All southern final in the offing

Action during the Australia Wales match.

It is halfway down in the world cup pool games as we come near to the end of week two. What do we look for as we get closer to the quarters? Who will be there and who will enter the semis and then the final. The spread is thinning by the day and the numers that can pose a challenge are becoming less. It seem that it will be an all Southern Hemisphere Semi Final Of the Northern Hemisphere teams remaining it is difficult to see Ireland getting up there. They are required to beat France or Argentina and qualify from their group to at least get to the quarter final. If they do mange to the quarter finals they then have the enormous task of beating the All Blacks as it stands now. France will probably finish second in Pool D. The record of France against the All Blacks in the last five games is played five, lost five. Argentina, meanwhile, have a quarter-final against Scotland or Italy, neither of whom have exactly impressed themselves so far. But much interest will revolve around Australia against England. That is on the assumption that the Lions will come to the quarters. To beat Australia who are a gathering force and will not be a chance that is easy taking into consideration their performance in the last four years. England's shortcomings have been seen by all. What have they to offer? Sadly they lack creativity, fitness is suspect. They do not seem to have a strategy for a winning tactic. The tendency is more to kick and clear the lines and hope. For England to reach the quarter final stage would require an unbelievable change in form.

While England, France, Ireland, even Wales have been pushed to be the not so hot candidates, the emergence of Argentina as a world force has to be accepted. It is a tough task and a difficult one to get to the top as both Australia and South Africa are developing at a rate. Ireland could meet the Kiwis in the quarter final if they finish runners up in Pool D. Their performance so far does not give confidence of their ability to do so. Their display against Georgia does not provide the odds to favour them to beat the hosts.

Meanwhile, Australia's charge is gaining momentum It looks to be an All Blacks v South Africa final. Australia easily has the game to make it different. Semi-finals look like South Africa v Argentina and All Blacks v Australia and Australia is now a very real candidate for winning.

This could and I say would see the tournament come to a hard to believe conclusion. It will need something special to test the All Blacks and that special is not an impossibility.

With the action in France getting tenser; it will be all eyes to the giant screens or the box at home from Sri Lankan rugby fans.
On the domestic scene the concern is with the schools section and is widely discussed. The rugby calendar of the schools is a vital and integral part for the development of the game in Sri Lanka. The schools section during the year had many issues that were taking the game to the cleaners. A reluctant President holding office while his resignation is not accepted did not help the game. Since then, the Vice President has taken over the reins and the few issues that were unattended are being sorted out. While he is doing his best to get the game on track it was disappointment in the way the present Presidents Trophy games are being conducted. The tournament is without any main actors and the only noteworthy participants are St Peters College and Isipatahana. The tournament itself is becoming a farce with no quarter final played. With the absence of the big names the top tier of the tournament included some of the schools from division two. They too did not turn up finally. Their absence is not surprising as it would have been preferred to stay at home than being bashed about and being a party to record scores. All around it seem to be a mockery with a tournament that does not seem to be wanted.

The constituent’s members of the schools committee must sit and deliberate on the action for the future. Tournaments which increase the numbers in the records will not be meaningful on the long run. There will be a disappointed sponsor who has to justify the costs in terms of the mileage they have got in return. The body has to sit and brainstorm for the future. In the session for planning for next year they should get all possible help from the governing body; the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union. If not at least get the Union involved in the management by soliciting their advice.