Army Sports Club will be without their star centre Danushka Talwatte, as he is nursing an injury and will be a doubtful starter today, when they take on the Police Sports Club in their Nippon Paint Inter-Club ‘A’ Division league rugby first round final match at Police Park today, starting at 4:15pm.led by centre Iroshan Silva, the Police team got some good players who could be match winners for them.
Players such as Ashan Fernando, Mohan Wimalaratne, Udara Sooriyapperuma, Vageesha Weerasinghe, Shanaka Harishchandra, Sachith Silva and Suranga Kasun should be marked well by the Army team, if not, they will be in deep trouble. The Army team is the underdogs and one of the teams that can pull off a shock win in the league championship this year; they will be out for another shock win when they meet the Cops like they did against formidable Navy SC.
They will heavily depend on their skipper Chameera Silva, cracking flanker Abishek Rasanjana, playmaker cum fly half Tharindu Madushan Hettiarachchi, the hard running players, centre Lasantha Kumara, winger Sudaraka Dikkumbura and Dishara Kodagoda.
Army lost four games to Havelock SC (14-36), Air Force SC (05-12), CH and FC (23-33) and Kandy SC by a whisker (17-21) last week at Havelock Park, but held CR & FC to a (16-16) draw and won against formidable Navy SC 18-13) in the ongoing inter-club league tourney. If the Army team has things their own way, then they will have the upper hand in this encounter.
Meanwhile the Police outfit in the ongoing league tournament so far beat the formidable Air Force (11-03), CR & FC (20-03), but lost to Navy SC (00-12), Havies (17-21), Kandy (23-36) at Nittawela and CH and FC (22-25) last week, in a tense battle.
Going by the two teams’ performances so far, this encounter should be a very close game with Police will surely try their very best to make an all important win over the underdogs Army SC team in this league match to secure the last slot in the cup championship behind Kandy SC, Havelock SC and CH and FC.
Army SC (Probable XV): Thamira Jayalath, Kalana Devapriya, Buddhi Srimantha, Nalaka Maduranga, Nalan Deshapriya, Chameera Silva (Captain), Abishek Rasanjana, Danuka Wijethilake, Manjula Weerasinghe and Tharindu madushan Hettiarachchi, Sudaraka Dikkumbura, Lasantha Kumara, Chanaka Gunaratne, Dilshara Kodagoda, Lahiru Rathnayake, Head coach: Radhika Hettiarachchi, Assistant coach: Anuranga Walpola
Police SC (probable XV): Hashan Fernando, Rasith Silva, Danushka Edirisuriya, Udara Sooriyapperuma, Mohan Wimalaratne Udaya Sanjula, Wageesha Weerasinghe, Chanaka Harishchandra, Suranga Kasun and Yohan Perera, Sachith Silva, Prince Akash, Iroshan Silva (Captain), Shan Akila, Janith Chanaka, Head Coach: Asanga Rodrigo, Assistant Coach: Danushka Boteju Referee: Ishanka Abeykoon