Could on-tune Kandy sink the fighting Sailors today
View(s):Hot on the heels of two intensely fought matches, Kandy SC has another immensely difficult hurdle to clear this evening at Nittawela. Their opponents, Navy SC, have had mixed fortunes. They lost to Army SC by one point and to Havelocks by three. By the same token, then beat the CR by a point and the Police, by three.
Beyond its excitement the Kandy vs Navy clash has always been a case of pride - File pic
While Kandy has a very good allround side, strong in front and also at the back, the Navy prides itself on the excellence of its pack. This is understandable when you take players such as Sajith Saranga, Yoshita Rajapaksa, Dhanushka Perera, the skipper, Omalka Gunaratne and Anuranga Walpola into the reckoning.
Yoshita’s form has been a revelation. His try tally is eight and, obviously, his name is right up there when discussing forwards. The Navy back division lacks the brilliance and flair of their opponents. Saliya Handapangoda is speedy, and Lee Keegel can be a handful. Collectively, they fall a bit short of Kandy’s outsides.
In fullback Tilina Weerasinghe, the former Kingswood College player, the Navy has a valuable asset. His kicks at goal have been quite accurate and he has certainly gained plenty of points for his team. Lavanga Perera, Roshan Weeraratne and Heshan Kalhara must have played alongside him in school. All that is lost sight in the heat of battle.
Kandy has no obvious weaknesses. Their pack is competent and have performed the tasks expected of them quite well. They have also stood up and defended their goal-line with zeal and courage on the few occasions that Kandy has been up against it. Yet, second fiddle it is and there’s no mistaking that.
Kandy has long prided itself on the excellence of its back division. The run and pass game has been mothers milk to them. This running culture has permeated the schools in Kandy and most of them are good exponents of the art. “A thing of beauty is a joy forever” said the poet Keats and Kandy’s talented back division exemplifies that. When the outsides operate at full throttle trading scissors, dummies, chips, long passes etc, the spectators are on the edge of their seats. All this needs a master controller, and Fazil Marija is just that. He has recently moved to the fly half’s berth and this has given him ample opportunity to dictate the flow and pace of the game.
His chief lieutenants – Vishwamithra Jayasinghe, Roshan Weeraratne, Richard Dharmapala and Lavanga Perera are in zinc with his thinking. Thus the overall effect is harmonious. To sum up, this could be a battle between Navy’s forwards and Kandy’s backs. Last year’s tough confrontation between these teams comes to mind. After eighty gruelling minutes, they were separated by a point or two. Navy won the match, but Kandy kept the Cup.
Kandy SC: Kishore Jehan, Damith Dissanaike, Piumal Manchanayake, Gayan Ratnayake, Heshan Kalhara, Suhiru Anthony, Buvaneka Udangamuwe, Asitha Ratnayake, Roshan Weraratne, Fazil Marija, Vishwamithra Jayasinghe, Gayan Weeraratne, Richard Dharmapala, Lavanga Perera, Arshad Jamaldeen.
Standby: Dhanushka Dayan, Sashika Jayawardene, Tilina Wijesinghe, Damien Ratwatte. Navy SC: Satya Ranatunga, Anuranga Walpola, Stefan Gregory, Sajith Saranga, Matheesha Sarachchandra, Dhanushka Perera, Yoshita Rajapaksa, Omalka Gunaratne, Suranga Pushpakumara, Charaka Chandimal, Saliya Handapangoda, Dinesh Lakmal, Lee Keegel, Hashan Nadunge, Thilina Weerashinghe.
Standby: Oshan Ranasinghe, Amith Gurusinghe, Chatura Dilshan, Kanchana Perera, Nivanka Prasad, Ritchie Dharmapala, Kosala Tissera, Buddima Piyaratne.