Last weekend served up the appetizer to the upcoming schools rugby season. And if the quality of rugby dished out over those two days is anything to go by, Sri Lankan rugby fans are in a for a scrumptious serving of action packed rugby over the coming few months.
This week, I discuss all that was good, as well as some of the aspects I felt the powers that be, need to really spruce up.
First up, a matter that always seems to come up, whether it be school games or that in the club arena. Contrary to wider belief, I personally feel that we have some really good referees in this country. I also believe that there is a genuine effort being made by the authorities to maintain a professional set up, and uplift the standards. I rate Priyantha Gunaratne as probably the best on hand. His handling of the hotly contested final between S. Thomas’ and Isipathana was excellent. Rankothge is another who I hold in high regard. Unfortunately, there’s an apparent gulf in class between them and the rest. What distinguishes these leading men from the rest? What every spectator hopes for is to witness a match that ebbs and flows smoothly with minimums stoppages or unnecessary interruptions. Mind you, to achieve this, much depends on the quality and skill level of the teams that take the field. Not always is it that the blame can be swept to the feet of the referee. However, watching local rugby over many years now, I feel that by nature, our referees are too whistle-free. You almost get the notion that our local officials are more intent on displaying their understanding of the rules rather than making for entertaining viewing.
One of the reasons why the southern nations are so far ahead of the rest is that the ball is in play much longer than in games played anywhere else. Superior skill level aside, the refs also deserves some of the plaudits for making this possible. To put it simply, they don’t ‘sweat the small stuff’. That is to say, they are consistent with their calls, yet ensure the rhythm of the game is not impeded.
In terms of the officiating, the biggest concern most coaches seem to have were the calls made at the breakdown. I was told by one of the more junior refs – when clearing a ruck or bridging over the tackled player, you simply could not put your hands on the player tackled on the ground, if it is contested. This to me is mind boggling. Why can you not just effect the rules of the game the way they are, and in the context of why they are there? The rule is in the books to preserve one thing – a fair contest. Contest being the key word. I saw referees penalize teams for sealing off, even when there was no opponent to compete anywhere near. I sincerely hope the authorities have this ironed out by the time the season proper commences. If not, it places Coaches in a precarious position. You teach the players a certain way, and they get penalized for doing just that?
On to the rugby itself. S. Thomas’ College ran out eventual victors ending a 22 year wait since the last time they took home the crown. Being involved in the coaching set up, I think it improper to elaborate on their success or the quality of their play. However, what is apparent and undeniable is that the Mount Lavinia outfit are not going to be anyone’s whipping boys this year. Every school that plays the game goes through the same phases – a purple patch where you win everything, and then invariably, a time of re-building. No school is excluded of this. Every traditional superpower has at some point had to dwell a while in the lower division. As expected, defending champions St. Peter’s, St. Joseph’s, Science, Kingswood, Dharmarajah and Isipathana all impressed. However, I must mention that even the second tier sides, such as Maliyadeva Kurunegala, Lalith Athulathmudali MV, & DSSC also displayed great prowess. This augurs well for the game at large in Sri Lanka. For the schools newly taking to the game, the sevens game is probably the best way to start. There are much less technicalities in this code, which makes the rules much easier for new ruggerites to comprehend. In terms of developing the game further in the rural parts of the island, this may well be the best way to go.
Something else I picked on whilst the tournament gathered momentum, was that the successful teams were the ones that fielded some bigger ball carrying forwards. Some take the view that a sevens side should feature the seven of your fastest, and fittest. Fitness is a must no doubt. However, that strong ball carrier in the middle of the field, someone who can take out a couple of defenders and make that offload is invaluable to a side. Sides like Wesley, and Dharmaraja had some very good nippy runners, but just could not cope with the muscle of some of their opponents. I would even go as far as to say, this is where the Thomian side towered over the rest. They had strong ball carriers to bring on, to unleash on tiring smaller defenders.
All the teams have effectively shaken off all the cobwebs, and are revving up their engines, with the start of the season just over a month away. There is nothing like the school rugby season. It has it all – tradition, passion, colourful crowds, and deafening chants and cheering. To spice things up further, there has been some movement of coaches. Jivan Goonetilleke has left his alma mater, to take the reins at Wesley College – the team he took to ‘A’ division promotion in 2012. More recently Colin Denesh has gone the other way – leaving Science to go back to his old school St. Peter’s. Come the 18th of March, rivalries will be renewed. The team that reaches the summit of the league will be the one that has the strongest squad. Today, rugby is a 23 man game (or 25 in the schools context). There are nine league games to play, plus the knock-out. To consistently perform throughout the season, you need to have a squad of 35-40 players playing at a high intensity. Gone are the days where you could field the same team week in and week out. This is where Royal was stronger than any other last year, in addition to having an unstoppable rolling maul.
2016 is a new year and a new season. The past counts for nothing. When the dust settles after three and a half months of grueling battle, one team will be left standing.; something tells me, we’re going to have a new champion.
