- Selectors recall big guns for second NZ 85kg Test
The national selectors have recalled a few of their big guns with star inside centre Tharinda Ratwatte being one of them, in the Sri Lanka starting XV, for the second and final Test against New Zealand U85kg team at Racecourse Grounds, Colombo on Saturday (10).
A second-string Sri Lanka team was thumped (50-10) by the tourists in the first Test at Nittawela on Sunday (4), to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series, heading to the Colombo fixture which is to be played under floodlights.
Ratwatte was sidelined by an ACL injury soon after the conclusion of the domestic inter-club League tournament, having starred with his incisive back play and deft place-kicking, for his title-winning club Kandy SC.
The injury forced him to sit out his team’s unbeaten run through the Clifford Cup Knockouts and also forgo Sri Lanka’s (59-19) victory over Malaysia, in the Asian Rugby Men’s Emirates Championship last month.
Besides installing Ratwatte, the national selectors have also rejigged the front row replacing Vimukthi Gamage at loose head prop with Janidu Fernando, with hooker Shamika Kaushan making way for the experienced Pulasthi Dassanayake.
They have however retained tight head prop Thanuja Jayaweera, as are the two locks Naveen Marasinghe and Thilina Bandara.
In the forward pack, the selectors have also tinkered with the third-row recalling tireless openside flanker Tharindu Chathuranga for Lahiru Thillakaratne.
Dynamic Lasindu Karunathileke regains his spot at the base of the scrum, from Dahan Wickramarachchi who has been benched.
Meanwhile, brilliant scrum-half Heshan Jansen, who too was omitted from the Nittawela showdown, regains his starting place to partner skipper Nigel Ratwatte at the pivotal position.
In the midfield Tharinda Ratwatte will be joined by his club mate Dhanushka Ranjan outside of him with the former likely to be their place-kicker.
Speedsters Janidu Dilshan and Dilan Ekanayake-man-of-the-match against Malaysia, will man the wings, with Kandy captain Srinath Sooriyabandara at the last line of defence.
Sri Lanka starting XV
Janidu Fernando, Pulasthi Dassanayake, Thanuja Jayaweera, Naveen Marasinghe, Thilina Bandara, Nizran Nillar, Tharindu Chathuranga, Lasindu Karunathilaka, Heshan Jansen, Nigel Rarwatte (capt.), Janidu Dilshan, Tharinda Ratwatte, Dhanushka Ranjan, Dilan Ekanayake and Srinath Sooriyabandara
Standbys
Venura Kodagoda, Vimukthi Gamage, Hafiz Thabeeth, Senura Perera, Lahiru Thillakaratne, Mohamed Rifan, Shahid Zumri, Akash Madushanka, Dahan Wickramarachchi, Thenuka Nanayakkara
(JK)