Royal up against unpredictability

Royal will come under scrutiny when they take on one of the most unpredictable teams this season St. Joseph’s College in their ‘A’ Division inter-school Singer League rugby championship match at the CR & FC grounds in Longden Place today at 4.30pm.

Royal probably met a real force in their match against arch rivals S. Thomas’ College Mount Lavinia last week and after leading 15-14 lost in the very last move of the day by a close 21-15 margin. The story could be the same today against the Joes who are holding back nothing this season as they almost threatened the pride of Wesley College in their last outing played two weeks ago when they went down fighting 19-12.

The Joes will have to watch out for Royal’s forwards and their famous rolling maul and match upto them really hard to prevent Royal from scoring. The two three quarter lines are evenly matched and a close tussle for supremacy can be expected.

St.Joseph’s are coached by former Royal College rugby players Billal Yousuf (Head coach), Ashane Dissanayake (Asst. Coach-Forwards), Asanga Rodrigo (Asst. Coach-Three quarters) along with ex-Isipathana full back Reza Mubarak as their kicking coach.

Royal College team kicked off this year’s season in a superb manner by thrashing D.S. Senanayake College 36-10 and edged out the formidable Wesley College 17-14 before going down to the Thomians.

The players to watch are their captain cum playmaker number eight Nikila Gunadheera, second row forward Harith Lokugamage, prop forward Ayesh Maduranga, scrum half Nikil de Silva, fly half and vice-captain Ashok Wijekumar, two speedy wingers Mahima Gamage and Shabith Feroze, hard running centres Nikhil George and Andrew de Silva, hooker Hamza Reeza, flankers Yohan Kanishka, Pasindu Amarasinghe together with experienced full back Ovin Askey.

This year the Royal College rugby team is once again coached by former Isipathana, Wesley, St. Peter’s and Sri Lanka Under 20 national head coach veteran Sanath Martis and assisted by ex-Royal, CH&FC, CR&FC, Police and Sri Lanka national rugby captain cum number eight Dushanth Lewke. Former Sri Lanka national full back T.A. de Silva will be their kicking coach.

UNBEATEN SIDES CLASH IN KANDY

Two unbeaten sides Trinity College Kandy will host S. Thomas’ College Mount Lavinia at Pallekelle starting at 4.30pm today. The Trinitians go as favourites to win this encounter but they will have to throw in everything if the Thomians are to be subdued.

The other game in Kandy is between St Anthony’s and Dharmaraja at Bogambara.