High-flying Havies face misfiring Cops

By Harsha Amarasinghe and Sandun Kodithuwakku 

Havelock Sports Club were beaten on the opening day by their rivals CR & FC, but Sanath Martis’ side has since been in supreme form notching up four victories on the trot and on Saturday they will take on a misfiring Police Sports Club side at Havelock Park.

Havies who are placed second in the points table behind league leaders Kandy Sports Club, have brought in Shenuka Herath to the front row in place of Janindu Fernando while former S. Thomas captain Christian De Lile has returned to the third row replacing Nepul Athukorala.

Niwanka Prasad will remain in the number eight position with De Lile and Maleesha Madumewan at either side of him.

Captain Vimukthy Rahula has kept his place in the starting line-up which means young Raveen Fernando will start on the bench against the Cops.
Wing three quarter Ramesh Fernando has been preferred to Harusha Perera while Chanaka Chandimal will operate from centre position instead of Dinupa Seneviratne. Senior campaigner Mithun Hapugoda has been trusted once again as the line last of defense for the Park Club.
Police Sports Club on the other hand hasn’t had a good season although they played well in patches. Last week’s encounter against Kandy Sports Club really sums up their season. The Cops had a great chance of toppling the Sri Lanka rugby giants but they well and truly bottled it in the last ten minutes of the match gifting Kandy the win with some shocking errors.

Given the quality and experience they have in that squad, it’s hard to believe they are the basement boys this season winning just one game for so far.

Police are likely to make a huge change in the front row with hooker Dulanjana Wijesinghe being lined up to replace Rasith Silva in the starting XV. Silva has been Police’s hooker for years now, but in Wijesinghe Police may find quality they needed. The Police management are still to confirm this change but, Daily Mirror understands it is very likely to happen.

Second row Mohan Wimalaratne is set to return to the pack replacing Pradeep Kumara while Udaya Sanjula has been preferred to Lahiru Thilakaratne.

Rukshan Madushanka has also been brought into the team in place of Vihanga Pivithuru to form a centre partnership with Akash Madushanka while Police are considering the possibility of replacing full back Prince Chamara with Wesley youngster Shane Hopwood.

Havelock XV: Faiz Abdulla, Azmir Fajudeen, Shenuka Herath, Shehan Dias, Mohamed Nizran, Christian De Lile, Maleesha Madumewan, Niwanka Prasad, Vimukthi Rahula (c) and Sandesh Jayawickrama, Ramesh Fernando, Chanaka Chandimal, Iranga Ariyapala, Randitha Warnapura, Mithun Hapugoda

Police XV: Amjad Fawmy, Dulanjana Wijesinghe, Hashan Fernando, Nisal Samadhi (c), Mohan Wimalaratne, Udaya Sanjula, Chanaka Sooriyapperuma, Shanaka Harishchandra, Primesh Danushka and Yohan Peiris, Stefan Praveen, Akash Madushanka, Rukshan Madushanka, Sujan Kodithuwakku, Shane Hopwood