CR rookie Dilshan to miss Navy clash
CR and FC will be without rookie centre Janidu Dilshan for their second game of the Dialog Interclub League Rugby Tournament match against Navy Sports Club at Welisara today.
Dilshan who had a stellar inter-school season for Royal College in a title-winning last season made his club debut in the opening week against CH and FC and put a very impressive display.
However, the 19-year-old who was described as the ‘Next Danushka Ranjan’ by his head coach Nilfer Ibrahim earlier this week, will be unavailable for their trip to Welisara as he has been released to take part in Sri Lanka Under-19 practises.
This has forced CR to reshuffle their backline with captain Kavindu Perera moving to secondcentre while incoming Nalin Kumar taking a spot in the first XV as a wing three quarter.
Ibrahim has also handed scrum-half Rahul de Silva a place in the starting line-up ahead of Kavindu de Costa, to form a half-back combination with star player Tarinda Ratwatte who excelled at fly-half in the previous match.
The Red Shirts have also made a couple of changes to their pack with Charana Chamikara being pushed into front row to replace Kokila Sammandapperuma while Chamikara’s position in the second row will be taken by either Mithila Perera or Gayan Dilshan.
Navy who survived a late onslaught from Police last week are expected to bring in Richie Dharmapala in place of Harsha Maduranga while rest of the team remains the same.
Navy have relied upon their heavy pack over the last few years, but on Saturday, they will be up against a very strong set of forwards from Longden Place which is why some of their match winners from the backline such as Buddhima Piyaratne and Thanuja Maduranga will have to step up to the occasion.
NAVY SC: Kasun de Silva, Mahesh Madushanka, Charith Silva, Raveen de Silva, Gevin Patrick, Gihan Perera, Adeesha Weeratunga, Radeesha Seneviratne, Richie Dharmapala and Mohamed Abzal, Buddhima Piyaratne, Mushin Faleel, Thanuja Maduranga, Dinusha Fernando, Thilina Weerasinghe (Captain)
CR and FC SC: Hafeez Noor, Dulanjana Wijesinghe, Charana Chamikara, Shehan Dias, Gayan Dilshan or Mithila Perera, Joel Perera, Joseph Fuimaono, Omalka Gunarathne , Rahul de Silva and Tarinda Ratwatte, Reeza Raffaideen, Rehan Silva, Kavindu Perera (Captain), Nalin Kumara