ROYAL can rise to the occasion when it matters
View(s):By David Stephens
As unpredictable as Royal College have been throughout this edition of the school rugby league, there is no denying their uncanny knack for unveiling consistency and class for the big occasion. And for Royal Rugby, no occasion gets bigger than the Bradby.
Fresh off an explosive contest against Isipathana, which saw tension pass its tipping point, Royal College will be pumped and ready with the fireworks when they step off the train in Pallekalle. Although Royal conceded that match to Isipathana after tempers frayed, they played it like a team possessed, banking on the superior strength and expertise of their forwards to dictate play.
They will also know that the Trinitians are a wounded animal after having their coat of invincibility unceremoniously ripped in a titillating 18-17 loss to a Josephian unit which, although gifted, languishes near the bottom-half of the points table.
If even a tiny measure of self-doubt has crept into the Trinity locker-room, Royal will be sure to capitalize, and have shown they can in their previousgamesagainst once-confident and marauding sides like St. Peter’s and Wesley.
Even though they lost 31-19 to the Peterites, who were leading the league at that point and effortlessly charging past all opponents, they held them down well and even led until late in the game. Against Wesley they encountered a side which was fast and ferocious with its offense, but Royal recovered from a second half deficit to storm to a 31-12 win.
That said, Royal still remains among the league’s most mercurial performers this season. Prone to long spells devoid of creativity and saturated with folly, the Reid Avenue boys have oftentimes been exceedingly ordinary even in victory.
In their recent conquest over St. Joseph’s College, they labored in the field, failing to manufacture any moments of inspiration and frequently fumbling the ball. Early on in the season they did the same against Kingswood College, before finally crawling to a dull 13-7 victory.
This inconsistency, which Science College and St. Anthony’s College exposed with devastating effect, is the principal reason Royal finds itself fifth in the league.
If Royal is looking to take the initiative during the first leg of the Bradby in Kandy next week, they will have to play to their potential, with experienced players like Captain Rimze Jamaldeen, Shuayb Muthaliph, Nimshan Jayawardena and Banuka Gamage stepping up their game. They will also require composure from their nine Bradby first-timers; a simple request in theory, but made less straightforward in practice by a huge and hostile crowd that is sure to be present on match day.
Nevertheless, with anger in their eyes and revenge on their minds, Royal will head to Kandy looking for a decisive away leg triumph. If they can do what they are best at- slowing down the game’s pace, utilizing Jamaldeen’s kicking prowess to gain quick points and territory and getting stuck in a gritty battle- then they are more than capable of slaying the Lions in their own den.
Royal College Squad
1,3 Props: Shuayb Muthaliph, Chameera Gamage, Kaveen Perera, Shahir Haniffa, Dian Lokugamage, Thiwanka Perera.
2 Hookers: Shuaib Jabbar, Chevindu Sathsara, Supun Warnakulasuriya.
4,5 Locks: Ashan Bandara, Avin Gunawardena, Chandula Jayasundara, Nadun Jayawardena.
6,7 Flankers: Keshan Perera, Dineth Karunaratne.
Number.8: Manusha Abeykoon.
9 Scrum half: Aaqil Jamaldeen, Nevaan Perera.
10 Fly half: Rimze Jamaldeen (Capt).
12,13 Centres: Akash Iddawela, Azman Khan, Devin de Silva, Dinith Gunawardena.
11,14 Wingers: Bhanuka Gamage, Gawesh Yapa, Selaka Molligoda, Udesh Eranda, Udesh Udawatte.
15 Fullback: Nimshan Jayawardena, Shahid Bahaudeen.
Officials: Johan Taylor (Director Rugby), Bilal Yousuf (Head Coach), Asanga Rodrigo (Coach)
Blow hot blow cold; but TRINITY has the appetite to devour
By Aubrey Kuruppu
“More open than usual” seems to be an apt assessment when any discussion of Trinity’s chances in the 69th Bradby comes to mind. With the initial leg to take place at Pallekele on June 1, it would be easy to bring up the not-always-factual issue of home advantage.
Last year, Kaneel Seneviratne’s Trinitians fed on the Royalists with relish, winning 34-11 and 36-20 away and at home. But that was a far more talented side. In the games this season, Trinity has tended to blow hot and cold. More often than not, they have had to come back from the brink to secure victory.
Heirs to a proud rugby tradition, the Lions have seldom been at their brilliant best. Their most exhilarating efforts have come in spasms. The fact that 142 points have been scored against them in seven games raises the question of whether the defense has been adequate.
A former Lion and a highly respected figure in rugby circles feels that at their best, Trinity will be difficult to beat. They had good combinations going last season, but there has been little evidence of them so far. Naresh Perera, he feels, has the ability and athleticism to fill the scrum half’s berth and form a good pairing with Tarinda Ratwatte.
The lineout work has also been called into question as, with the second half of the Josephian game, they lost every lineout save one.
Another Lion, of similar vintage, is of the opinion that Trinity has been lucky to win matches. He points to the lack of basics, at times. Line outs have been lost even on their throw ins. While some individuals have been good, Trinity has not always played as a team. Fitness has been their forte and this explains why they have turned adverse situations to their advantage quite often when their opponents have been knackered.
A rugby player of yore and a long-standing Trinitian who never misses a Trinity game if he can help it, has some interesting commenets. Though Trinity led the points table, they had been scraping through. The attack has potential but it takes time to click, he too says there is no combination, no game plan.
Basing his judgment on the Antonian match which Trinity finally won 22-14 after being led 0-14 early in the second half, he feels that Trinity was merely reacting to what the Antonians did. While the forwards performed well in the line outs, they were lackadaisical in the loose. They were neither fast nor ferocious and failed to pounce on the opposition.
Priority, he points out, had to wait for their own good ball, and could not create turnover situations. The opponents were allowed to use good ball to their advantage.
The place-kicking has also been called into question. The game against Dharmaraja was one they were lucky to draw. A last gasp try by Tarinda Ratwatte brought parity, but here again the conversion was missed. The Josephian game- the one ugly blot on their escutcheon- could have been won had the penalties that came their way been availed of.
Royal’s performances have dipped and badly too. However, come Bradby time, they are known to lift their game and combat the Kandy side on an even keel. Trinity, too has and can put past indifferent performances behind them and come up trumps on the big occasion. A certain piquancy is lent to this encounter by the fact that there is no odds on favourite. Come Saturday evening, the Lions may have changed all that.
Trinity College Squad
1,3 Props: Anuradha Karunathilake, Sanka Etulgama, Buddhika Dodantenne, Dhirendra Ratwatte, Kenneth Gamage
2 Hookers: Nathan Yec, Nilas Sakalasooriya
4,5 Locks: Chamodh, Dissanayake, Isuru Rangala, Rahul Karunathilake, Umesh Samarasekara
6,7 Flankers: Shahim Singalaxana, Dushan Perera, Sajith Thalgahagoda, Sarooj Rasool
Number 8: Ashan Perera, Nipun Alahakoon
9 Scrum half: Johann Ratwatte, Nagitha Ridimahaliyadda, Naresh Perera
10 Fly half: Dinuk Ratwatte, Tarinda Ratwatte, Danesh Perera.
12,13 Centres: Sanchana Shiek, Dureka Aluvihare, Lochana Girihagama, Shehan Elroy Perera, Thushila Perera
11,14 Wingers: Lakvin Gunasekara, Nishan Handunge, Rukshan Sazmin
15 Fullback: Halique Wadood (Capt), Sachintha Dissanayake.
Officials: Neil Foote (Director Rugby), Nilfer Ibrahim (Head Coach), Sean Wijesinghe (Coach)
Follow @timesonlinelk
comments powered by Disqus