Emerge champions at Asian Five Nations Tournament :

Sri Lanka bags Asian rugby title

by Dinesh Weerawansa

A new chapter in Sri Lanka rugby was opened when the national team, led by flanker Yoshitha Rajapaksa, emerged champions at the Asian Five Nations Tournament concluded in Colombo yesterday.

This is the first time that Sri Lanka had beaten Kazakhstan in an Asian rugby tournament. Sri Lanka made a clean sweep winning all three matches in style.

They sealed the title with a convincing 49 points to 18 win over Kazakhstan at Havelock Park last evening. Sri Lanka continued their dominance in the decisive game against Kazakhstan and collected their points from five goals, one try and three penalties.

Full back Reza Mubharak, who was the architect of Sri Lanka’s win with 19 points – three penalties and five conversions, in yesterday’s game was adjudged the player of the tournament. Sri Lanka registered its third successive win in the tournament after overcoming Chinese Taipei 39-8 and Thailand 45-7 last Sunday and Wednesday respectively.

Sri Lanka remained the only unbeaten team in the tournament and has now qualified to play in the main tournament with Asian heavyweights Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and UAE next year. It was a remarkable achievement by the young Lankan team.

Sri Lanka, which went down to Kazakhstan 17-24 at the 2007 Rugby Asiad final in Colombo, came out with a blistering performance to beat their opponents, who were pre-tournament favourites.

Though many expected a keen tussle for supremacy, Sri Lanka went on the offensive right from the kick off and ran down as many as six tries of which five were converted.

The most notable feature in Sri Lanka’s impressive performance at the Asian Five Nations Rugby Qualifiers was the dynamic leadership of Yoshitha Rajapaksa.

He led from the front, inspiring the morale of the team. Sri Lanka’s South African coach Ravin du Plessis has done a tremendous job with the Lankan lads since assuming duties in January. Within a short period of two months, he has been able to make a champion outfit.

He has over 15 years experience, playing key roles in South African and New Zealand Rugby Boards. He was Springboks technical advisor for the IRB World Cup. Sri Lanka came to the third and final league match needing only a bonus point by scoring four tries to clinch the title and earn a promotion to the higher division. In contrast, Kazakhstan had the Herculean task of beating Sri Lanka by a margin of eight points or more while also scoring four tries to earn a bonus point to overcome Sri Lanka. But the Sri Lanka team delivered more than what was expected of them in crossing the Kazakhstan line on six occasions. The other vital ingredient to Sri Lanka’s success was their heavy and mobile set of forwards who showed no mercy to their opponents.

They won an abundance of possession through their line out specialists Shenal Dias, Sajith Saranga and Dinesh Sanjeewa who enjoyed a major portion. Hooker Namal Rajapaksa got the better of his vis-a-vis in the set scrums as the Lankan forwards combined effectively with their back division to open a golden chapter in Sri Lanka rugby history with three successive wins.