Navy’s quest for the league plum
View(s):Competition in the Dialog Rugby League is increasing as the game progresses from the first round of the league to the second round.
It is now that the war begins for the cup. As the Ancient Chinese Military strategist Sun Zsu said it is all about strategy, strength and victory that will determine the outcome. This requires putting forth all your best efforts to defeat your opponents, so that they lose the desire or strength to win. This will mean putting all you have to beat the opponents that will lead to the cup. This stage will resemble more a war than before because each team knows their opponents. Broadcast of matches are freely available and that makes planning much easy. The winner of the battle will be those who can best modify their tactics in relation to their opponent. Each team will have
Navy Sports Club is the only side to remain unbeaten after the first round of the ongoing Dialog Division ‘A’ club rugby championship. - File pic
the principal objective of beating their opponent, more than anything else. Some may fall behind the leading pack after the first two weeks. The fun has begun and hope is that rugby loving public will be served better on the field than through the media. The Union and the Referees Society have addressed the match official issues albeit temporarily by importing referees to reduce the pressure on the locals. With the game heating there would have been more pressure and to err would have never been considered as human. The six teams in the final round are Navy, Havelock’s, Kandy, CR, Army and Up Country Lions. I would think that all teams will be in their best suits hoping for a win while some will be confident that they will win.
At the Havelock Park last week it was all cheer chants and shouts and ended in the Park boys and girls sporting cynical smiles happy that they beat Kandy Sports Club. It was an interesting game that promised satisfaction to the last drop. Suddenly with twenty minutes to go things changed and the diehard of the club waited for the last whistle to be called to the bar for a drop of what cheers them.
At half time it was a12 points to Havelock’s and 10 to Kandy. Then it was 17 all after twenty minutes of the second half. Havelock’s then scored two tries that were converted and a penalty goal to romp home winners by 34 points to 17. It looked like the forwards got a new conductor to their band who could make them sing and dance. Tongan Hale T Pole who entered the field scored a try to make it an even score. And he conducted his orchestra of rugby brawn that made Kandy look like schools boys finding problems in stopping a pushed roller. The forwards of the Park Club pushed hard and it looked like this Kandy team had no stratagem; the ability to win in those last 
twenty minutes. The problem was that they got rucked mauled and rolled as Havelock’s got into threatening positions. The playing hard and the clean contest was a feature of the game. They followed this with a convincing win over the sharks on Wednesday and now will have to play CR on Sunday.
Navy with a clear win against Sharks remain unbeaten at the end of round one and are 5 matches away from the title “league champs”. Havelock’s with one defeat in the hands of Navy are a close contender. Their win against Kandy will give them the energy to visualize themselves to better performance and claim the league. This time around the Havelock’s played as a team and was not solely dependent on the X factor in their side. The Navy is a vibrant side used to steer in both good and bad weather. They have the talent and the skills to make Welisara the home of the cup.
Kandy who has gone down two games in the first round seems to be a distance away to have a go at the league title. But then anything is possible with teams that are equally matched. Those who love a game of rugby will not be disappointed. Other s that comes to cheer will have something to cheer.
Next week will also see the flagging off the schools season with the under twenty sevens to be played on the 31st of January and the 1st of February. That is where passion lies and emotion rises. Win is must for my team is the way they think. This is where the common language of rugby will cease to exist. It is also understood that this season the game will break new ground as the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union will be involved with Ministry of Education and the Schools section to guide the game to provide professionalism and have greater administrative control. Let the boys enjoy the game and the old boys be happy for the game that brings so much passion.
Vimal Perera is a former Rugby Referee, coach and Accredited
Referees Evaluator IRB