Kandy has edge over Police in today’s key Dialog League Rugby Game

by Hafiz Marikar

Kandy Sports Club vs Police Sports Club - Kick-off 3.45 pm at Nittawella today (Sunday)

This match between Kandy Sports Club and the Police Sports Club can well turn out to be a close one.

For Kandy Sports Club to be competitive their backs must fire on all four cylinders and try and drag Police Sports Club into an out-and-out running game.

Kandy’s fly-half Fazil Marija, flank forward Chris Cloete, Nigel Ratwatte and Lavanga Perera are well capable of testing the Police counterparts.

For Kandy Sports Club rugby Chief Lasantha Wijasuriya, this is a chance to test the depth of his team. He will be keen to see another big performance after the three wins-in-a-row, which is keeping them on top of the table.

For Police Sports Club, their rugby chief Hafeez Marso, this is a chance to test the depth of his team. He will be keen to see another big performance after last weeks win, and the policemen hope for another fine performance.

Kandy should indulge in with a mix of intelligent kicking and moving the ball in attack to exploit defensive lapses. Play-maker Fazil Marija leads a backline brimming with experience. They will draw on their aggressive defense to keep them in the game. For Police who made the best in the last game, they will try their best to do so, but there will be better opposition from the home side.

Both teams aiming high

Two sides are looking to end the game on a high performance, though both sides came away from last weekend victorious, each would have taken some positives from their performance against difficult opposition. Police looked dangerous as ever with ball in hand against CR and FC, while the Kandyans showed a greater willingness to move the ball.

These two last met in Colombo, last year and the Kandy side defeated the ‘Cops’, with a fine game of rugby, both in attack and defense. Today, if the Kandyans turn the ball over, kick loosely against this team, things could look easily similar to what happened last week. With a wet day expected, conditions should be very conducive to slipping rugby, and that certainly favours the men in the white jerseys, who are famous to play in wet conditions.

Look for the Nittawella side to be too strong, with their mesmerizing runners putting on a show in an entertaining spectacle. Unfortunately, looking at the ‘Cops’ roster and run-on side, brings some pretty sour news for the Nittawella side. As a rugby fan, the game will offer some passages of play that will be fun to watch. As fan, I fear most of that fun will come at the expense of the ‘Cops’.

The Kandyan line-up is full of players who are in top-level at club set up, except the last game, the Cops defense has not been particularly good at preventing off loads or at recovering after an initial line break. The Policemen are going to get the off loads away, and they are going to have some line breaks.

If the Kandy side is going to pressure the Police team, they will need someone beyond Fazil Marija making good decisions in the backline. Last week, Arshad Jamaldeen and Damien Ratwatte were the the two half’s who helped out with both decision making and clearing kicks.

It is possible the hosts should spend a lot of time working on their driving mauls making the Policemen to struggle to defend. The Kandyans have not been particularly adventurous from their lineout ball, so it seems worth a shot to see if they can have success with the maul. Simple scissors or skip passes are unlikely to trouble Police defence much.

Kandy will be longing for a good start, relishing the chance to run against defense of the Policemen. They will be able to create enough chances that, even if not at their sharpest or most clinical, they will score several tries. The Kandy side has shown they have some fight, so they will get flat out to score early.

For Kandy SC - With all their options, all eyes will be on their three-quarters. Every fan hopes that the Kandy side will play with a ambition to pull the game in their favor with bonus points. Promising a fast and furious attacking game, but, it’s their goal-kicking that should fear by the apponents.

For Police SC, it is going to be a hard evenings work and they might have to spend more time defending than in attack. If they play the way they did so in the last game, then something should work out their way.

Teams

Kandy Sports Club - (team will be picked from): Diminthri Wijesinghe, Piyumal Manchanayake, Kishore Jehan, Damith Dissanayake, Uchitha Jayasuriya, Gyan Ratnayake, Sashika Jayawardene, Dinuk Perera, Sean Wijesinghe (Capt), Asitha Ratnayake, Tharindu Chathuranga, Chris Cloete, Roshan Weerarthne, Saliya Kuamra, Fazil Marija, Arshad Jamaldeen, Damian Ratwatte, Gyan Weerartne, Pradeep Liyanage, Buveneka Udangamuwa, Anuruddha Wilwara, Ishan Perera, Lavanga Perera, Drashana Ettipola, Nigel Ratwatte, Quntion Crocker (Johan Taylor Coach).

Police Sports Club - Lasitha Randeera, Rasika Silva, Udara Gayan, Romesh Achirige, Udara Sooriyapperuma, Gemanu Indrachapoa, Eshan Molagoda, Filimoni Seru, Ashan Gomez (Capt), Smantha Lakshan, Apsi Naqaliva, Indika Bandara, Niroshan Karunanayke, Heshan Guanilake, Sithum Chatrhusanka (Douglas Bursill coach).