Can CR&FC stop the marauding Kandy army
Having been defeated by a single point (24-23) in their tournament opener, the Police team may find it a little difficult to believe that they can turn things round when they take on the defending champions, Kandy SC at Nittawela today.
All is not gloom and doom for the law-enforcers. In a sense, they were moral winners against the Navy. The Police were in the lead towards the end, but the two crucial penalties they conceded, cost them the game.
Fullback Utpala Edirisinghe, number eight Shanaka Harischandra, flanker Vageesha Weerasinghe and kicker Amitha Prabath stood out for the Police. Fijian Junior Vunivesa is not a massive player. His strength is that he is very hands on, and is very supportive of his team-mates.
Police played as one unit against the Sailors. They showed an inclination to attack and their speed on the ball was quite impressive. The downside for the Police team is that they don't have a single Sri Lankan player in their ranks. They have lost two very influential players in Sandesh Jayawickrema and Fawmi Wajid, who transferred their affiliations.
Skipper Chanaka Udara will be happy that they have been able to rope in last year's Josephian winger Sachith Silva. Small mercies!
Nittawela is very different from windy Ratmalana. Kandy SC will be glad that they are back on home turf and that they will be turning out in front of their devoted, frenzied fans. Winger Vishvamithra Jayasinghe used his speed to good effect against the Airmen to score a try or two. Richard Dharmapala, the skipper, was in the thick of the action. Fly half Nigel Ratwatte made a rare blunder in the in-goal area. That cost his team a try.
Thilina Wijesinghe, overcame slightly difficult conditions to make it four conversions out of four. Kandy's pride, the back division, performed quite well, although there were occasional glitches. A possible try did not materialise as a result of a wayward pass to winger Lavanga Perera, who was unmarked. A couple of dropped passes confirmed the thought that they were early season blues. However, Kandy can play better. Their flamboyant best is yet to come.
Dhanushka Ranjan, Jason Dissanaike and Buvenaka Udangamuwe, three of Kandy's outstanding players did not do anything sensational. They should make amends today. It is inconceivable that the Police, will pull the rug from under Kandy's feet. However, they are a spirited outfit and should make things difficult for the champions.
Airmen host Soldiers
The Air Force entertain another service arm, the Army, at Ratmalana today, in the second game. The Air Force tried conclusions with Kandy SC and expectedly, came off second best. However, they were not disgraced. To their credit, early in the second half, the teams were tied at 14-all.
The Air
Force attacked through a combination of forwards and backs.
They have a couple of tall, rugged players in the back division. Jehan Seelagama is one. Their Fijian number eight Ratuva Kausoo is quite a massive presence.
The glue that binds the Air Force team is former skipper Gayantha Iddamalgoda. Equally adept at playing fly half or scrum half, he is a player who is constantly probing for openings. His goal-kicking ability makes him the stand out player in the team.
In the back division, centre Soorya Krishan, who was able to touchdown against Kandy, and full back Rumesh Ramdas have sufficient skill and experience. Ishara Madushan and Pabasara Hewage show up prominently.
Prop Ranuka Medagedera and number eight Saraka
Werella are the pick of the forwards. One got the impression that Air Force's foreign player was holding himself back a bit. He simply can't do that against Kandy.
The Army flattered to deceive last season. They performed well early on and raised hopes. Ultimately, they ended up in the bottom four. It is difficult to gauge the talent of their foreign players Ualuva and Boila. Judgment will have to be suspended.
Last weekend they lost to one of the better teams – the Havies, by an 11-point margin. The Soldiers are not short of fighting spirit the skipper of 2016/17, Asoka Jayalal, typified guts and coverage. The others should follow his example.
Led by flanker Upul Abeyratne, the Soldiers are hoping to play attacking, open rugby. Fly half Ashan Bandara generally catches the eye with his breaks. He is well fed by his linkman, Mohamed Rizvi, centres Sameera Bulathsingalage and Kasun Maduranga keep probing for the gaps. Winger Manoj Bandara can finish off the moves well.
Fullback Gayan Salinda, a tall and lanky player, fields the ball well and endevours to go forward. He can kick the ball a long way.
The Army should have self-belief. They are not asked to climb a mountain. The Airmen are more or less up their street. Last year, the Soldiers beat the Airmen 33-32 in the first round. But, the latter derailed the Army's campaign with a stunning 33-10 win. It's a tossup, but the Airmen could come through purely because of have advantage.
One got the impression that Air Force's foreign player was holding himself back a bit. He simply can't do that against Kandy. The Army flattered to deceive last season. They performed well early on and raised hopes. Ultimately, they ended up in the bottom four.