- All Blacks U85 kg team awaits hosts
Sri Lanka smarting from their 50-12 pasting up in Nittawela in the first Test against the touring New Zealand U85 kg team, will seek redemption, when the second and final Test gets underway under floodlights at the Racecourse Grounds, Colombo on Saturday (10).
The hosts who fielded a second-string XV on the day, with the fervent hope of exposing as many players to the rigours of weight-restricted international rugby, were given a reality check by the visitors.
Their superior physicality coupled with their slick offloading game and pace was a key feature throughout the 80-minutes, as they ran riot before a capacity hill-capital crowd, while outscoring the home team by eight tries to one.
However, for the return leg tomorrow, the Lankan coaching staff after being stung by the outcome in the opening game last Sunday (4), have reverted back to their tried and tested hands.
This according to rugby analysts is a bid to restore parity, while allowing the recalled seniors to gain as much game time as possible, while seeking to pacify a vociferous home crowd, who were clearly displeased with their sorry effort at Nittawela.
Sri Lanka is set to contest the Asia Rugby Top 4 next month, with home encounters looming against both UAE and South Korea before touring Hong Kong, which also doubles up as 2027 Rugby World Cup qualifiers from the region.
For the matchup tomorrow, the Tuskers have assembled a near full-strength outfit, in comparison to the weak run on team which they put out last weekend.
The return of the likes of fit again Tarinda Ratwatte, Pulasthi Dassanayaka, Tharindu Chathuranga, Lasindu Karunathileke, Heshan Jansen, Danushka Ranjan, Dilan Ekanayake and Janidu Dilshan, should provide the Lankans with the cutting edge in both attack and defence.
It was an aspect which they sadly missed in the first match and with spectators expecting them to put their bodies on the line, the pressure will firmly and squarely be on Nigel Ratwatte’s men.
The selectors have also omitted full back Mursheed Doray and rising wing Kavindu Perera and their failure to find a place even in the bench, has raised eyebrows of both critics and fans alike.
The 15 starting tomorrow will therefore need to prove that their performance up in Kandy was only an aberration and not something that is emblematic of them, by really turning up on the day.
If not, another shellacking at the hands of this Kiwi representative side on Saturday night, could dent their confidence big time, ahead of the Asia Rugby Top 4 series this June-July and not only the team itself, but even the selectors are set to come under the microscope this weekend.
Rugby analysts have questioned the policies of the four-man selection panel headed by former scrum half Sudath Sampath, especially after their bold move to omit a heap of seniors for the first match in favour of giving opportunities to youngsters while looking into the future.
They reckon the selectors got their decision-making wrong by fielding a makeshift side, instead of the first-choice team last Sunday, when it ought to have been vice versa.
Hence if the locals were to be taken to the cleaners again, how that will boost their chances in the upcoming internationals, could be anybody’s guess.
The New Zealanders led by fly-half Jared Percival have made two changes to their line up with lock Tyler Koning who started the Nittawela match being benched in favour of Ridgley Paxton, while left-wing Ben Scott drops out of the 23 altogether to make way for Pieter Swarts.
Sri Lanka squad:
Janidu Fernando, Pulasthi Dissanayake, Thanuja Ranaweera, Navin Marasinghe, Thilina Bandara, Nizran Nilar, Tharindu Chathuranga, Lasindu Karunathilake, Heshan Jensen, Nigel Ratwatte (capt.), Janidu Dilshan, Tarinda Ratwatte, Danushka Ranjan, Dinal Ekanayake and Srinath Sooriyabandara
New Zealand U85 kg squad:
Tom Rowland, Callum Nimmo, Jeandre Du Toit, Jack Laity, Ridgley Paxton, Josh Purden, Josh Gellert, Pasia Asiata, Jackson Ephraims, Jarred Percival (capt.) , Pieter Swarts, Ben Megson, Campbell Busby, Jamie Petford, and Francis Morrison