The marauding Lankans should make it this time
View(s):HSBC Asian5Nations
Kandy players back in saddle
By Naushad Amit
With a strong will to recapture their lost prestige, after a narrowly-missed opportunity last year, Sri Lanka will be hoping to reach the top five in Asia when the Division I tournament of the popular HSBC Asian5Nations kicks off at Havelock Park in Colombo today.
Sri Lanka will be hoping high this time.
Sri Lanka will be in action against Chinese Taipei at 4.00 p.m. after the curtain-raiser game between the relegated Kazakhstan and Thailand.
Sri Lanka, under new coach Ravin du Plessis, who will be assisted by the successful national Sevens coach Ben Gollings, will be eyeing a possible promotion this year. The Brave Elephants or Tuskers, as they are known on the international circuit, have gone through a strenuous preparation period during the past few months with the clear aim of getting back to the top.
The tournament is set to be a no-holds-barred battle with Kazakhstan, Chinese Taipei and Thailand also seeking similar glory. With very little facts on hand about their opponents, Sri Lanka will initially be naive but with the amount of groundwork the team has covered over the past months they could be a surprise package which others might not wish to play against.
Their clear threat on the way to the top will be Kazakhstan, who were pushed down to Division I this year from the top five. The 
Kazakhs will be filled with as much fury as Sri Lanka.
Last year Sri Lanka recorded a comfortable win over Chinese Taipei but they could be the dark horses of the competition. Thailand 
replaced Singapore in Division I this year, after their stupendous performance in Division II in 2012.
Sri Lanka is probably fielding one of its strongest 15s outfits in recent years, with many skilled players representing the side.
The plus point for Sri Lanka this year will be the return of some key players from the Kandy Sports Club who were not in action last year.
The Tuskers will be led by former Navy Sports Club skipper and flanker Yoshitha Rajapaksa while Kandy SC fly half Fazil Marija, who is rated as Sri Lanka’s best No.10s from the current breed, is the vice captain. Apart from their strong main squad consisting of 25 players, Sri Lanka has an equally strong set of replacements.
The tournament will span three match days with two games scheduled to be played each day. The matches will be played at Havelock Park today, on Wednesday and on the decisive Saturday, when the winner gets passage to the Top Five and the fourth-placed side’s fate is sealed with a possible relegation to Division II.
Last year Sri Lanka played three matches, winning two – against Chinese Taipei by 36-8 and Singapore by 35-10. They lost to the Philippines by 18-28 in a decisive match which decided the team’s stagnancy in Division I for another year. After last year’s tournament, Sri Lanka obtained 89 points against all three opponents while conceding only 36 points. Interestingly the eventual winners, Philippines too conceded 36 points against while scoring 99 points in three games. The overall difference on total points for games between Sri Lanka and the Philippines eventually was the deficit of 10 points from their game, which decided the fate of the two sides. However, Sri Lanka, with a strong set of players and a technically sound supportive staff, will be hoping to minimise any errors that will deprive them of a path to the top.
| Yoshitha may give up competitive rugby after this seasonLankans ready for Asian5Nations By Vimal PereraRavin Du Plessis, the Sri Lanka Coach said that they have trained with their sights on winning the Asian5Nations Division I tournament this year and the boys are confident. “We are delighted that we have been able to focus on the game and Sri Lanka has selected the best balanced team. We have a good set of forwards who are mobile and a skill full set of backs”. The added advantage is that the team has developed technically and the players are quick in understanding and are working better. Working with Ben Gollings, he has been able to make the difference in the Sri Lanka team. “The effort during training was very good and the players are raring to go and have been stimulated to do well” were the words of Ravin. “The Lankan side will have a specific game structure for each game and will play to their potential”. He went on to say that the Lankans will play with what they have and give more emphasis to the areas that they have better control. The team also has good cohesion and have been together and benefited from the team building exercises. Meanwhile the Lankan captain Yoshitha Rajapakse speaking to the Sunday Times said that the team is enthusiastic. He said that the team was better balanced than last year. He opined that there is no club politics and all are happy that they are representing the country. “They stick together and are united in pursuing our goal — winning the A5N Division I. We want to win the tournament and take a step towards being among the Top Five in Asia and continue to be there.” As captain he said that he hopes to lead them to the top spot and confided that this would possibly be his last year as a player and he would then take to coaching a team and probably start with schools. He is looking at a few options that are open and may be the climate of the hills may lure him. |
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