The country’s rugby fraternity hold bated breath as Sri Lanka are currently a step away from promotion to the Top 5 in the HSBC Asian5Nations tournament, having defeated both Chinese Taipei and Thailand in convincing fashion the final show down will be against a good Kazakhstan outfit.
The last time these two sides met was in 2010, another crucial decider, it was a relegation battle in the Top 5 which Kazakhstan managed to defeat a strong Sri Lankan side 34-18 in Almaty.
The current Sri Lankan team have only 5 members who were part of the starting line up in Almaty, none of them who scored any points. Fazil Marija, Gayan and Roshan Weeraratne, Sajith Saranga and Henry Terrence are all that is left of the side that was defeated convincingly.
Kazakhstan full back Maxim Lifontov has been ever present in the squad and scored 14 points with his boot against Sri Lanka last time. This tournament too, he has been impeccable with his kicking scoring 22 points against Chinese Taipei and will be a player to watch out. Daulet Akymbekov and Serik Zhanseitov were also part of the team that victorious team, with the former scoring tries as well. Centre Alexandr Zaharov has scored tries in two consecutive games in this tournament, and will be another threat to the Sri Lankan defense.
Even though Sri Lanka managed to defeat Chinese Taipei and Thailand convincingly enough, the Tuskers have still not played to their full potential. This was evident in the match against Thailand, where try scoring was a breeze towards the end. The Lankans seemed to be affected by early nerves, as they failed to score any points in the first 5-10 minutes of the game which was mainly due to handling errors.
In both games, the Lankans used a perfectly balanced structure between the forwards and backs when in attack, and defense has been a key feature, except for the two consolation tries given which could have been avoided. There were barely any one-on-one situations in both games, as defensive support was ever present, with the whole team running the yards and having an extremely good work rate.
In terms of Saturday’s game, the Tuskers will have the weather conditions to suit them, even though Kazakhstan who arrived in Sri Lanka from snowy conditions seemed to have adjusted to the climate though a stiff opposition will always tire the opponent much more. Size will play a key role with the Kazakhs having a big burly set of players, but the Lankans too have power houses in Henry Terrence, Kishore Jehan and Sajith Saranga.
Chamara Dabare has been a revelation in the national stage; having already scored two tries, and has used his strength and speed brilliantly. Fazil Marija has definitely proved to be a class act, and apart from his attacking prowess, not many acknowledge him as the perfect defender, which he comes close to being.
Skipper Yoshitha Rajapakse has led by example in terms of work rate; involving himself in almost every ruck and marshalling the troops. Shenal Dias blossomed in the game against Thailand and definitely proved his selection as the rugby player of the year in 2012.
The list goes on in this talented Sri Lankan squad, but more than individual brilliance this team has shown great spirit and most importantly share the same goal, which is to earn promotion to the top level of Asian Rugby.
Taking the points table into consideration, Sri Lanka has the greater advantage having recorded two wins which also includes two valuable bonus points, while the Kazakhs fell short against Thailand. A win will ensure promotion for the Tuskers. Currently, the Lankans have scored 5 tries more than Kazakhstan and there is a positive 60 points difference between the teams. Depending on which is the tie breaker, Kazakhstan will be required to win with a bonus point, while preventing the Sri Lankans from scoring four or more tries or winning by less than a points margin of seven to end the Lankan dream.
A5Nations – Top 5 2014 is also a RWC 2015 Qualifier
Interestingly, promotion to the Top 5 will also mean Sri Lanka still has a chance of qualifying to the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England, as the A5Nations Top 5 tournament in 2014, will serve as a qualifier. The winner in that tournament will gain direct entry into the tournament to fill the ‘Asia 1’ slot, while the runners up will be put into a repechage round, where the winner of the repechage would also be included in the group stage of the RWC.
Be There to Support the Tuskers on 06th Saturday 2013 at 4pm at the Havelock Sports Club Grounds.
