Sri Lanka to face Australia in group match

By Shamseer Jaleel
The Sri Lanka sevens squad led by Fazil Marija will lock horns with a strong Australian outfit in their opening group game in the XX Glasgow Commonwealth Rugby sevens on 26 July at 15:24 p.m. (Sri Lankan time). Later on the same day they will battle it out with England (18:00) and Uganda (1.12 am 27 July).
Fazil Marija who led the Sri Lanka sevens team to number three position in the 2013 Asian servies thus winning a berth at the famous 38th Hong Kong Rugby sevens will find it really tough against two might opponents England and Australia in the same group.
Yoshitha Rajapakse pulled out of the tour due to his knee injury and was replaced by Lavanga Perera, who joined the squad today morning in Scotland. The rest of the squad comprises very experienced players with the only notable absentee from the squad being Nigel Ratwatte.
In reality Sri Lanka’s only hope in the group stage is the game against Uganda. The next two games against England and Australia will provide good exposure for the younger boys to play at top level with some quality sevens players.
Sri Lanka Squad
Fazil Marija (Capt), Richard Dharmapala, Anurudda Wilvara and Lavanga Perera(all from Kandy SC), Sudarshana Muthuthantri, Mithun Hapugoda, Shenal Dias, Danushka Ranjan, Sandun Herath, Shehan Pathirana (All from Havelocks SC), Dinusha Chathuranga (Navy SC) and Srinath Sooriyabandara (Up Country Lions SC)
Commonwealth 2014 Pool
Pool A – New Zealand, Canada, Scotland, Nigeria
Pool B – South Africa, Kenya, Cook Islands, Trinidad and Tobago
Pool C – Samoa, Wales, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia
Pool D – England, Australia, Sri Lanka, Uganda