Kandy falls early leaving the league fully open
View(s):
Following the defeat of Kandy at the hands of Air Force the league competition will be for anybody as the weeks progress. While games will be closely fought it will only be a drizzle that wets the dry grounds of rugby. The way the game is played and scrappy at most times there will not be a deluge to impress on a better exciting game. It will continue to be hard grounds wonky play and club management unable to grasp that body language of players suggest a disinterest or that they do not gel as a team.This will never be corrected but complaints galore that the game has not been officiated properly. Already there is an abuse complaint against the Army coach who has failed to follow instructions and abused the substitution official who is in charge of control of the bench. Others of course complain more in hushed tones as they see from fifty metres away what the referee does not see from 5 metres of the offense. In some matches that are broadcast there is a clear voice of the referee saying using why he blew. Then somebody tries to walk up to the referee to ask why? Indirectly they are using a tactic to delay as the opponents are denied of quick play. When the referee asks the player to get back and allow speed of play the accusation is that the referee was rude. Look at it another way. Who are rude are those that stop the speed and quick passage of play. This at the end of the day is bad as we play international games a penalty or a card is pulled but we don’t know what the body language is. The tip tackle in the Army CH match was bad and then this leads to skirmishes that need not be there. It is best to read the World Rugby guidelines on safety and dangerous play and also some guidelines given very recently in addition to earlier sent directives. Safety is important and the presence of dangerous play has to be thwarted.
It is said that the door was opened by the Air Force after the defeat of the champs of least year Kandy. I would say that it was a window of opportunity that was opened leaving Havelock’s and Navy unbeaten after two weeks. CR partially closed the window with some injudicious playing and went down to Navy. Seeing CR play I got the feeling that they were not gelling and probably needed more hair spray. The body language was never positive and that cannot be bought. I thought the luck was more with CR as in the first half Navy followed CR in the style of play and starved the backs that could have run more.
After the Navy CR match I asked those involved with both teams why there were so many pick and hit when there were backs that would run about; starved of good ball. I was told that the game plan did not centre on so many pick and hits. This was common to both teams. Then who is guiding them to play a game that was not in the plan. Then you may not need all these high remunerated coaches. Just set the atmosphere for the boys to enjoy the way they think is good. That is probably a result of watching what is seen on broadcast of super rugby and copy it here. The system may not be the best for us but then who cares. Navy of course changed the game in the second half. Kandy were confronted with a determined Air Force side that turned upside down all forecast of the pundits.Seeing play in the first game I thought Air Force was capable of upsetting as the team progressed . However the upset came much quicker than expected. Kandy on the other hand looked amateurish considering the experience and names they had on paper. However they showed they were not capable to handle the pressure when the boot was on the other foot. The last twenty minutes was a pointer as mistakes were made while erratic passes and wrong options carried them away from winning a game where the difference was little. The Kudus for in this one is to Air Force.
Havelock’s got the better of a Police side that started well but looked tamed half way through. That does not mean that Havelock’s proved they are not cup material. Just as in the first week they got past the winning post with a timing not enough for a team that boasts of many players of repute.
The games and the competition will be close and rugby from the 4thweek onwards will see locked competition. The crying game will see daylight as teams lose and questions asked about decisions on the field by the match officials. Yet there will not be comments on the way the game was played. The cry however will be garnished by the usual statement why we spend so much? The practical question should be why you spend so much on average actors who cannot put up an award winning performance. Pay them and those who guide them on what their value is and clubs will save a lot of money and players will play better and the game will be better. Let professionalism be for some while others play more of community rugby and more numbers will be on the field. As per thought expressed by former Sri Lanka scrum half and SLRFU President J.P.A Jayawardena more fondly known as Jupana. This is a good idea that needs to be developed.
Vimal Perera is a former Rugby Referee, coach and Accredited Referees Evaluator IRB