Science vs. Pathana, the pick of the week

The Joes would be delirious after their victory last week. Although they languish in terms of the points table, the quality of rugby played by them has been getting better with each game. On their day, they are capable of upsetting any of the top four teams in the league.

The Joes take on Trinity this weekend in Kandy, whilst Kingswood will play host to Royal. Trinity will be unlikely to underestimate the Joes, given the close games that the Joes have had this season.

It will be one of the easier games for Royal as the following week they meet the Peterites and then we are on for the first leg of the Bradby. The Petes will also be in the hills taking on SACK. Thus, both Royal and the Peterites will be keen to get their act right for the big game ahead next week.

Both teams have some homework to do and the Joes and Science College have exposed the vulnerabilities of both sides. Two of the play makers have been nursing injuries and it is likely that they will be rested this week or at best get a run in the last quarter.

With the accent these days on technology, both camps must be having access to ample video footage. Thus it would be interesting to see how each of the teams and their respective think tanks exploit the identified weaknesses and loopholes.

Science and Isipathana play a similar brand of rugby. It’s a simple game with little tactical play on display. They tackle well and they tackle hard, and at the end of the game the opposition know that they have just finished a game against them.

Last week when I watched the Science game, I was surprised to see that the bulk of the Science players were without full length stockings; instead they chose to wear ankle socks. A new in the local rugby scene, but I am maybe a little old fashioned and would like to see the school colours proudly displayed on the stockings as well.

This week they will both clash and it’s my view that Pathana have a slight edge. It would be a game worth watching, provided that both teams do not resort to any unwarranted play. Crowd control will be of paramount importance as at times certain ‘old boys’ could get overenthusiastic.

In the past few weeks I have observed a certain inconsistency amongst the referees’ when interpreting as to what constitutes an advantage. The perceived advantage must be either tactical or territorial. In this interpretation, the time allowed before it is deemed that the advantage is over needs to be consistent.

The second leg of the Carlton Super Sevens will be underway this weekend at the Police Park. Whilst the quality of rugby was good in the first round in Bogambara, the crowds were quite sparse and that’s surprising given the fact that some top names in the Sevens circuit were on show.

As I discussed this with some colleagues, the majority of them felt that spending two full days watching rugby was a luxury. Presumably, there must have been a large majority watching it on the TV in the comfort of their homes.

Is then there a case for the games to start in the late afternoon and continue under floodlights? This could then permit rugby lovers to finish their chores and head off for the rugby with family and friends.

There is also a sense of being detached from the various franchises, as they may not mean anything to the local rugby lover. We witnessed a similar sense of aloofness when the local T20 was organised on a district basis. A sense of belonging needs to be created, and if not, I believe that the crowds will stay away.

When one looks at the school rugby scene, the ‘old boys’ who have left their alma mater as far back as 30 to 40 years ago are still devoutly present at these games. The quality of refereeing at the Sevens was top class and I am sure that our local referees could draw some level of learning from this. The referee was on the ball at all times and his instructions were crisp and clear with adequate input from the touch judges.

(The writer can be reached via [email protected].)