Kandy favourites to retain Clifford Cup for the second year running
Kandy SC, unbeaten throughout the League tournament, will look to continue the stint - File pic
Kandy Sports Club, are firm favourites to retain the Clifford cup for yet another year, as they will try to keep their unbeaten tag intact for the rugby season 2015/2016. Yesterday they met minnows of the Sri Lankan rugby fraternity, in the recent past: CH and FC in the quarters at Nittawela. Kandy, the league champions as well for the second year running, will most probably like to face Navy SC in the semis, on March 20th at the Trinity College Rugby Stadium, Pallekele. The quarter-final clash between Navy and Police is to be worked out tomorrow at the Race Course.
The Hall mark of Kandy SC throughout the season has been their mobile set of forwards cleverly backed up by the sleek back line. The forwards such as Kishore Jehan, Daminda Dassanayake, Piyumal Manchanayake, Dimitri Wijetunga, Shehan Pathirana, Gayan Ratnayake, Soyuru Anthony, Asitha Ratnayake and Buwaneka Udangamuwa are players with heavy work rates who have won many close battles against their opponents through the season.On the other hand Kandy’s trump card is always their back line.
Even without the playmaker and skipper Fazil Marija, who did not play all the matches in the second round of the league due to injury, their back line was able to see off the challenge of their opponents, which was remarkable. The acting skipper Nigel Ratwatte manning the fly-half position, The two centers in Richard Dharmapala and Gayan Weeraratne, the two wings in Vishwamithra Jayasinghe and Danushka Dayan, the link man, Roshan Weeraratne and Srinath Sooriyabandara, manning the last line of defense, are blending very well and proven that they can penetrate any defense without a minimum fuss. Their bench strength is envied by their rivals!
Navy SC is more likely to face Kandy in the first semi-final. In their confrontation against the Police in the league, in the first round, they scraped through to win by 27-24 at Welisara. But in the second round game at the Police Park, Police had the better of Navy 16-11. But Navy may have the upper hand against the Cops in this time around. Their forwards in Sathya Ranatunga, Dulanjana Wijesinghe, Roshan Ranasinghe, experienced Sajith Saranga, Nivantha Prasad, Danushka Prasad, Viraj Perera and young Omalka Guneratne will have the edge over their counter parts.
But Police forwards lately have played as a unit with the inclusion of Bilal Hassan to the number eight position. Young Prop Charles Praveen, Skipper and lock Udara Chanaka, and experienced flank forward Sharo Fernando are the players to watch in this game. In the back line battle for possession, Police have the edge over their rivals. Rehan Weerakoon, Mushin Faleel, Chula Susantha, Reza Rafaideen, Gihan Silva, Reza Mubarak and the link man Sudham Parinda will surely penetrate their opponents’ defense more often. But Navy too will not lie low.
Their backs in calibre of Chanaka Chandimal, Keegal, Dinusha Chathuranga and Thilina Weerasinghe will of course punch holes on Police defense. On the second semi-final to be worked out on March 19, at the Race Course it more likely that CR and FC will play Havelock SC. Last Friday, CR and FC was to play Army SC and yesterday Havies to play Air Force.
CR is a young side led by former Peterite Ishan Noor. They have really excelled throughout the season to end up 3rd in the league table. The players such as Jason Dissanayake, Arun Kumar, Dilan Zoyza, Kavindu de Costa, Tarindra Ratwatte, Ashen de Costa, Bhanuka Nanayakkara, Rehan Silva and Prince Chamara are the players to watch and who can change the tide of the game but they will be tested to the limits by the Park club.
Havelock’s the runners up of the 2015/2016 league, is a side that posses mobile set of forwards and a fast running back line. They have the upper hand over their rivals in every department of the game. In the league itself they won the first round game 34-18 and 26-21 in the return game against CR, and they are the probable opponent to face the Kandy SC in the finals. They probably have the best ‘eight’ who work as a unit. Danushka Priyadarshana, Dushmantha Priyadarshana, Janik Jayasuriya, Sudarshana Muthuthantri , and Lasindu Karunathilaka (All forwards) and Rahul Silva, Shamly Burah, Hirantha Perera, Rohan Theyagarajah, Sandun Herath and Rimzi Jamaldeen (The backs) who can excel in attack and defense as well.
The Clifford Cup final will be worked out on March 26, Saturday, at the Race Course. The Clifford Cup is more than 100 years old with first ever tournament played in 1911, and the finals was between United Services against the All Ceylon Rugby Football Club. United Services won 25-0. It continued till 1913 and had a abrupt halt. Then the tournament restarted from 1926 to 1938. But from year 1950, the tournament is continuously played except in years 1998 and 2013. Kandy Sports Club since their rugby was revived in year 1992 has won it 18 times.CR and FC 14 times and last won in 2006. Havelock’s 13 times with their last win way back in 1981.Police SC won 8 times with last win in 1991. CH and FC won 7 times with last win in 1994. Army won it twice in 1973 and 1975. Air Force and Navy SC have the trophy once each in 1986 and 2014 respectively.