Acid test for St Peter’s and Zahira today

By M. Shamil Amit

It’s going to be an acid test for St Peter’s College and Zahira College when the two sides confront each other in the second round match of the Dialog Schools Rugby league tournament today at Bambalapitiya at 4.15 pm.

St Peter’s ended their first round league campaign with an unbeaten record winning all five matches while Zahira won their first four matches and met their waterloo losing to S. Thomas’ College in their last match.

The Peterites led by No Shenuka Perera cannot afford to take Zahira, led by centre Hakeem Chunchi, lightly as they have proved to be a fighting unit that could dismantle any top team.

Peterite skipper Shenuka Perera has a host of players in the likes of second row Revone Perera, flankers Lakindu Ranasinghe and Hashara Madugasge, wingers Geon Rajit and Jamaal Wahab to name a few who all have been in  the forefront.

Zahira on the other hand have been the pick of the teams this season and after going down to a surprise defeat to S. Thomas’ came back to end the league campaign with a win against  Thurstan.

Skipper Hakeem too possess players who have been the backbone in Zahira having a successful run so far and will bank on Number Eight Muzil Samath, hooker Shahib Ishan, props Habeeb Uzmi and Ahamed Farath, flankers Shaheen Shyam and Farshan Fazlath and scrum half Afham Abdeen to deliver the goods.