The time is nigh when the circular ball gives way to the oval ball. The much anticipated inter-schools rugby season is set to get under way in ten days time. As was the case last year this year too the schools league is being played for the President’s Trophy.
Action from the Royal-St. Peter’s rugby game last year. |
To pick a winner at the outset would be foolhardy. The last two years has seen the race for the league championship go down to the wire. As usual ten teams will battle for honour of holding aloft the Division One Segment ‘A’ plum.
The teams are; Royal, S. Thomas’ Mount Lavinia, Trinity, Kingswood, Isipathana, St. Peter’s, St. Anthony’s Kandy, Dharmaraja, Prince of Wales and Wesley.
Defending Champions Royal who had an outstanding season last year are led by first centre Duminda Attygala and though he has the services of only four colousman, any team writing off Royal for league honours would do so at their own peril.
On paper the favourites this year are Isipathana. Informed sources said that this time Isipathana will come out with a different style of play. The lads from Havelock Town are well known for fast open rugby. This year they have also the stamina and speed along with strength. Isipathana have been in training since October 2009 and for the first time in the history of Isipathana rugby this year they skipped the schools under 19 sevens due to the fact the team is fully geared to take up challenges of the upcoming league season without any problem This year the team has 13 coloursmen and the entire forward line up will play as of last year. The team will be led by crack centre three quarter Ashan Gallage.
Another team that will challenge the best in the league are the boys from Bambalapitiya namely St. Peter’s who have also being training for a long time. Keith Gurusinghe leads a team that contains seven or eight coloursman. Shenal Dias and Steven Nelson who both had outstanding seasons last year will help Gurusinghe along with the likes of centres Banuka Nanayakkara and Dhanushka Ranjan along with play maker and stand off Anisha Fernando.
Thus when you pit two good teams against each other you would have to write that the best match on week one will be Isipathana hosting St. Peter’s at Havelock Park. The first week will also see S. Thomas’ who pushed Royal to the very end host Wesley. It will be a battle of attrition when title hopefuls Kingswood take on St. Anthony’s Kandy, while Dharmaraja will have to pull off a giant killing act when they are hosted by Trinity and Royal should get the better of Prince of Wales.
Week two in the schools league will see Wesley taking on the might of Royal, Prince of Wales meeting Dharmaraja, S. Thomas’ playing St. Anthony’s Kandy, Trinity clashing with St. Peter’s and Kingswood hosting Isipatana.
All in all another exciting and thrilling season of inter-school rugby beckons. |
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