Make or break for champs

Kandy SC forwards Senaka Bandara, Daham Wickremarachchi and Chathura Soyza will have to be at their fervent best 

By Shamseer Jaleel 

One of the most eagerly anticipated encounters of the inter club rugby League will have defending champions Kandy Sports Club take on Havelock Sports Club at the Nittawela Rugby Stadium on Sunday with kick-off scheduled for 3.30 pm.

The fixture could have a decisive bearing on the eventual title outcome.

Kandy SC move into this clash having experienced an unusually mixed campaign by their high standards. They suffered a narrow 20/25 defeat against CR and FC in their previous outing and were earlier held to a 24/24 draw by CH and FC. 

However, in the remainder of their matches, Kandy SC have stamped their authority with commanding bonus-point victories.

Havelocks too have endured a challenging path so far. They opened their campaign with a draw against Navy SC and later went down to their traditional rivals CR and FC.  Since then they have gathered momentum, winning their remaining matches and re-establishing themselves as title contenders.

As a result, this contest shapes up as a pivotal battle, with both sides very much in contention for league honours. With little separating the teams on form and confidence, it promises to be a high-quality encounter.

Havelocks, led by Janidu Fernando and coached by Saliya Kumara, have shown steady improvement with each outing. Their most recent performance was particularly impressive as they completely outplayed CH and FC 39/5, underlining their growing cohesion and attacking threat.

Key performers include Abdullah Faiz, Jayathu Rajarathna and Sudesh Jayawickrema, who have consistently delivered under pressure. Fullback Samuel Maduwantha, a reliable long-range kicker, is yet to reach his peak this season and this fixture could prove to be a turning point for him.

Kandy SC, captained by Tharindu Chaturanga, continue to boast arguably the most potent three-quarter line in the competition. Dhanushka Ranjan, Dinal Ekanayake, Diluksha Dange and Kavindu Perera give the defending champions attacking depth and flair across the park. Their scrum half Heshan Jansen too is a man for the hour. 

At fullback, experienced Srinath Sooriyabandara brings more than 16 years of club rugby experience, offering composure and positional intelligence. Forwards Bandara and Dilshan Fareed have played their part. 

However, Kandy’s primary concern remains goal-kicking, following the sudden retirement of Tarinda Ratwatte which has left little time to groom a specialist replacement and their present kicker Asiri Seneviratne too is out injured.

But credit must also go to Kandy SC for placing their faith in local talent, opting not to field overseas players this season so far while the other eight clubs have depended on foreign players.