7 January 2023 01:23 am Views - 354
By Harsha Amarasinghe and Sandun Kodithuwakku
CH & FC will host their arch rivals CR & FC in what is set to be a hugely important game in the inter club league rugby tournament, at Race Course on Saturday.
Red Shirts have two wins in three games beating Police Sports Club and Havelock Sports Club despite losing out to Kandy Sports Club in a closely fought battle.
The Longden Place club has firmly put aside the horror season they had last year in which they could only finish seventh in the league.
According to the CR team management, the club has formed a brand new centre partnership in Chathura Seneviratne and Manilka Ruberu while wing three quarter Gemunu Chethiya will be a serious threat in this encounter.
Scrum-half Kavindu de Costa is set to lead the team with young Thenuka Nanayakkara has been trusted at the pivotal fly-half position.
CH & FC were stunned early by Air Force Sports Club after which they made a gallant comeback beating Police Sports Club 34-20, but last week they were held to a 31-all draw by Army Sports Club.
CH & FC are set to bring in fly-half Hirusha Sampath in place of Rohitha Rajapaksa according to their team management while similarly to CR, they have got a brilliant centre partnership in Janidu Dilshan and Dinuk Amarasinghe.
Both teams have been in really good form after relatively slow starts to the season. This season is expected to be far more open than the last few years with the reigning champions Kandy Sports Club looks to be slightly weaker this time around which is why both CR and CH could give their best because 2023 may we'll be the year Kandy dominance end.
CH XV:
Dushmantha Priyadarshana, Prasath Madusanka (c), Shehan Silva, Soorya Dodangoda, Venura Kodagoda, Ravindu Hettiarachchi, Yoshitha Rajapaksa, Sudarshana Muthuthanthri, Avishka Lee and Hirusha Sampath, Johann Ogbebor, Janindu Dilshan, Dinuk Amarasinghe, Ovin Hettiarachchi, Avantha Lee
CR XV:
Lahiru Pavithra, Kaveen Sri Vikum, Ashan Darling, Raveen de Silva, Gayan Dilshan, Shehan Kelaniyagoda, Vageesha Weerasinghe, Lasindu Ishan, Kavindu de Costa (c) and Thenuka Nanayakkara, Ruchira Ekanayake, Chathura Seneviratne, Manelka Ruberu, Gemunu Chethiya, Murshid Zubair