U-20 Rugby: Trinity coach suspended ahead of Bradby second leg

Eric Miller, the Trinity College First XV coach, has been barred from coaching, consequent to disciplinary action taken by the school authorities. 

The reason according OBA sources for this debarment being not heeding the warning not to be present at matches improperly clad in shorts and slippers as he did at the game against S. Thomas’ College at Pallekelle and the Bradby Shield first leg against traditional rivals Royal College. 

On May 6 the TCK/OBA official site quoted Trinity College principal Andrew Fowler-Watt as follows.

“I am sad to announce that Mr. Eric Miller is no longer the Director of Rugby at Trinity College. I would like to thank Eric for all that he has done for Trinity during his time at the school. I am also delighted to announce that Mr. Sean Wijesinghe has agreed to take over as interim Head Coach for the rest of the season. He will be assisted by Saliya Kumara, the Backs’ Coach. Sean is well known to all followers of Rugby in Sri Lanka. An Old Trinitian, former Captain of Sri Lanka, and current Head Coach of Kandy Sports Club, he has already been working closely with our 1ST XV this season. So, I am confident that the transition will be smooth and immediate, and the team will go from strength to strength under his guidance and leadership.” 

Miller was appointed as the first XV rugby coach in late 2014, but, the school has not so far achieved the desired results. 

Last year, during his first year as coach, under the captaincy of Isuru Ranagala, Trinity lost the Bradby Shield 22-23 in the first leg and the return leg at 0-49 in Colombo, statistically the highest ever score line in a single leg since 1945. 

Trinity also lost to Isipathana College twice in that season. 
Even this year the school has not performed to their true potential. In the season opener, they defeated Wesley with great difficulty at 7-5. 

Then they were beaten by S. Thomas’ at Pallekelle 20-23. 

Eric Miller, was a former Irish rugby international who played in the six nations in the 1990s and was a member of British and Irish Lions team led by former England skipper Martin Johnson that toured South Africa in 1997 and won the three match test series 2-1 beating the World Cup winning Springbok team.