The countdown to the 2013/14 Dialog Club Rugby League is almost over and the Army SC rugby players who are not crowed about often but are rich in talent and skill will be keen to have a winning season when they confront Police SC on the 18th of November in their season opener.
Last Season, Army SC charged their way to the 5th place in the standings due to some creditable performances. They played with grit and confidence in overcoming tough opposition and they were involved in a controversial match against Upcountry Lions which resulted in Army SC relegating to play in the Plate championship after the conclusion of the group stage.
Sri Lanka Army SC started their Rugby way back in 1963 and was a force to reckon with hardened soldiers lining up for a battle of a different sort. The Army SC were always competitive with the major rugby playing clubs and has won the tournament on several occasions. However, during the long civil-war prevalent in the country their accent naturally had to focus on the lives of their countrymen than that of Rugby. With the ending of the war, Sri Lanka Army SC has been able to produce fighting units that bring in the guts and determination of the battle-field on to the rugby greens and they will be looking to unleash their strength to winning the title this season. Etisalat Lanka will be the main sponsors for Army SC rugby this season.
Pre Season
Army SC started their training for an exciting rugby season 6 months ago with power training and fitness camps during the time. They found the perfect start to their pre-season campaign with the Annual Army Inter Regiment Rugby Championship which concluded end of March and since then they have been targeting this much hyped Dialog Club Rugby League.
Army SC have the services of 60 top tier rugby players in their pool and it helped immensely for the Rugby authorities to play warm up games within the pool to prepare themselves for tough competition. Former Army SC rugby captain Nishal Meepage will be managing the team this year and he will bring all his experience on to the table in manning the Army men in their successful season. “We want to win the title, that is our ultimate goal. We have a strong team and we will look to capitalize on our strengths this season “ Meepage added.
2nd consecutive season for Coach ‘MacDougall’
Army SC will have the former Australian professional rugby league & union player Ben Macdougall as their head coach for the 2nd consecutive season and he represented Scotland rugby team from 2004-2007 as well. Ben is a vastly experienced coach and his top class rugby experiences will be the key portion in his coaching stint at Army SC. The 36 year old center three quarter loves challenging any opposition with his unique strategies as a coach and his main aim is to finish within the top 3 with possibly a sneak peak at the title this year.
“ We finished 5th last season. We want to improve from last year and reach the top 3 this year. We want to set a benchmark to the other teams with our own style of rugby. “ Macdougall articulated in his conversation with ThePapare.com
Key Players
This season Army SC will be captained by their ever-reliable No.10 fly half Asanka Perera and he impressed last year with his line breaks and also with his accurate place kicking and will be itching to have a successful season ahead.
The Army SC possesses a great asset in their Sri Lankan national player Ashoka Jayalal, who will be the Hooker for his team. Ashoka has had quite good outings with the Sri Lanka team and he will be looking to bring all those experiences to count. Tusker Ashoka will be a great ball carrier for the Army SC and if needed he is capable of playing the Prop Forward position as well. N.D Kotalawala is another man to watch as he will adorn the No.1 jersey for Army SC this season and he is known to be brilliant in scrum. Imanka Ariyapala has been the unsung hero for Army SC during the recent past as his defense and offense at the Center position was always vital in winning key battles and Imanka should have a season to remember if he plays to his true potential. Flanker Upul Abeyrathne will be the key for Army SC in winning breakdowns as he is very dangerous at breakdowns and he will be a marked player in every opposing team when they confront Army SC.
The Army SC have signed-on three foreign players for the coming season as they will be playing key positions such as No.8 and Center. Fijian national Lalai can be switched into the front row or to the back row in the pack and the Army SC coaching staff will look to use his ability to great effect in the coming weeks of intense rugby around Sri Lanka. The strongly built New Zealand born Tongan national Kawa will be the bulldozer for Army SC this year as he will be playing at the center position. Kawa will always cross the advantage line with his busty line breaks and he will be using his boot to shot at goals if needed.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Army SC’s biggest strength will be their Forwards. They can be deceptive in size but they are hard workers in breakdowns, scrums and line outs and it will be vital for the forwards to succeed in order for Army SC to have a winning season. They will have most of the players who played last year as well and their team moral will be high for the season.
Army SC’s weakness will be the small number of play makers in their ranks except for the foreign players and this may prove costly if they cannot deliver at the perfect time. Another weakness for the Army SC will be the unavailability of school-leavers in their ranks as the school leavers will play an integrating part in every other club team.
Last Words
Army SC will be envisioned to winning this season under their experienced coach Ben Macdougall and they will have to give 100% in every aspect of each and every game to be enlisted as a front runner for the league title. They can certainly achieve that goal but a long rugged road is ahead for Army SC in the upcoming season who will be playing their home games at Diyagama Mahinda Rajapakshe stadium.
ThePapare.com wishes Army SC best of luck for a winning season.
Full Squad with Positions
Ashoka Jayalal (Hooker/Prop)
Aravinda Karunarathne (Hooker)
N.D Kotalawala (Prop)
Dinesh Suranga (Prop)
Rasika Abeynayake (Prop)
Dileepa Niroshan (Prop)
N.P Sarath Kumara (Second Row)
P.W.M.A Susantha (Second Row)
K.B.N. Kobbekaduwa (Second Row)
Upul Abeyrathne (Flanker)
Wasantha De Costa (Flanker)
Eranda Piyathilake (Flanker)
Manoj De Silva (Flanker/Number 8)
Lalai (No.8/Prop)
Osea Matalolu (No.8)
Manjula Weerasinghe (Scrum Half)
Mohammed Rizwi (Scrum Half)
Asanka Perera (Fly Half) (CAPTAIN)
Imanka Ariyapala (Center)
Isuru Kodithuwakku (Center)
Kawa (Center)
Sanjeewa Hapugaskumbura (Winger)
Manoj Bandara (Winger)
Krishanth Pushpakumar (Winger)
Madusanka Chandrasekara (Winger)
Gayan Salinda (Full Back)
Upali Wickramasinghe (Full Back)
Ben Macdougall – Head Coach
Wajira Jayathilake – Assistant Coach
Nishal Meepage – Manager
