Last Sunday’s knock-out final brought the curtain down on the schools rugby season for 2015, but not without a shock of sorts. I thought it fit to put pen to paper to reflect on how some of the teams fared, giving some take-ways as they go back to the drawing board and prepare for next year’s challenge.
Royal College
In my estimation, easily the best College team in the country this year. They were arguably also the best conditioned team around, and coupled with the excellence in which they executed the rolling maul, they would have had to have had a really bad day to be on the losing side. During the entirety of the league, that day never came. There were a few murmurs from opposing teams as to the legality in some instances where they effected the rolling maul deep in the opponents half. I for one did not see any issue, though it must be admitted that it as a difficult aspect of the game to referee, and some element of subjectivity will always be imminent.
Hats off to Bhanuka Gamage and his team for an incredible season. I feel this was the best Royal team since Naren Dhason’s class of 2009. To annihilate both S.Thomas’ and Trinity 52-00, and 49-00 respectively is an accolade few could boast of. I believe a lot of credit is due to their veteran coach Sanath Martis, as well as Dushanth Lewke who was in charge of the forwards. To lose to Science College in the President’s Trophy albeit with a second string side may have taken a tad bit of the gloss off a near perfect season. However, that fact that their seconds managed to get four tries past the eventual winners augurs well for 2016.
Isipathana College
For much of the season, it looked like the game plan of Isipathana evolved around one man – their mercurial Skipper and Number eight Omalka Gunaratne. However, as the league rolled on to the second round, the ‘Green machine’ seemed to be shifting through the gears with every passing week. The schedule perhaps did not work in their favour, having to play St.Peter’s, Trinity, and most crucially, Royal away. However, this team dished out some great running rugby. Fly half Kongahawatta was another player who caught the eye of many with his touch kicks and decision making in open play. Omalka was a handful to all he came up against, though I felt that the weight of expectation was beginning to weigh on him towards the latter part of the season. Going into the last three weeks it soon came down to a two horse race between Isipathana and Royal, and I truly felt that the Havelock Town team was on the ascendency. Royal’s primary goal is to win the Bradby, which is quite understandable. After that superlative performance in the second leg, they were always going to struggle to maintain that intensity. This presented a great opportunity to the Pathana lads, which I thought would give them an edge going into that finale. However, t’was not to be.
Unfortunately, seems things didn’t work to plan once again and they were upstaged by a resilient Science outfit in the Presidents final, leaving them minus any trophies to boast of. However, all in all, it must be said that this team dished out some thrilling open rugby, and would reflect on some good opportunities lost. It would be interesting to see how they line up for 2016, as I understand they will be fielding a fresher laden side.
Trinity College
There was a lot of talk pre-season about Trinity going into a post Neil Foote era, securing the services of decorated coach Rob Miller, a former British and Irish Lion in his heyday. I watched Trinity play on quite a few occasions this season, and was impressed with some of their players, most notably their centre Goonatilake, who I understand is a Boxing Lion. Whilst having individually talented players, in many key games the thinking on the pitch looked very muddled. And as the season progressed, this seemed to capitulate to a complete breakdown in thinking. Some of the decision making in their knock-out semifinal against Isipathana was shocking, and so was some of the cheap penalties they gave away. Trinity did exceptionally well to fall within a point short of Royal in the first leg. Though they were blitzed by the superior Royalists in Colombo, it must be said that they contributed greatly to their own downfall, failing to capitalize on some great scoring opportunities. From then on, it all went downhill. To lose to the Peterites after leading by 20 points at the breather should not have happened. Good teams do not let opportunities like that to slip. They would also have fancied their chances against Isipathana, playing in their own den. However, they simply could not keep it together for eighty minutes.
Whether this was due to the boys not fully comprehending the pattern to which Coach Miller wanted them to play, or a shortcoming of leadership on the pitch, we would not know. In my experience, I have played under and worked with many foreign coaches. Sometimes there tends to be a gap in understanding with some of the applications not very practical and compatible with local thinking and skill level. The boys undoubtably would need time to get used to a new philosophy. Hopefully this will come together next season, provided Messrs. Miller is still in charge.
St. Joseph’s College
The lads from Maradana started the season off with a bang, overcoming arch rivals St. Peters in a thrilling encounter at Longden Place. A narrow defeat against Isipathana kept the Joes in touch with the top of the table. However, their form took quite a dip during the second round which saw them fall away very quickly in the title race, losing three of the four games, with the only win coming against S.Thomas’ in a cliffhanger.
The player of the season for the Joes in my estimation was their man-mountain prop Stephan Gregory, who was a constant thorn in the flesh of the opposition. Though carrying a troublesome knee, it took quite a few to bring down the burly prop forward who proved to be a decisive factor in most of their victories.
Despite finishing the season in fifth place, ending with two trophies in the cabinet having overcome traditional rivals St. Peter’s and S.Thomas’, as well as running Royal to within two points would rate 2015 as a fairly successful season. However, being one of the oldest rugby playing soon, they would desperately look to chalk up that first league or knock-out title. Perhaps this would not be too far away.
St. Peter’s College
A classic case of a team promising so much and delivering so little. Kevin ‘Kutti’ Dixon was a revelation last season. With him in the backline, and a steady set of forwards in front of him, the boys from Bamba seemed to have all the ingredients to be worthy title contenders. No doubt, the early injury concerns for Dixon cost the team in terms of an attacking threat. However with players like Nishon Perera in the backline, one would have thought they still had enough firepower to break teams down. However, in crucial games at crucial times, they came unstuck as a team, especially defensively. Playing Isipathana at home, they could have, and perhaps should have beaten them. The Josephian game, is one they should never have lost. In the end it seemed like that first loss severely dented their confidence from which they never fully recovered over the course of the league. The only bright spark was the amazing come-from-behind win over Trinity having trailed their opponents by twenty point at lemons. Defeats against S. Thomas’ and Science pretty much summed up 2015 for the Peterites. They will look to start things off on a clean slate next time around. Whether they persist with the same coaching and support team is an interesting point. Time will tell.
The 2017 season promises to be a thriller, as I believe there will be more genuine title contenders that line up. It’s great to see rugby alive and well, and firmly establishing the sport as the most popular local spectator sport in the island.
