Friday Nov 15, 2024
Friday Nov 15, 2024
Tuesday, 8 April 2014 00:14 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
rder to maintain the balance of the team is something that we all need to be proud of. As much as the jokes that were doing it’s rounds after Malinga was appointed as skipper and that the seniors actually took charge even telling him where to field and when to bowl, as one looked at the dugout, it was plain to see Malinga live every ball. Unlike in the past when his role was only to deliver toe crushers, here he was applauding every good stroke and boundary scored. Captaincy changes people in many ways. They say that the body language of the players tells a story and in the final the body language of the SL team was positive even though the rate of scoring by Kohli was quicker than that of a ‘Tuk Tuk’ on the streets of Mumbai. Finally it boils down to careful planning and execution of those plans in the middle. SL was obviously in with a solid game plan and despite the onslaught by Kohli; they stuck to it and delivered the goods when it mattered. Well done team SL, we are indeed proud of your efforts.
The Royal / Joes rugby game was played in rather murky conditions. The conditions underfoot were soggy and did not augur well for fast and open rugby. Despite these unfavourable conditions, both teams dished out some quality rugby. The handling of the wet and greasy ball was quite good with no extraordinary increase in the errors seen. Both teams embarked upon a plan of running the ball wide at every given opportunity. This showed a lot of confidence in their ability to play attacking rugby despite the conditions. Whilst the score line will indicate that Royal emerged victorious, it does not record the quality of the game and the fact that the Joes had a chance to win as well. In the lineout’s it was baffling to see both teams deciding to throw long where the control of the ball is quite tricky and throwing it straight with a wet and greasy ball is that much more challenging. Generally teams prefer to throw to the No. 2 jumper and it is referred to fondly as ‘money ball’. Once again there was a fair bit of aimless kicking and in certain instances, kicking to relieve pressure from their own 22, the kick did not find touch and worse still was that the kick was to the centre of the field which is as good as committing suicide. Not finding touch in the heat of the moment is quite understandable, but kicking mid field is a sign of a lack of knowledge and at first fifteen levels this must be a basic skill.
In the scrums there is a need for the front rows to get their feet position right. At times prior to engagement, they are standing too far apart and upon engagement they lose their footing with the resultant collapse of the scrum or the hand on the ground for support. Sometimes these bad habits go unnoticed and results in crucial scrums being lost. In a lineout, if you are lifting the person up, you must bring him down safely to terra firma. In certain instances, the props forget this basic aspect and their jumper hits the ground with a thud. In both instances, serious injury could occur. The coaching staff must pay adequate attention to such details in the overall interest of player safety and correct technique.
