For many years the rugby pundits have emphasized that Sri Lanka’s best hope for Rugby success would be in sevens. Sevens Rugby relies more on speed, agility, and skill. Although size and power are also a crucial part of this form of the game, the fore mentioned abilities take priority.
It is clear to anyone who follows Sri Lankan Rugby that mobility and skills are certainly Sri Lanka’s forte which is why the focus should be on the shorter version of the sport.
Fortunately for the Sri Lankan rugby enthusiasts the administration has begun a drive to develop sevens Rugby which has paid off. The Tuskers have stamped their name in the Asian sevens scene having come away with an overall 3rd place finish in the HSBC Asian sevens series. The Sri Lanka sevens team led by none other than Faazil Marija took on all of Asia over the course of 4 gruelling tournaments in Malaysia, Thailand, India and Singapore respectively. The Tuskers managed solid performances taking 4th place in Malaysia, 3rd in Thailand and India and 5th in Singapore to secure 3rd place overall behind Asian powerhouses Japan and Hong Kong and above Korea who finished in 4th.
Tuskers top performers
Over the course of the four tournaments Sri Lanka displayed quite a bit of exceptional rugby. The team seemed to revolve around the performances of a few key players.
Many players put their hands up to be counted all through the tournament, with none more so than the smallest member of the Tuskers outfit, the little dynamo Srinath Sooriyabandara. Soori was Sri Lanka’s highest point scorer in the four tournaments accumulating a mamoth 96 points which earned him third place on the overall points scorers list for the series. Soori’s lightning pace and nimble footwork made him a menace for the opposition to deal with. The 24 year old is clearly who the pundits spoke of when they said Sri Lanka is made for sevens. Although small is stature Soori commanded respect all through the series eventually being marked by two and sometimes three defenders by almost every team. The half back was threatning every time he had the ball in hand but what must be mentioned is his stubborn defence. It was both entertaining and encouraging to see Soori bringing down almost every attacker that ran at him. His cover defence was rock solid as he chased down many a runner to save his team time and again.
Another one of Sri Lankas stars was skipper and link-man Faazil Marija. The Kandy born star was seemed to take the words ‘lead from the front very literally’ as he was always the man leading the charge in defence. His tactical mastermindary was spectacular to watch as he carved open gaps for his team mates to dart through. In addition his kicking both in play and at the posts was sublime as he helped Sri Lanka pile on the points by putting over tough conversions.
Chula Susantha was another of Sri Lankas top performers. Chula who played mainly as an impact player was very strong at the break downs and in open play. He seems to have built his physic and is in great condition. The Navy players upper-body strength came into play time and again as he powered over the opposition.
Jason Dissanayake was also a powerful entity for the Tuskers. The youngest player in the team aged just 19, he was rock solid in the set pieces and was dominant in the air. His raw strength was vital in making crucial tackles all through the four tournaments. His most visible quality is his’ never say die attitude’. The youngster went into every game with confidence and seemed to motivate players around him. This lad is certainly a player to look out for in the future and is definitely someone who can be groomed in to an exceptional player and leader.
What Sri Lanka lacks and how do we fix it?
The Tuskers performances were no where near perfect but they showed great improvement from previous years where they struggled consitantly reach the top 5. Sri Lanka were extremely powerful against all lower ranked sides, unfortunately Japan and Hong Kong repeatedly proved that Sri Lanka were still not quite there.
One of our biggest weaknesses in the lack of size and power up front. The set pieces was where Sri Lanka struggled the most against the big 3. We were unable to hold on to possesion in the scrums and were completely dominated in the air at line-outs and kick offs.
Sri Lanka’s main forwards this season were Jason Dissanayake, Shehan Pathirana, Nigel Ratwatte, Cula Susantha, Dinusha Chaturanga and Sajith Saranga. Sadly Saranga who is the biggest and most experienced of the lot was struggling with fitness and injury issues. The two youngsters Dissanayake and Pathirana battled valliantly but lacked the experience and the power to hold their own against the forwards from Japan, Hong Kong and Korea. Chaturanga, Ratwatte and Susantha are infact backs who play up front in the shorter game and cannot be expected to match up against the monstrous forwards of the big three teams.
In order to consistantly compete against the likes of Japan and Hong Kong and subsequently on the international stage, Sri Lanka needs to find a few powerful players who are at least 6ft tall and north of 95kgs. These players need to be athletic and skilled enough to hold their own on the sevens circuit. In short we need to find a few more like Sajith Saranga.
Another short-coming is player fitness. The Lankans have the speed and footwork to handle sevens rugby, but they are certainly not fit enough to compete at the highest level. It became a common sight to see a Sri Lankan player bent over gasping for air or down on one knee trying catch his breath after a 60m sprint in the game. Sevens players need to be able to operate in top gear for the full 15 minutes. In order to achieve this, their recovery times need to be built up. If you watch a New Zealander or Fijian in a sevens match you would see them sprint 90 meters with ease and in 3-4 deep breaths they have recovered and can go again. This can only be achieved through a rigorous and professionally operated fitness regime. This regime can not be implemented a month before the sevens season it needs to be in place all year round.
Sri Lanka’s next weakness is inconstancy. This is purely a mental issue, the coaches need to condition players mentally to be prepared for every contingency. This short-coming cannot be blamed purely on the national coach. It is something that must be instilled in players from a young age. Players need to be professionalized and trained to tune-out distractions and focus on what needs to be done.
If Sri Lanka is to accomplish this, the administration needs to start building players minds at a young age which means players must be farmed into development squads and built in to professionals. This may seem very mechanical but it is a necessity. Professional athletes must operate like well-oiled machines.
To solve all the above problems, players need to be fully professionalized. At present the Sri Lankan players are contracted in a club and well as with SLRFU and in addition to that most have a daily job and others have studies to focus on daily. In order to condition a players mind and body they have to be able to dedicate every waking moment to the Sport.
The days of competitive rugby being played as a pass-time are no more. Rugby has to be a profession to these players. This is the only way to get players to fully commit to the sport. The SLRFU must co-ordinate with the clubs and find a way to make the sport completely professional and help players make a living off the sport.
Rugby in this country is quietly acquiring a national following and therefore the time is right to set the tone for bigger and better things.
