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Soft opening for Kandy SC
By Aubrey Kuruppu
The Old Zahirians, a relatively untried and untested unit, will have a heck of a job in their season -opener this Sunday at Nittawela when they come up against last year's thrice-crowned champions, Kandy SC.

Over the last decade or so, the Kandy team has been the team to beat. A major part of the Silverware in that period has gone into the glittering and bulging trophy cabinet at Nittawela. A player or two may have come and gone, but basically the team has remained intact and this fact has had much to do with their success.

Radhika Hettiarachchi, the big - built wing three quarter and stand in place kicker, who captained the Sri Lankan team last year will be holding the reins of Kandy S.C. The presence of a many a national player in his team makes Hettiarachchi's job that much easier.

Izwan Omar, the Secretary of Kandy S.C., said that the Fijian players will not be turning out in the first game. There is also the possibility that Indrajith Bandaranaike (who is worth his weight in gold) will give the opener a miss. This loss will be amply compensated by the experienced Jeeva Galgamuwa and Saranam Hettiarachchi who will bind in the front row. Mohamed Buksh will be the hooker. Buksh plays it hard and is tireless. Malith Silva, the utility man, can play either as hooker or as number eight. Duminda Pulikuttiarachchi should also come into the reckoning.

Kandy S.C is well served as far as locks are concerned. A former skipper, Pradeep Basnayake, will make one position his own. Neranjan Ranasinghe and Sumedha Jayasinghe will battle it out for the vacant spot.

It is an all Trinity affair for the flankers berths, with Sean Wijesinghe and Dilip Chelvam in the fore-front. The number eight could well be last year's player cum coach Tulaga Tovita or it could be one of Kandy SC's four foreign imports - all of them Fijians.

Amjad Buksh will pair off with last year's skipper Sajith Mallikarachchi to form the halves combination. Buksh replaces the injured Nilufer Ibrahim who may be out of action for the season.

Mallikarachchi makes good breaks from the pivotal position and, besides, enters the scraps with gusto. He's difficult to bring down, too. Youngster and teenager, Prasad Chathuranga, the nippy and talented scrum half, who made his national debut in the Singer Rugby Sevens, is also in contention.

The Kandy back division is a by word for efficiency and sleek performance, having as it does players of the calibre of Hettiarachchci and Jayasinghe (Wingers) Pradeep Liyanage, Chanaka Vithanage, Dhanushka Pushpakumara and Indrajith Bandaranaike as centres. There will also be a Fijian presence. It is hoped that Kandy SC will run the ball as often as possible to give their talented back division as much scope as possible to rake in the points (and in the process to toning the vociferous, even partisan Nittawela crowds to its feet!)

The last line of defence is in the capable hands of the versatile Nalaka Weerakkody. Nalaka's collection is safe and his clearances travel many a yard. He has the knack of joining the line when his presence is needed and his speed off the mark is a big advantage.

All in all, it is a most formidable outfit and with so many talented players on call, The think-tank has the luxury of keeping their starts under wraps early on, in order to have them primed and ready for battle when the going gets tough. CR & FC and the Army will probably partake in bruising battles when they confront Kandy SC.

The four Fijians who will be turning out for the club at some stage or the other are Mesake Narugo, Mesake Davn, Osaka Ofin and Sivali Driu. With Kandy youth's reported pull out from the Caltex inter club league tournament, a little more talent will be put at the disposal of Kandy Sports Club.

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