would be all about pride for the Red Shirts who have recalled hooker Supun Waranakulasooriya, prop Himantha Hirushan in place of Sven Muller and Charana Chamikara.
Second row Gayan Dilshan and flanker Shemal Weerasekara have also returned to the First XV in the expense of Joel Perera and Wajid Fawmy.
Harith Bandara has replaced Rahul de Silva at scrum half while Kevin Dixon has come in place of Chanaka Chandimal as the last line of defence.
The teams
Havelock SC: Faiz Abdulla, Azmir Fajudeen, Liston Flatney, Sharo Fernando, Umesh Madushan, Senal Deelaka, Sithum Peiris, Lasindu Ishan, Vimukthy Rahul and Niroshan Fernando, Chamara Dabare, Randy Silva, Theekshana Dassanayake, Asitha Gayashan, Riza Mubarak.
CR and FC: Gayan Jayasekara, Supun Waranakulasooriya, Himantha Hirushan, Gayan Dilshan, Mithila Perera, Shemal Weerasekara, Risith Kawyaanjana, Omalka Gunaratne, Harith Bandara and Tarinda Ratwatte, Reeza Raffaideen, Rehan Silva, Gemunu Chethiya, Kavindu Perera, Kevin Dixon.