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What is happening to the schools knock out competition? Why! do you expect anything to happen? These are the types of questions that you hear as people talk of while Sri Lanka rugby should be concentrating on the onward journey. How can you do it when there are so many irritants that always make you scratch?
After a successful schools season where the spectators were kept happy we come to a situation where everything is spoilt. A knock out among schools is taking place where only three of the first division teams have agreed to play. What purpose does this serve and who has to take responsibility?
Easy; the SLSRFR committee as anybody would point a finger. The point however is whether these were not discussed at meetings and the number of tournaments agreed. Are we to believe that there is no consensus on the school calendar and they only know of the tournament a few days before the draw? May be the numbers want another tournament and so it goes on as an opportunity where the quality of the game suffers. In another few months it will be time to select the under twenty team and then what will we have to look at. Top players from the better schools who have had no proper competition to test their skills sent to represent the youth team that will take away our chances at this championship. Why not give break after the league and let the boys have a chance to study their books and come back in September possibly and be in form for the pool to represent the under 20 side . Does it need a rocket scientist to figure this out?
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| Though the Josephians won the school’s league title by beating Mahanama, they had the last laugh when they knocked the Jose out of the Presidents Trophy. |
Kandy is ahead in the Caltex league at the end of the first week of the second round and will have them to blame if they do not win the cup this year too. For that to happen they have to lose at least two of the remaining matches. It is CR are who are next behind with game lost and one drawn Then follow Havelock who have two losses but have a good chance of challenging to be number two . That is what would make a noteworthy achievement for rugby.
IRB has in the meantime approved thirteen of the experimental law variation across all countries beginning August. This will be under experiment for twelve months while some others are still under trial. Sri Lanka will have to play the five nations division two as well as the under twenty tournament under these laws. It has been decided that the knock outs will be played under the new variations.
These changes will not mean a change in laws only. The game will see changes in tactics as well as the style of play. To be five meters behind the scrum gives the back row far more opportunities and the challenges will be many. No gain in ground from kicks in the twenty when passed from outside the twenty two develops a need for new thinking the work of the defending backs. The restriction makes it necessary to reorganize the tactics for clearance from set pieces rucks and mauls just out side the twenty two. The ability to collapse the maul will definitely add more dynamism to this phase. Will it completely take out of the game the dangerous rolling maul? What is important is that collapsing is by grasping the player above the hip .and bringing him to the ground. The rolling maul which was virtually unstoppable now needs one big strong forward in the defenses to bring it down. It need not have many defending forwards. There is no need for allocating numbers to match the offensive forward. What was hard to defend has now been done by making legal what was illegal.
Another all important aspect of the game that will emerge will be return of the strong base for attack from scrums. With the backs other than the number nine expected to be five meters away will give extra space and real momentum from the first phase. It will also speed up the game. Possibly to be seen will be that sides with powerful scrums will be rewarded. The line out takes away the right of any team to determine the numbers. What then happens to the short man line out? The receiver has to be two meters away and the throwers opposite number if standing within the five has to be two meters away while gripping is allowed. A new line out game is what may be seen.
Virtually this is a change in the entire structure of the game. A change we have to be ready for.
- Vimal Perera is a former Rugby Referee, coach and Accredited Referees Evaluator IRB
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