Antonians aim to rise from the dust
View(s):By Aubrey Kuruppu
Sixth in 2011 last year was expected to be better. Alas for the best laid plans! St. Anthony’s College Katugastota plummeted even further purely because of the exodus of four back division players. The forwards gave it their all, but once the ball was released to the back division players, they were sadly lacking in know-how and talent.
The St. Anthony’s Katugastota rugby squad with officials.
The School authorities and the Old Boys Rugby Wing put their heads together and came up with the panacea for their ills. A foreign coach – one not entirely unaccustomed to Sri Lankan schoolboy rugby players – was signed up at some cost. A coaching team was also put together.
Thus began Theo Serafinm’s association with Antonian rugby. Too much can’t be read into best week’s morale – shattering loss to St. Peter’s. The latter are one of the best ‘A’ Division sides, and to meet them first up was unfortunate. Things can only get better. That was the storm before the calm.
Team manager Vikum Jayasuriya is confident that his team can finish in the first five.
Third year player, hooker Yakoob Ali leads the Antonians. Experienced Yakoob is not fazed and is prepared to meet the challenges head on. The presence of last year’s skipper Panduka Angammana is a source of great solace. A fourth year player, Panduka occupies the important number eight spot. Last year he was the side’s leading try scorer. Even in the shambles that was the Peterite game. Panduka was one player who stood out. A Sri Lankan youth player, he should take it as a challenge to lift the team in partnership with his skipper.
Fazloor Rahman and Charles Praveen are third year players. Indu Prasad, Tharindu Sahabandu, Mohamed Aramesh, Newman Dilan, Rasiah Rumesh, Krishan Basil, Sajith Hemantha and Sashika Weerasekera are all in their second year.
For a school that produced rugby greats such as Priyantha and Lakshman Ekanayake, Lasantha Wijesuriya, Leroy Fonseka, Maurice Joachim, Prasad Chaturanga and, latterly, Sanka Rajaguru, the present state of Antonian rugby must be galling. Rev. Fr. Araliya Jayasundara is the prefect of games and the school couldn’t have found a better person to plot their revival.
The squad:
Props: Tharindu Sahabandu, Mohamed Anas, Indu Prasad
Hooker: Yakoob Ali (Capt)
Locks: Mohamed Aramesh, Damian Wijesuriya, Shemal Wijeratne
Flankers: Newman Dilan, Narada Tennekoon
No. 8: Panduka Angammana
Scrum half: Hassan Careem, Dulaj Jayatissa
Fly half: Fazloor Rahman, Nimesha Gunasinghe
Centres: Charles Praveen (VC), Rasiah Rumesh, Chanuka Ranaraja
Wingers: K.M.P. Kasturi, Krishan Basil
Full back: Sajith Hemantha, Sashika Weerasekera
Officials: Theo Serafinm (Coach), Priyantha Gunaratne (Asst. Coach), Saman Kotalawela, Suranga Kodituwakku
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