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Tuesday, 6 May 2014 00:39 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
School rugby
Despite the bad weather we had some good school games over the weekend. Pathana continues to impress with their style of play. Last Friday they took on the Joes in pretty wet and gloomy conditions. The ground was soggy and the same was not conducive for fast and open rugby. However both teams must be given credit for the quality of rugby that was dished out. They were willing to run the ball at every opportunity and the resultant thrills and spills was on view.
The pathana pack is quite a dominant force in local schools rugby and they are mobile and agile. They definitely rely on their third row for the bulk of their attacking moves and together with their effervescent No. 9 they are able to punch holes at will in any defence. The No. 8 has been outstanding in the recent games, and in most instances, he is able to get well past the gain line when breaking off the scrum. Thus the overlap created with the nippy No. 9 is a thorn in the flesh of the opposition.
The three quarters play a very crucial and supporting role and are at hand to finish off a move or get involved in a ruck if and when required. They are pretty skilful in the handling of the highball as well. The pathana lads are fearless tacklers, competent at counter rucking and if at all there is a clink in their armour it has to be their defence. Given their style of play, if the opposition is able to breach the first line of defence they are in with a chance to score.
Another shortcoming is that they are very keen on scoring tries and in that frenzy are not actually looking at the scoreboard, the state of play and thus at times have opted for a lineout when presented with a penalty within kicking range as opposed to a shot at goal. Whilst this strategy is fine of you are dominating a game, it could backfire if the opposition seizes the opportunity to counter attack.
The Joes must be given a lot of credit for their sterling performance. Against an all out assault by Pathana, they were many of them who were willing to put their body on the line in honour of their school. The skipper fought valiantly and finally had to succumb to concussion. The Joes had their moments and could have scored more but fluffed the opportunity at crucial junctures. They possess a good set of forwards, but must play as single unit in order to make an impact. The Joes could take heart that they were up against a hard as nails side and did well to stay in the hunt till the end.
Whilst I am not very fond of being critical of the referee, he definitely missed a trick or two. Certain incidents of dangerous play, hands in the ruck and players not retreating when the kicker is behind them and shoulder charges went unnoticed. Once again the role of the assistant referee is brought into focus. At times, one is forced to sympathise with the supporters as they honestly believe that the assistant referee turns a blind eye to such transgressions.
Asian 5 Nations
The Lankan Tuskers were beaten for the second week in a row, this time by HK. Whilst the Tuskers were meek in the first half, they looked a better and cohesive unit in the second half. With a bit of luck and skill they could have score at least on two more occasions and the score line would have been a lot more respectable.
The forwards fought bravely and contested the breakdown well despite the apparent mismatch against the HK forwards. Given the weight of the Tuskers pack, attempting a No. 8 break from the base of the scrum is foolhardy and on a number of occasions the HK forwards outsmarted the Tuskers and simply rolled over them. Whilst Hetti at full back is excellent with the boot and under the high ball, his inability to secure/retain ball when confronted with some big opposition three quarters was plain to see. This even warranted a cynical joke by the commentary team. With the Tuskers taking on Japan next week, a third straight loss is in the offing and the question that remains is by how much?
(The writer can be reached via [email protected])
