Kandy SC to field second-string in quarter final

By Shamseer Jaleel

The remaining quarter-final matches of the Clifford Cup rugby tournament will take place today with defending champions, Kandy Sports Club and Havelock Sports Club determined to secure their places in the semi-finals.

Both these encounters will see its kick off at 4 pm.

Kandy Sports Club, the reigning Clifford Cup holders, will host Army Sports Club at Nittawela. Despite being the defending champions Kandy are expected to field a second-string lineup as several regular players are sidelined with injuries.

They will be without key players Srinath Sooryabandara, Hirusha Sampath, Shaahid Zumri, Dilshan Fareed and Heshan Jensen, which will test their squad depth. However, Kandy SC’s strong bench strength and home advantage could still make them a formidable opponent.

Dinal Ekanayake who received a red card in their last match against CR and FC has been declared free from all charges which allows him to play today.

Meanwhile, another crucial clash will take place at Havelock Park where Havelock Sports Club will take on Police Sports Club. 

Kenyan referee Lorence Kiunga will control this vital encounter.

The winners of these two quarter-finals will meet in the second semi-final scheduled for March 3 either in Kandy or Colombo.