Laga groomed a pack of rookies to do the impossible
Laga - Coach
Henry Terrence - Skipper
Thirty one years for any cause is a long wait indeed but the Park Club boys have proved that the wait is worth a cause. At last the long overdue wait of Havelocks Sports Club for a rugby league title came to an abrupt end, with newly reformed set of youngsters proving that they on a crusade.
But the effort of these youngsters would be an incomplete task if not for the great Samoan influence which helped them to bring down the dominance of Kandy Sports Club. Havelocks lost their only game of the season to Kandy in the first round. But they are now guaranteed with the league rugby title.
Behind the success of the Havelocks was legendary Talugese Tavita, better known as Laga who took over the reigns as coach. He explained the importance and need of winning the league title whilst beating Kandy SC after 17 long years. “I was part of the Kandy regime for four years and I had my own reasons in leaving Kandy SC. But you want to see if you can challenge yourself more as a coach, so I came back to CR&FC from, Kandy in 2006 thinking I was going to finish it off in style but then again lost by a small margin.
This year’s win against Kandy is a lot more satisfying. I am not really happy with the performance but it’s more like a relief. Kandy has been great champions for such a long time and for these boys to beat them, it’s not all about me. I can coach but it’s about respect, aim and executing the things that we do perfectly and playing as a unit. No one is bigger than the team and I’m very happy with what we achieved,” explained Laga.
Two seasons back Havelocks Sports Club were at the receiving end, getting battered by their opponents while a win was more than a satisfactory factor for them. Last season too the Havelocks had very little reason to be satisfied about. But this year under a new management, a totally refurbished Havelocks Sports Club not only have proved that they are back in the game but also that they are here to stay.
Laga, who grew up in New Zealand further explained on the changes he tried to implement on the ‘Pinks and Chocolates’. “Technically we needed to play a different style of game. That of course comes with hard work, we had to play a bit faster and give the boys more freedom to express their talent on the field. Trying to put a puzzle together is not always easy but once you get a hang of it things will fall into place. This is exactly what has been happening at the Havelocks.”
He further added: “We didn’t have any pre-season or any sort of training prior to the competition. I haven’t seen most of these kids before. But the key was to keep them together and see them enjoy the game. We know that we didn’t have enough time together. In addition discipline was the key. The team spirit is becoming very strong day by day. By now the team has combined as a unit and the players and coaching staff has been really open to each other in what they do. That discipline has been one of the key aspects.”Laga who has been a known figure in the Sri Lankan rugby arena for over a decade further said that spending his vast knowledge on the local talent has been and will be always a pleasure.
“Observing other clubs and their potentials is a key in teaching or coaching a totally new side. I have spent 12 years in Sri Lanka with CR&FC and Kandy Sports Club and I have a fair bit of ideas of how clubs do prepare in Sri Lanka and also on how they look at the opposition. But the game has moved on and so as the other clubs, it’s good to see this young bunch here trying to move on and learn fast and then transform into a winning outfit. I have gone through this stage way back home and I know how difficult it is get things in order. Kandy SC has been winning for the past 11 years and they were the major force here in Sri Lanka and we knew that we have to come up with something different. I see a lot of changes in rugby here. Of course the Carlton Sevens has changed the game in a better way I guess. With that sort of concept you can always go forward. No Union will have a clear way without trouble. But it’s certainly the way forward,” he further added. - NA
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