The three Musketeers await D’Artagnan’s arrival

Week 4 that was skipped/postponed earlier, shall be played as the last week of Round 1 to conclude the first stage of the Schools Rugby League. This week consists of an action-packed encounter that would reveal the Table leaders of Group 1, and as to who would finish up at the second place to qualify for the Super Round. If STC beats Isipathana, there is a chance for them to become Table leaders, but regardless, shall proceed to the Super Round along with Isipathana. If STC loses, then Trinity stands a better chance to qualify for the next Round than DSS.

St. Joseph’s vs Wesley at Havelock Park on 3 Aug:

This is yet another much awaited battle between the brawns of the League, that is expected to feature gigantic clashes of wits and physiques, that would send echoes of collisions across Havelock Park. The double blues meet the striped blues in what is expected to be an evenly challenged battle between their epic Forwards, but we may also be lucky to witness some running rugby, to make it a tad more flamboyant.

 Joes have been struggling with Ball handling issues from time to time, and they would hope that it won’t resurface in this game, and grant the opposition another advantage. However, they have managed to contain their infringements consistently, which should give them a huge edge on Ball possession and territory over the opponents.

 Wesley may hold the edge on muscle power over Joes, but possess almost the same competencies at the breakdowns. It is still unsure as to who would reign in pick and drives, but the Wesley Maul might be a touch stronger. Therefore, pick & drive and Maul defence skills will come into play a lot, and shall determine the course of play and the direction of the game. Nevertheless, this is promised to be an ideal clash of high-standard Forwards skills, hence should be a real treat to watch.

 Isipathana vs S. Thomas’ at Havelock Park on 4 Aug:

One spot in Group 1 that grants the Visa to the Super Round is up for grabs, and the outcome of this encounter shall decide the fortunes of 2 others in line as well. While Isipathana is already through, STC needs a win to confirm its place. Therefore, this encounter is poised to be the match of the weekend, kicked off at the most bustling Havelock Sport Club. Following is a deep dive insight on how both teams stand in their strengths, weaknesses, and tactical plays.

First and foremost, Isipathana is Isipathana; and second, the branded vigour of Isipathana is back! In other words, Isipathana Rugby is back with its utmost core competency this year, ie. playing its hearts out. Arguably, though Pathana consisted of a better team last year with Rinesh Silva and Co. to complement the gimmicks of Shahid Zumri, Pathana’s branded ‘Bokka’ game was missing last year. In comparison, despite fielding a mediocre team that was consumed by constant erroneous gameplays, they played with the ‘Bokka’ in 2022, which earned them the League and Knockout Titles. This is their most lethal weapon that cannot be countered by any team, and it is exactly what the Green Machine is famously known for. 

 Thus, forget the skills comparison to follow; as even without superior skills, the Green Machine can conquer any team, on any day, and on any pitch, as there are no known counter tactics for their ‘bokka gaema’. This assertiveness, a gift showered only on the Greens by the blessed above, enables them to grab possession, overpower the opposition, and score Tries at will, regardless of the situation of the game, or the plight they are in. In other words, the worst predicament they are in, brings out their best attacking gameplays; and that’s Pathana Rugby for you!

 Thora Rugby has been on the rise ever since their first game this season, where a few silly errors cost them a heavy defeat against Trinity, although their Rugby fundamentals were reasonably solid, and comparably better than most teams on Week 1. The juvenile errors diminished with each game, and now they appear to be a matured bunch, much capable of launching brave, but flawless onslaughts against the formidable Green Machine. The best feature of their gameplay, to use every minute opportunity to attack, imposing pressure on the opposition, is likely to work well for them against the Greens, as the latter has been seen fumbling under consistent pressure on numerous occasions. The second feature is that their support play has been reliably good and sometimes excellent. However, they would have to maintain this skill at the excellent level for this encounter, in order to cope and at least retain possession against Pathana’s super-quick contesting and turnover capabilities at the breakdowns. The third and ultimate weapon which gives the Thomians superior advantage over the Greens is their Maul power, as Pathana has been seen reeling, unable to hold off heavy Maul drives, such as of DSS. Nonetheless, Pathana was able to successfully employ other tactics to defeat opposition Mauls, but the most effective one was lineout turnovers. Following a few turnovers, the opposition Hooker and the jumpers are either distressed or mystified to throw accurately, catch assuredly and bind into that perfect Maul that empowers the drive to gain substantial territory.

 Isipathana has not managed to turn over many at the Rucks in their last 3 games, as their tactic is likely to conserve energy to sprint and defend Mauls. However, they have linearly improved their lineout turnovers with 2, 2 and 4 wins in their last 3 games respectively. They have also sharpened their ‘jackling’ skills that has won them 5 penalties in their last two games, in addition to the successful ‘jacklings’ in each game. The second-best Pathana armament is their flash-like, evasive running game that STC is yet to face this season. Although STC’s consistent defence formation, and spontaneous tackling skills against speedy Backs may not be their highlight this season, it has improved slightly with every passing game, and the enthusiasts cannot wait to find out if this is indeed sufficient against the unstoppable Green Machine.

 In essence, the Thomians are expected to dominate the Rucks and turn over a few, while the Pathans shall rule the jumping game, disrupting the Thora Mauls from forming. Nevertheless, Ball possession would be key in this game for the Thomians, and even so, the Greens could win this game even with a mere 30% Ball possession, owing to their core competency specified above. Therefore, the Thomians may experiment with their kicking game by all means, but not into the playing area of the opposition’s grid, but solely to find touch. Isipathana thrives on kicks into their hands by taking advantage of the spaces naturally created by kicks during open play, which could spell nothing short of ‘self-destruction’ for the Thomians. Generally, the Pathans have been a better law-abiding bunch in comparison to the Thomians this season, thus should certainly enjoy additional possession and territorial gains due to it. However, their oppositions always had, and would have the option to impose continuous pressure to force them to forget the letters of the laws, at least momentarily.

 Science vs D.S. Senanayake at Sugathadasa Stadium on 4 Aug:

Science College has not been playing the game that it is capable of, ever since the infamous incident that occurred at the Air Force Ground. The high standards of Rugby skills that were portrayed in their first few games, have suddenly faded away, and their performances have been mediocre ever since. It seems as if the players have completely lost faith in the system, and feel that there is no use in putting their best efforts, as it would be nullified regardless.

 If this encounter had been kicked off on the 4th week as it was supposed to, it would have been the most anticipated game of the week, as Science and DS were playing almost at parallel levels. However, Donz Rugby has peaked at present and is in a position to take on any team, and make even the stronger opponents slog for their wins. As in this state, the mass could only pray to the Gods, to bring about a change in the minds of the young Maroons, to look into the future with hope, as not all ‘Forces’ are against them. Let us all hope that the divine powers hear the prayers, so that we could yet again witness the true power of Science Rugby. 

 Vidyartha vs St. Peter’s at Nittawela on 4 Aug:

Although everyone may have figured out the result of this game even before it is played, one must not forget the fight the Tigers would put up against the breezy Brigade. It can be assured 100% that the Vidyartha College coaching crew would have well laid out plans to counter and minimise the damages that could be done by the visiting side. Since it’s all about the battle and not about the King who’s about to fall, the enthusiasts are encouraged to watch this game, to find out as to what extent an underdog could go to protect its honour.

It would be quite impossible to stop the slimy three-quarter brigade, but the Tigers possess the speed and the sturdy Paws to at least make an effort. With careful planning on defence tactics, the hosts could make life difficult for the visitors. In addition, the Peterites aren’t in the habit of consciously controlling their infringements lately, thus Vidyartha could be looking at a minimum of 15 opportunities in the form of penalty offerings. If they meticulously plan to use each one of these effectively, they should be able to retreat back to catch a restart kick with a handful of points, every time.

(The writer can be reached at: [email protected])