The Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU), despite all its problems, will heave a sigh of relief when it sees the national sevens team take the field on the opening day of the Asian Sevens Series final leg, which commences today, at the Sugathadasa Stadium.

Chamara Vithanage, a veteran with many international tournaments behind him, leads a rather depleted side, which showed enough courage to stick together despite a storm threatening to rock the country’s rugby boat.

They had to weather a storm which came in the form of outside forces wanting to decide who should be in the side. Former Sri Lanka skipper and ‘incredible hulk’ Radeeka Hettiarachchi displayed guts and commonsense when he tendered an apology for mixing up priorities when, early this year, he opted to shun national duty at the Asian Five Nations tournament.

Hettiarachchi and 15 other top rugby players, who refrained from national duties, at the Asian Five Nations tournament, were slapped with bans. Worse, these players then challenged the ban in court. However, Hettiatachchi, it is reported, believed he could see the light at the end of this dark tunnel if he apologized to the minister and it is reported that the minister has ratified his nomination in the final squad of 14, after favourably considering his letter of apology.

It is a pity that the rugby fraternity clearly sensed that some powerful ‘hands’ were at work to victimise Hettiarachchi, which in an indirect, way would have adversely affected preparations for the tournament, which features the best 12 teams in Asia.

It is learned that with Hettiarachchi’s issue receiving so much attention and the national selectors continuing to retain him in the squad, those who wanted the Kandy Sports Club three quarter out of the team had no option but to shelve their disruptive plans.

Hettiarachchi’s presence in the squad now puts severe pressure on one or two seniors to make the starting line up. Rugby critics were quick to point out that Sri Lanka would hugely benefit from the healthy competition that’s present in the team, with the presence of Hettiarachchi and the experience he brings into the team.

Coach Imthie Marikar and trainer Mohotilal Jayatilake have had little time and resources to prepare the players and this probably would mean that the game against South Korea would turn out to be more than the challenge it is expected to be. Marikar has said he wants Sri Lanka to play expressive rugby and to defend stoutly in the match against Korea. Sri Lanka is also expected to play Pakistan in a Group D fixture. Sri Lanka plays Pakistan at 2.00 pm and the match against South Korea is scheduled for 5.00 pm.

The players have had many semi-contact games against teams like New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, who are here for the international tournament.

Sri Lanka’s lack of exposure at international sevens tournaments is likely to be exposed when they finish the round robin matches and contest the knockout stage.

The Asian teams contesting the Carlton Sevens, according to the groupings are; Japan, Kazakhstan, Iran (Group A), Chinese Taipei, Thailand, Jordan (Group B), China, Malaysia, Brunei (Group C) and South Korea, Sri Lanka, Pakistan (Group D).

Sri Lanka from: Chamara Vithanage (Captain), Radeeka Hettiarachchi, Ashean Karthelis, Dinesh Kumara, Dinesh Chathuranga, Saliya Handapangoda, Dilip Selvam, Chula Susantha, Samantha Lakshan, Nuwan Hettiarachchi, Niranjan Wickremaratne, Suranga Pushpakumara, D. Ettipola and Roshan Weeraratne.