Kandy set for another Sunday feast
by Hafiz Marikar
Today at Nittawela, Kandy Sports Club are the overwhelming favourite
when they meet Air Force at 4 pm in their Dialog inter club League rugby
match.
Today's game will be refereed by Priyantha Gunarathne and former
Kandy Sports Club skipper Emil van der Poorten will be the chief guest
and introduced to the two teams.
In the last game Kandy handed CH and FC a 80-3 drubbing and it could
be the same for Air Force today.
Air Force will have to play with better cohesion and new ideas if
they are to curtail Kandy.
Kandy will have Pumal Manchnayake, Damitha Dissanayake, Kishor Jehan,
Dimithra Wijetunge, Gayan Ratnayake, Heshan Kalara Silva, Soyura
Anthony, Sashika Jayawardene, Asitha Ratnayake, Buwanaka Udangamuwa,
Roshan Weeraratne, Fazil Marija (Capt), Danusha Daya, Lavanga Perera,
Gayan Weeraratne, Vishvamithra Jayasinghe, Nigel Ratwatte, Arshad
Jamaldeen, Chanaka Bandara, Lochana Girihagama, Shehan Pathirane and
Richard Dharmapala in the side. Air Force will have Pushpakumara
Samarahewa, Pandula Bandara, Lahiru Dayangana, Ranuka Madegedera,
Thilina Bandara, Ranil Madagedera, Shamindra Udayakumara, Pradeep
Kurukulasooriya (Capt), Lochana Ekanayake, Isuru Jayarathne, Gayantha
Iddamalgoda, Jero Dananjaya, Charith Seneviratne, Sooriya Krishna,
Ishara Madushan, Nuwan Perera, Parakrama Ratnayake, Donald Frank, Dinesh
Weeraratne, Gayan Anurudda, Suranga Arunashantha, Kaushal Manuppriya and
Pabasara Hewage.
The Referee will be Priyantha Gunarathne.
Once at a match in 1986 the formidable Airmen at the time had a
narrow shave thanks to a mistake made by Maurice Joachim as they won
their return encounter 16 - 12 at Nittawela on a Sunday.
Kandy were leading 12 -10 midway through the second half and the
Airmen were awarded a penalty. But reliable place kicker Tony
Wimalasuriya failed to find the target. Kandy's centre Maurice Joachim
collected the ball in the in-goal area and a sudden rush of blood made
him kick the ball to find touch instead of touching down in defence.
The ball did not pass the five-metre mark from the Kandy line. A
line-out was followed by a scrum almost on the Kandy line and the Airmen
scored a push-over try by veteran Nalin de Silva. Had Joachim touched
down in defence, Kandy would have played safe until the final whistle as
they dominated play in the closing stages of the game.
In this game it was the Airmen who scored first in the 20th minute
when Nalin de Silva intercepted a pass sent by Kandy's skipper Ashan
Ratwattte to play-maker Ruwan Mallawarachchi. Nalin de Silva was able to
touch down with Tony Wimalasuriya adding the extra points.
The scores at half time stood at 10-3 in favour of the Airmen.
Shortly after resumption Ruwan Mallawarachchi put over a penalty to
make it 10-6 and Kandy went ahead 12-10 when Viper Gunaratne playing as
winger scored off a move initiated by flank forward Ikram Odyar for
skipper Ashan Ratwatte to swing play from right to left and have Maurice
Joachim make the opening.
Ruwan Mallawarachchi once again kicked on target.
Some of the Kandy players in the side were Ashan Ratwattte, L.V.
Ekanayake, Ruwn Mallawarachchi, Anil Jayasinghe, Nihal (Viper) Gunaratne,
Ikram Odayar, Keerthi Ranaweera, Maurice Joachim, K. Saravanan, Piyal
Ellepola, Ravi Ranasinghe while C.H Seneviratne was the coach. Air Force
had Tikiri Marambe, Nalin de Silva, Tony Wimalasuiya, Rex Anthony and
Lofty Perera among others.
The match was refereed by Jeffry de Jong. |
