DEFENDING CHAMPS NAVY TO ENJOY SHARK FIN SOUP TODAY
The much sought after and eagerly awaited Dialog Axiata-sponsored ‘A’ Division Rugby League 2014/15 has finally arrived and kicks off today with the Defending Champs Navy SC taking on the Hambantota Sharks at Beliatta, with kick off scheduled for 4pm.
Thegametodayisexpected to be a ‘cake walk’ for the ‘Sailors’ who as winners of last year are playing the ‘Sharks’ who in their debut outing could only muster two wins and languished in the lower part of the points table.
Navy who rallied last year to win the League championship for the very first time will be going flat out to secure a win and probably a bonus point of scoring four or more tries in today’s game. The ‘Sailors’ this year have secured some outstanding players that made the ‘cream of the crop’ last year. Four Havelocks players in Henry Terrance, Sharo Fernando, Hasitha Perera and Chamara Dabare have switched over and will don the Sailors jersey for the very first time today. Other prominent players to move over are Vishwamithra Jayasinghe and Reza Mubarak from CR and FC and Srinath Sooriyabandara from the now defunct Upcountry Lions. They will also have the mighty muscle of their retained foreigners Lathumala and Setafano who will be joined and further strengthened by another Fijian national player Viupaula. However according to sources from theHambantotaSharkscamp, they are expected to come up strong this year and warn their opponentsofa“SharkAttack” whenever they take the field. The‘Sharks’ontheotherhand havebeenworkingbehindthe scenes under the guidance of coach Nilfer Ibrahim and will go flat out to prove the pundits wrong, as they too have been reinforced by the presence of the Fijian duo of Joseph Dun and Emori who earlier represented Sri Lanka in the Asiad. Dunn is slated to play as centre today, with Emori still not confirmed due to an injury. They have also signed up experienced players such as Navinda Pullikuttiarachchi who played for the Airmen last year, Mohamed Rizwan who had a stint with Navy and veteran Amjad Buksh, the former Kandy, CR and Havelocks veteran. Priyantha Ekanayake will control proceedings as their fly half. The season’s opener should provide both sides the opportunity to showcase their skill and also provide them the opportunity to experiment with their combinations, formations and strategies on the field today. Two former Thomians will be leading the sides with Yoshitha Rajapaksa the skipper of the ‘Sailors’ and Janik Jayasuriya of the ‘Sharks’. Pradeep Fernando is listed to handle the whistle today.