Kandy Sports Club out to take Dialog Rugby title today

By Hafiz Marikar

Kandy Sports Club will be crowned Rugby League Champions 2014 2015" in the last game today. So, today will be the last game of the Dialog Rugby League Championship at the Nittawella Grounds,

Kandy in front of a jubilant and exciting crowd.

It is for sure that the ground will be packed and after the game the new league champions will be crowned.

Already Kandy Sports Club has been recognized as league champs on the points table and this game will be just a formality to complete the tournament fixtures. Kandy Sports Club is rich with past records of holding the cup on a number of occasions with the past and has many historic values in the heritage city of Kandy. Despite rising prosperity evidenced by its growth of importance, there was an incident when I asked a spectator.

Kandy to go flat out

"Is Kandy good enough to win the League championship?" The answer was Yes! They are ! And should continue for years to come. Kandy Sports Club unfortunately failed to be winners of the League for two years for reasons best known to the fans. So, the hard working and well drilled Kandy Sports Club ruggerites who deserve their grand success, will make their Club, General Committee, members and their loving fans proud and happy.

Today the table leaders Kandy Sports Club will play host to the defending champions Navy Sports Club who are placed number two in the league. Kandy Sports Club will now set their sights on the league series event, where fans and players alike will be hoping for the final breakthrough that has been so elusive.

Today's match seems pretty easy to predict in terms of both the outcome and how the outcome is arrived at. For Kandy Sports Club to be competitive, their backs must fire on all four cylinders and try and drag the Sailors into an out-and-out running game. Kandy Sports Club's backs are well capable of testing their counterparts.

Rugby Chairman Lasantha Wijasuriya said this is a chance to test the depth of the team. He will be keen to see another great performance after the four consecutive second round wins, which is keeping them on the top of the table.

Navy to test their depth

For Navy Sports Club, this is a chance to test the depth of their team. They may be hoping for a big performance, but with Kandy Sports Club at the home grounds it's going to be a difficult task. In the first round, the Sailors were beaten at their own den at Welisara. Kandy Sports Club should pick off with a mix of intelligent kicking and moving the point of attack to exploit defensive lapses. Playmaker Fazil Marija who missed the last game should lead the backline brimming with experience. If he fails to play today, the replacement is adequate that is Arshad Jamaldeen, who he is capable of matching.

Kandy Sports Club are sure to draw on their aggressive defence to keep them in the game. For Navy Sports Club who made the best in the last game, will try their best to do so, but the opposition from the home side is going to be hard.

Both sides are looking to end the game on a higher note with good performance, but what I feel is today Kandy Sports Club will go all out to win and bring back the league title to Nittawela. Kandy Sports Club look dangerous as ever with ball in hand and they show a greater willingness to move the ball.

These two teams last met at Welisara on 22nd of November 2014 Kandy Sports Club side defeated the Navy Sports Club, with a fine performance of rugby both in attack and defence.

Kicking strategy is instrumental to their plans it is the must-have accessory of any side with-pretensions.

"The stats do not lie". Today if the Kandy team turn the ball over and kick loosely against this team, things could look easily similar to what happened at Welisara. Certainly rugby is in favour of the men in the white jerseys, who are famous to play good quality rugby at their home den.

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

Kandy line star-studed

The Kandyan 'lineup' is star studed and in the last few games their defence has been particularly good. The sailors are sure to get the off loads away, and they are going to have some line breaks. If the Nittawela side is going to pressure the Sailors, they will need someone beyond Fazil Marija making good decisions in the backline. Last week, Arshad Jamaldeen helped out with both decision making and clearing kicks.

It is possible the hosts should spend a lot of time working on their driving maul given the Sailors 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 Sailors defence much. It seems likely that Kandy Sports Club will get off to a good start, relishing the chance to run against defence of the Sailors.

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 a try of their own.

For Kandy SC:- With all their options wide open all eyes will be on their three-quarters, every fan hopes that the Kandy Sports Club will play with a ambition to pull the game in their favour with bonus points. Promising a fast and furious attacking game but it's their goal-kicking that should fear most.

For Navy SC:- it is going to be a hard evenings work, they might have to spend more time defending than in attack, if they are hold the opponents , they must be solid at the forward battle.

Head-to-head:- As mentioned, it is expected to be a day for the forwards so they could prove vital in where this result is headed.

Prediction:- In the previous games between these teams, Kandy Sports Club has always come out on top. The hosts are all-out to pocket the game, so another week, another game to make it back to back win.

This week-end is going to be a great evening of Rugby and its expected that the numbers that will turn in to Nittawela will be the biggest for this season as a part from it being the final game of the tournament it will more likely be a "Cup Final' with both teams in the points table as 1st and 2nd. All are welcome to witness rugby at its best.

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, Gyan Weerartne, Pradeep Liyanage, Buveneka Udangamuwa, Anuruddha Wilwara, Oshan Perera, Lavanga Perera, Drashana Ettipola, Nigel Ratwatte, Oscar Umar and Koto Pongi.

Navy Sports Club:- Roshan Ranasinghe, Dulanjan Wijesinge, Kasun de Silva, Suhiru Anthony, Sajith Saranja (Capt), Sharo Fernando, Danushka Perera, Navaaaari Eramasi. Richie Dharmapala, Chanaka Chandimal, Vishamthra Jayasinghe, Dinusha Fernando, Setefano Cakkau, Chamara Dabare, Nuwan Hettiarchchi.