Injury-hit CR face tough task against Navy

By Sandun Kodithuwakku

An injury-hit CR & FC Team will take on a buoyant Navy SC outfit in their Dialog Inter-Club ‘A’ Division League Rugby Tournament first-round encounter at Longden Place tomorrow (18).

CR & FC are likely to miss the services of at least five of their regular players for this game and would be under tremendous pressure from the kick-off.

The biggest setback would be the unavailability of their Skipper and playmaker Omalka Gunaratne who is out with an ankle and shoulder injury.

As a result, the CR & FC Team will be captained by Reeza Raffideen.

In addition, Chanaka Chandimal and Sandun Herath have also been ruled out with knee injuries while Riza Mubarak and Kevin Dixon are down with fever.

However, CR & FC would certainly welcome the return of dynamic second-row forward Sharo Fernando after having recovered from a shoulder injury.

But still, it would be a challenging task for CR & FC who are hoping to bounce back after last week’s 22-30 defeat at the hands of traditional rivals Havelock SC.

In contrast, Navy SC are confident of pulling off the game as they would take the field on the back of two successive victories against Air Force SC (24-14) and Army SC (35-34) respectively.

The teams

CR & FC: Pathum Weerasinghe, Supun Warnakulasooriya, Ashen Fernando, Udara Gayan, Sharo Fernando, Wajid Fawmy, Joel Perera, Risith Kavianjana, Rahul De Silva and Kalindu Nandila, Reeza Raffideen, Dinuk Amarasinge, Janidu Dilshan, Gemunu Chethiya, Mohammad Zubair.

Navy SC: Dehsna Vimukthi, Pradeep Ranaweera, Charith Silva, Stephan Gregory, Nirosh Perera, Gihan Perera, Adeesha Weerathunga, Radeesha Senevirathna, Richie Dharmapala and Isuru Kongahawaththa, Supun Dilshan, Sachinka Abeysekara, Thanuja Malinbada, Chathura Seneviratne, Thilina Weerasinghe.