Knowledgeable critics hail Dushanth Lewke's appointment as captain

By Jatila KARAWITA

RUGBY: A cross-section of distinguished former Sri Lanka rugby 'caps' interviewed by 'Sunday Observer' felt that the recent appointment of seasoned number eight Dushanth Lewke of CR & FC to lead Sri Lanka at the forthcoming Asian Five Nations Division Tournament in Chinese Taipei was a good move by the selectors.

However, they were wary of Sri Lanka's prospects in the IRB Santioned tourney which is set to be staged in Chinese Taipei from November (12-17).

Dr. Maiya Gunasekera former Sri Lanka, CR & FC, Royal lock-forward and former President of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) Dr Maiya Gunasekera, expressing his views on the selection of the former Royal captain Lewke to lead Sri Lanka at the said tournament, said that it was 'an excellent choice by the selectors' to have plonked the number eight for the job.

"He (Lewke) is an automatic choice for Sri Lanka and obviously guarantees his place in the side", the famed Nawaloka Hospital surgeon Dr. Maiya said.

"His playing, too, has improved over the years and at this stage of his career it will be a good challenge for him in Chinese Taipei, leading our challenge in what promises to be a very competitive tournament."

Well done selectors!

Dr. Gunasekera who has previously functioned in various capacities as coach, manager and physic of the national team opined that he fully backs the selectors decision to opt for Dushanth Lewke, despite Lewke not having led a domestic club so far in his career.

"This talk of not being a captain of a club to skipper the national team is not a big deal, as we 'can find ample examples from the bygone era.

"Take the case of Dr. Indrajith Coomaraswamy who led Sri Lanka at the 1974 Rugby Asiad and then there was Lanil Tennekoon who too went on to lead the national team without ever being captain of a club team.

"So this is nothing to be surprised about and we need to give this lad all the courage and support for the team to success in Chinese Taipei."

Dr. Maiya Gunasekera also commented that looking ahead to the tournament and their opponents, the Lankans could stand a chance of winning the tourney, but, he stopped short of predicting the final outcome.

Sri Lanka is set to go head to head with China, Singapore and hosts Chinese Taipei in the four-nation tournament.

He also expressed his opinion on the concluded Singer-Sri Lankan Sevens tournament and urged the SLRFU to seriously consider having separate squads for Sevens and 15-a-side rugby or else they will forever have to be satisfied with those results which they achieved in this year's tournament in Nittawela, Kandy.

Sri Lanka led by Pradeep Liyanage ended up as fourth best team, after losing a play-off match against China.

"Sevens and 15-a-side-rugby are entirely different from each other when you consider the aspect of training and fitness," he explained.

"So unless the power-hungry officials realise the difference between these two styles I am afraid Sri Lanka will have to be satisfied with moderate gains," added Dr. Maiya Gunasekera.

Anton Benedict

Former Sri Lanka, Police, Havelocks SC and St. Joseph's College number eight Anton Benedict, also gave his 'thumbs up' for going ahead and selecting Dushanth Lewke as captain.

There is nothing to make a hue and cry of Lewke not being at skipper of a club side but Lewke is capable of giving a good account of himself in the upcoming tournament.

"It is nice to see a young chap like Lewke being entrusted with the captaincy of the national team", Anton Benedict - a former Chairman of rugby selectors said.

Reads game well

"He (Lewke) is a nice gentleman type of player. Also he reads the game well and is pretty committed to the job at hand and those are virtues which could take him places in time to come."

Benedict noted that leading a club team on the domestic circuit should never be made a prerequisite for selecting a captain for the country's national XV. "Obviously this is not the first time a player who has not led a club is being chosen to lead the country and it won't be the last either."

"Take the case of Indrajith Coomaraswamy, then in the 1978 Asiad Irwin Howie was captain but he never led CR & FC.

"So there have been numerous instances in the past when this type of thing has happened and it should never preclude a deserving player from being given the reins of the first XV of the country."

Benedict, known for calling a spade a spade, both during his playing days and as a much-sought-after administrator, as a former SLRFU President, stated that fitness was an area which Sri Lanka badly needed to improve looking at their performance in the Singer SriLankan Sevens.

Though he was satisfied with the team's gains in the event, he stressed the need to do better if the team is to achieve better results in the future.

Bryan Baptist

Meanwhile, another former Sri Lanka, and Navy SC rugby stalwart Bryan Baptist, commenting on the choice of number eight Dushanth Lewke as skipper noted that it was an 'excellent selection', for a player who has been blessed with leadership qualities.

Good leader

"I have known this guy (Lewke) from his school days and he is one you can stay rest assured will get the best from his players," Baptist said.

"In addition to that, he is extreamly committed and dedicated to a given task and those are vital qualities one expects from any leader to be armed with."

Baptist who has served in numerous capacities on the rugby circles and has also coached the National XV in the past, also brushed aside suggestions that Dushanth Lewke, not having led a local club team should be held against him when captaining the national team.

"This is all 'poppycock' as far as I am concerned," he said and added "What matters is whether you can inspire your players in such a way that they are prepared to put, their bodies on the line in each and every game that the team will play.

"I feel Dushanth is such a captain and his ability to read a game is another virtue which would stand in good stead for Sri Lanka."

Substitutes important

Bryan Baptist insisted that he can vouch for the capability of Lewke to study the weaknesses of his opponents and then exploit it to his team's advantage, which he has noticed during the crack loose forward's school days at Royal College, Colombo.

Baptist also spoke highly of the recent enrolment of two foreign coaches by the SLRFU and also called on the 15-a-side management to pay special emphasis on the replacements before going into a crucial overseas tournament.

"In 15-a-side rugby, substitutes are very important and it can be decisive as far as the tight five are concerned," Baptist added.

Dushanth Lewke turned out for Royal College from 2000 to 2002 and was vice-captain of the formidable Royal College team of 2002.

He also played at the Youth Rugby Asiad in Colombo in 2000 before being a part of the Sri Lanka under 20 team at the Youth World Cup in Chile in April 2001.

He also won the national cap at the Under-20 Youth Rugby Asiad in 2002. He first wore the national white jersey in 2003 and has been a automatic choice of selectors since.

After leaving school, Lewke had played for CH & FC from 2003 to 2005 before joining the hill-capital club - Kandy SC in August 2005.

He was a member of the Clifford Cup winning Kandy S.C. team three years ago. The 'number eight' was also a key member of the Caltex League winning Kandy SC side of 2006 and was also instrumental in Kandy SC winning the rugby double League and Knock-out last year, before crossing over to the longdon Place club at the commencement of the 2008 inter-club rugby season.

The dynamic backrow forward, also has to his credit represented his country at two Rugby Asiad tournaments 2004 in Hong Kong and 2007 in Colombo and has experience, having turned out for Sportwood Sports Club of Taranaki province in New Zealand's Division 1 tournament from 2005 to 2007.