Schools Rugby League 2014 will be commencing this week and we look at the D.S Senanayake college 1st XV rugby team who are making only their second appearance in the ‘Big’ A division of Sri Lanka schools rugby league. D.S Senanayake College will be looking to create some upsets during the upcoming season and become the ‘David’ of schools rugby by killing few ‘Golliaths’ in the process.
History
D.S Senananayke College does not have a long history as they started taking up the oval shaped ball game in late 1980’s. In 2010, D.S Senanayake College won the Schools ‘C’ division title and D.S Senanayake College became the runner-up in 2011 of the Schools ‘B’ division championship and they played their maiden ‘A’ division season in 2012 where they finished at the bottom of the standings. D.S Senanayake College is famous for sports like Cricket and Baseball and their Rugby culture is leaner comparing to other top schools in Colombo and Kandy.
Last Season
Senanayakians under the leadership of Devin Ariyakumara had a terrific 2012 season where they became the runner-up of the under 20 Schools ‘B’ division. They won almost all their games except their loss to C.W.W Kannangara Vidyalaya and they drew their game against Ananda College but their best performance of the season was when they beat the high riding ‘B’ division champions St. Thomas College by 23-20 points.
Pre-Season
The squad for the 2014 rugby season started their training way back in November 2013. They practiced early mornings at CR & FC some days of the week and on other days they practice at their college grounds which are not ideal for rugby practices. Senanayakians are a tough bunch with limited resources and they have put in lot of effort in the gym with their heavy weight trainings to gear up for a competitive season ahead.
D.S Senanayake college warmed up for the season few weeks back with a morale boosting win over one of the favorites to win the league this season; St. Peter’s College in a practice game where the Senanayakians won the game 36 – 26 at CR & FC grounds.
Coaching Unit
D.S Senanayake College 1st XV rugby team for the 2014 season will be coached by two former Isipathanians. Viraj Prashantha will be the head coach and he will be assisted by Krishan Wettasinghe. Former Sri Lanka and Isipathana player Viraj Prashantha who has coached many teams to success will be eyeing another successful year at D.S Senanayake College. He is known to be a tactical coach with loads of experiences coaching the Sri Lanka team at one time and then having coached club teams as well. Viraj Prasantha’s expertize will be the forward pack and Krishan Weththasinghe will be mainly looking at the back line. Both coaches will have their work cut out for a tough and daunting season.
Players to Watch out for
D.S Senanayake College will be led by their hard working number 8 Heshan Malinga who will be playing his last season. Heshan is a very talented utility player and he can be a very dangerous player with the ball in his hands. Heshan’s number 8 breaks will be crucial in order to gain some yards for the Senanayakians in the upcoming season. Heshan Malinga is a born leader and he has been leading this particular team to victory at junior levels as well. Heshan will be the main cog for the Black and Gold jerseys in attack and in defense.
The center pairing of Chamoda Perera and Chamindu Udana will be a treat to watch as they combine and communicate well between each other. Both these lanky center three quarters will be running in attacking angles with quick feet and speed being their strengths.
Short and nippy hooker Tharanga Mahesh will be one of the key players in the front row for the Senanayakians this season. Tharanga is a player with a small stature but he plays his game with a big heart. His line-out throws are known to be very accurate and his robust playing in loose play will give the Colombo 7 college an added advantage in tackling big teams.
Sachinka Abeysekara is by far the fastest player in the D.S Senanayake outfit. The speedy wing three quarter will be a hard man to catch as he loves scoring tries and Sachinka is renowned to be a finisher and the forwards will be looking up to Sachinka to finish their hard work with points on board.
Final Words
The D.S Senanayake College rugby team for the 2014 season will be aiming for a better performance in the top league after a disastrous debut performance in 2012. The Black and Gold Dons from Colombo 7 will be itching to remain in the ‘A’ division for another year but it will be a Himalayan mountain to climb but if they play to their true potential nothing is impossible.
Quotes
Viraj Prasantha made his intentions clear of being competitive in his interview with ThePapare.com “We want to play open rugby like last year. We have been practicing really hard, We just want to win. “
Captain Heshan Malinga expressed his strong motives “We want to win the League title. I urge the fans to be with us and cheer our team. “
The Full Squad
Props
Nilukshana Fernando, Arjun Ravichandran, Lavindu Chathuranga
Hookers
Tharanga Mahesh, Gimhan Jayaratne
Second Rows
Krishnaraj Vijayashekaran, Abdul Safwan, Aashiq Siddik
Flankers
Ashroff Muzmith, Inura Ransika, Amri Bahudeen, Uzmaan Annas
No.8
Heshan Malinga
Scrum Half
Dilshan Lakshitha
Fly Half
Suraj Bandara
Centers
Chamoda Perera, Chamindu Udana, Udara Shashin
Wingers
Sachinka Abeysekara, Ruchira Shamath, Wishwa Supunchala, Kavinda Nayanajith
Full Backs
Buddhima Piyaratne
DS Senanayake College Rugby 2014 – Heshan Malinga – Captain
DS Senanayake College Rugby 2014 – Viraj Prashantha – Coach
