Looking for a fresh start in 2016
Skipper Rahul Karunatilleke
The loss of the Bradby Shield last year by a 50-point margin overall was bad enough. More sheltering was the 49-0 rout in the second leg at the Royal Rugby Complex. To cap it all, Trinity College finished in third position in the league table. For a school that has such a rich rugby tradition, these slights have been difficult to live down. The need for a fresh, more successful start in the 2016 season is uppermost in the minds of skipper Rahul Karunatillake and his team.
However, there was a stutter in the first game, when Wesley scored first and Trinity came back late in the game to steal a 7-5 win. That behind them, the Trinitians are determined to achieve the excellence of some of the great teams of the past. Karunatilleke, a lock forward, leads a team that has five coloursmen and a host of others who played last year. The skipper comments that the bench-strength to quite formidable. (Neighbouring Kandy SC may have something to do with that!).
Thusila Perera, Vice Captain
Karunatilleke represented Sri Lanka at the Junior Rugby Asiad last year. This is his fourth year in the Trinity team, having doubled up as lock and flanker in the teams of Halique Wadood, Tarinda Ratwatte and Isuru Rangala. Particularly pleasing is the fact that he played alongside his brother Anuradha (Basu) for a couple of seasons. The skipper recalls with pleasure a try against DSS last year, when his side was under a bit of pressure. Apart from the games against Royal, Trinity also came off second best against St. Peters and Isipathana.
This Trinity team is very keen on changing all that. It is different from last year’steam in that “they will not give up, will go on and do the job” according to the skipper. They will not be going into the remaining matches with a pre-conceived plan. Instead, they will take it match by match. Vice captain Thushila Perera holds down the pivotal position of fly half. With good hands and the ability to kick, he has a key role to play.
Hooker Nathan Yee, number eight Rishan Madena, full back Sanushka Abeywickrema, winger Geeshan Pethiyagoda and scrum half Anuka Boyagoda are some of the players who did well last year. They are expected to go on from there. Sean Wijesinghe and Saliya Kumara are the Assistant Coaches. Irish International Eric Miller will be the Head Coach. The captain is fulsome in his praise of the coach “he’s very passionate and tactically good. He’s my favourite coach”.
Trinity Squad
- Props: Shaveen Ekanayake, Melon Malish, Aveesha Priyankara, Kanchana Wimalasiri, Patrick Jayasundara, Mahadhi Abdullah
- Hookers: Nathan Yee, Hasiru Weliwatta, Akthab Ramzeen
- Locks: Rahul Karunatilleke, Anjana Bandara, Pasan Samarawickrema, Pravinda Wijetilleka, Pubudu Fernando
- Flankers: Rukshan Dhammapala, Shadhi Deen, Keshara Paliyangoda, Kaneesha Alwis
- No.8: Shalindra Alahakoon, Rishen Madena
- Scrum half: Rasheen Bandaranaike, Anuka Boyagoda
- Fly half: Thushila Perera, Lashan Wijesuriya
- Centres: Sajana Sangasinghe, Avishka Shiek, Warren Weerakoon, Naveen Deradason
- Wingers: Geeshan Pethiyagoda, Diluksha Dange, Amith Kulatunga, Mohamed Ikram.
- Full back: Sarushka Abeywickrema, Ayesha Edirisinghe
- Coach: Eric Miller
- Asst. Coaches: Sean Wijesinghe, Saliya Kumara
- Master-in-charge: Sahana Vajirasena
- Manager 1st XV: Manoj Jayatissa
- Prefect of Games: Shane de Silva