Taking stock during the break
View(s):The schools rugby season takes a break for two weeks and it is opportune to reflect on rugby played so far. There is a fair crowd present at matches and a lot of emotion expressed while there was frustration in some quarters. Schools rugby draws interest and the crowds have continued to be there.
Unbeaten S. Thomas’ went down tamely to Peter’s who showed that running with the ball piles up the score.
Royal prevailed over Joes - File pic
44 points to 12 against an unbeaten team in Group ‘B’ clearly indicates the advent of St. Peter’s as a clear contender for the league. Kingswood beat Science by 29 points to 10 and remained unbeaten and with two wins and a draw stand on equal status with St. Peter’s to claim the first position with two more games left for both schools.
The Group ‘A’ is still open at the top as the third week game between Trinity and Isipathana was postponed to be played on April 25.
The Royal win against St. Joseph’s assures them a place among the first four and they have two more matches to play with one being against DSS who have yet to win a match. Wesley and St. Joseph’s with one win each in three games are the other contenders. Joes have an edge as they too have to play DSS while Wesley has to play Trinity and Isipathana. Royal edged out St. Joseph’s by 14 points to 11 in a crucial fixture of Group A. The well attended match did not fire in all cylinders and was scrappy at most times but kept the crowd on their toes with close scores.
Most of the aggravation results with teams not performing and being measured in terms of amounts spent for the game. The provocation at times is a product of not accepting our boys will do wrong. The vigilance on the part of schools is required as the game reaches the next stage when the fight is on. A common comment by some professing knowledge and some more versed in netball is that we should get down foreign referees. Yet few reflect on whether the boys have been led properly to face the challenge to win. Otherwise how do you explain the increasing number of penalties at the break down as well as in the scrums? The maul and scrum collapses as well as unwanted dangerous tackling are increasing. Somebody should realize that a player out for 10 minutes cannot be afforded.
Take a lesson from the T20 World Cup winning captain Lasith Malinga. Some say that Malinga was a Muppet and the team was led by Mahela. I have a different view on this and conclude that Malinga was a leader who understood what he could do and what others in the team could do. The success in leadership is using the resources you have. Attila the 16th Century Hunnish Emperor said that “You must not be threatened by capable contemporaries or subordinates. Be wise in selecting capable captains to achieve those things a chieftain can attain only through strong subordinates.” Attila also said “Chieftains must teach their Huns well that which is expected of them. Otherwise, Huns will probably do something not expected of them. Look back and ask your self is that what Malinga did?
On the rugby field do we have an issue where leaders don’t teach their players of what is expected of them? Is that the reason why players probably do something not expected of them. The parallel I draw on the field is the number of mistakes done at times that is most unwanted. Last week I spoke of the mistaken notion that it was fitness that prevented teams from continuing what they started. I also thought that in addition teams were handicapped as the game grew older with changes that were not done on a plan to win but using ten substitutes that are available.
Speaking to a former national coach he opined that it was just not those two alone but a big contributory was the absence of players will to win. Explaining further it means that players are not mentally prepared for the win. If they are how do they make critical mistakes?
A statistically important fact is that most teams give away many penalties and most of them involve the tackle ruck and maul and the yellow card for foul play. Why do players collapse a maul or bring down the scrum. Look at the times a scrum is reset. While the crowd talks about international standard they don’t compare an average penalty count of around 12 in those games as compared to 22 to 30 in the games we see. Nor do they realize that the average scrum reset per game is 2.8 whereas here we have about 6 to 8 resets. Safety at this age group is first and it is blown reset or penalty awarded.
The question that comes to mind is whether the players are adequately versed in the laws that make them give away penalties. On the other hand this could also in be tied up to a situation where the players are not mentally tough. They will do anything thinking that is the best way to prevent the opposition moving forward. Take the case of a tackler or the tackled player not releasing. Take stock of what is happening and you will – when pressure mounts the mistakes are more. Things they do include putting a hand in the ruck, scrum and maul collapse, not being 10 and dangerous tackles. Some happen in defence while some happen both in defence and attack. These are the work of a weak mind.
At times one wonders whether there is a game plan as you see wrong options or there is no plan B when things change. These days even the weather changes suddenly. This is not to deny that we have talent and you can see them on the field.
* Vimal Perera is a former Rugby Referee, Coach and Accredited Referees Evaluator IRB