CR – Army should be a thriller today
View(s):The Army rugby outfit which comes into the tournament as this year’s “Dark Horse” will go all guns blazing to topple the much fancied CR and FC as they come out for the first time in the Dialog Sponsored ‘A’ Division club rugby league encounter with the kick off scheduled at 4.00pm at the Race Course grounds this evening.
Both teams are evenly poised, making today’s game an exciting one - File pic
The Soldiers are bolstered this year with the inclusion of quite a few local signees along with three Fijians and two Tongans and are planning to upset the apple cart like what Navy did last year. Chula Susantha, Bhanuka Nanayakkara and Andrew Benson have all crossed over from the Navy along with their skipper Rohitha Rajapaksa who will lead the Soldiers today.
Fijian center Epi Cokansiga who played for the Army a few seasons ago is back and will occupy one of the centers berths. Pio Tuwai and Samuela Saiquwaare are also two Fijians who are powerful runners. Their pack will be bolstered by the Tongan Kilifi Latu and Sosaia Wainaka Palei both genuine Number 8 players.
CR not to be undone also possesses one of the finest sides on paper.
They virtually have adopted the entire now shut down ‘Up Country Lions’ where nine players along with Coach Imthi Marikkar has shifted to the Longden Place club.
CR skipper and fly half Ashan de Costa will have all New Zealanders as their foreign signees with Farrell Puppy (flanker) who has already acclimatized himself to local conditions where he played his first practice match the traditional “Captains’ Game” against CH last week. His fellow pack mate Joe Faumui will feature along Billy Ropina (center) and Robbie Malneek (full back/center) who are still to be confirmed for today.
Sithum Peiris the six foot two schoolboy star from Wesley College, last year’s skipper Ishan Noor, the fleeted footed center Amila Bandara and winger Anurudha Herath would certainly make their presence felt for the “Red Shirts” today.
Priyantha Gunaratne is listed to referee today. – MDF
| Referees “Sin Binned”
According to sources from within the Interim Committee of the Referees Society, the listed referee for today’s game Priyantha Gunaratne may be replaced instead by a foreign referee specially flown down from Perth Australia. |