Stakes are high in this clash of potential champions
With but three sides in contention for the Dialog Rugby League title, matches involving those teams should, ideally, have come at the end of the tournament. The first round schedule was just perfect, with Kandy, Havelocks and Navy playing each other in the last couple of weeks.
Now that the die is cast, rugby followers will be forced to witness a potential top-two clash early in the second round. Thus Nittawela will be agog with excitement, and really tensed up, when Kandy takes on Navy today.
There is little separating these two teams and the Havies. Their title aspirations will be jolted if they drop a game at this stage. In the case of Kandy, a loss would well mean the end of their challenge.
Two losses, including a 32-37 one to the Navy, put the champions in a precarious position. However, to their credit, they have come back with renewed vigour and determination. The tide really turned in the second half of the game against CR at Nittawela. Having been held to a 22 all first half, Kandy played champagne rugby to add 31 points in the second half and, in the process, leave the CR shattered and confused by that display.
Kandy, though, has lived on edge at times. They were all but toppled by the Havies. Even last weekend, the CR ran them very close after a stirring come back in the second half. How long will Kandy's luck hold?
When in doubt, push out. That is the age old advice given to a batsman. Kandy have a different take - when in trouble, send the ball out to the back division. The transfer of Danushka Ranjan, while demanding the Havies, has added a brilliant player to a team that is brimful of talented players. A couple of Sri Lanka players have been benched in the process. Ranjan’s try - scoring ability was much in evidence when he went over thrice against the CR. The Kandy backs threw the ball around with gay abandon, happy in the knowledge that their will be someone to catch the ball and take it on.
The news is that Fazil Marija will return for this make or break encounter-skipper Roshan Weeraratne left the field in the second half, but that may have been a precaution. In any case, Srinath Sooriyabandara lacks nothing in comparison with the skipper.
Navy probably holds the edge in forwards play, having in their told the likes of Sajith Saranga, Dhanushka Perera, skipper Roshan Ranasinghe, Supun Pieris and Chatura Dilshan. Add to that, the excellent performances of hooker Dulanjana Wijesinghe who lonely lets a match go by without touching down.
Chanaka Chandimal has been making good use of his experience and hits it off well with linkman Harsha Maduranga. While not doubting the quality of the Kandy outsides, it must be pointed out that the Navy’s outsides, too, have considerable quality. Lee Keegel is the undoubted star, and his performance could well have a major bearing on the result, Dinusha Fernando is another stand-out player. Navy will be sweating on the fitness of the young, talented winger Buddima Piyaratne. He has the pace to hurt Kandy.
Thilina Weerasinghe, like his name sake, Kandy’s full back, has been quite outstanding. Collection, kicking to touch and conversions have all been effected with the minimum of fuss, but with great efficiency. In fact, the battle of the Thilina’s presents a plot within a plot.
The stakes are high in this clash of potential champions. The Navy edged out Kandy at Welisara, but Nittawela is a different place, and this is a different time. Kandy’s coach Sean Wijesinghe has loads of talent to work with. By contrast, Motilal Jayathilleka has had to do with largely untried talent from less elitist schools. Whoever wins, the margin is bound to be slim.