The Asian5Nations Division 1 Tournament is set to kick off on 31st March 2013 at the Havelocks Sports Club Ground. The Tuskers will take on Chinese Taipei, while Kazakhstan will take on newly promoted Thailand in the two opening fixtures.
Sri Lanka v Chinese Taipei – 4.00pm
The Tuskers will come into this game as favourites, especially with the experience that the current squad possesses. Taipei on the other hand, has been ever present in the Division 1 segment, and will definitely look to push forward for promotion.
Last year, the Lankans managed to defeat the same opponents convincingly, even with a relatively inexperienced outfit. This year, with the likes of Fazil Marija, Roshan Weeraratne, and other veterans included in the squad, the Tuskers will be at full strength, and will look to perform at their best.
The Tuskers will be marshalled by Yoshitha Rajapakse who has had experience in leading the side, especially taking into consideration the valiant effort put in Manila last year, as the Lankans lost out in their bid for promotion to a strong Phillipines side.
Marija will be a key component in the squad, having tipped to being the best flyhalf in the current generation, a lot of responsibility will be on his shoulders apart from the fact that he will deputize for Yoshitha.
Size wise, the Lankans will most probably have the bigger set of players in the likes of Henry Terrence and Kishore Jehan. But as coach Ravin du Plessis mentioned while speaking to ThePapare, the Lankans have the necessary skill level to perform, and it will be a balanced performance from both the backs and the forwards who are both equally competent to shove off any challenge.
Sunday will be a crucial encounter for both these teams, and will definitely be the pick of the matches on the opening day. Chinese Taipei, is a team that could provide an upset, and Sri Lanka will be have to be weary of the threat.
Kazakhstan v Thailand – 2.00pm
Kazakhstan failed to remain in the top division last year after falling out to UAE in the relegation battle, while Thailand had a brilliant rout in the Division II segment that earned them a rightful place a notch higher. However, the Kazakhs will fancy their chances, and will look to use their size to out power Thailand. Unlike the 7’s game, there is much more physicality involved and it will be a battle between power and pace, as Thailand will look to profit from their nifty backs that could cause some problems for Kazakhstan.
Entrance will be FREE!
