KINGSWOOD DECIDE TO SHAKE RATTLES AND SUCK POPSICLES. Honorary Mention for the lousiest display this schools’ season

Kingswood, Kandy, is the school that introduced rugby to Sri Lankan schools in 1893. In recent times, they have been one of the more fancied, crowed-pullers, winning the Super League thrice between 2003-2006 and dominating many other domestic schools’ championships.

 

However, no one would have believed any of these had they seen Kingswood playing this evening, in their crunch game against the defending champions, St. Peters. To say Kingswood played ordinary rugby is an understatement. To say their display is pathetic is an oversimplification. Kingswood failed miserably – too miserably to even do the basics: there were plenty of knock ons, poor linking and disastrous collections from the back division and the body language was of a dispirited, broken team that had only one way to go – down.

 

Line throws were miserably crooked, forcing the Kingswoodians to give away hard earned territory on many an occasion. Every time they fought their way to the Peterite line, they had to retreat, owing to some careless error – if not a crooked throw, a careless ‘off side’ or a knock on. Imagination, it is said, is the least exercised human power. Well, the Peterites used it sparingly. The Kingswoodians had none of it.

 

Peter would put a big black star in front of Kingswood’s name as they enter heaven one day.

 

Statistically, Kingswood had more chances of pulling out a score, but for their spineless end games near the opposition line. Specially, in the second half, Kingswood took the game deep into Peterite territory, but to flop it and mess it up all each time. The Peterites, too, were messy and ordinary, being unable to capitalize on the mistakes the Kingswoodians offered. On a different day, the Peterites could have easily piled up a 35-40 score with the kind of rugby the Kingswoodians exhibited the Bamba crowd with.

 

There was a sheer contrast between the linking among the Peterite back division as opposed to their Kingswood counterparts. They, whose swift moves and stepping had the Kingswoodians lunging for desperate defense, were yards ahead in terms of agility and balance. Yet, even the Peter’s lads lacked the “finishing touch” losing the ball on many occasions after making a charge at the Kingswood line.

 

Kingswood, in their current form, is a clear “goner” – the number of “off sides” and penalties they conceded today is the most by any team that the writer has witnessed in recent years. Not even a Division ‘C’ team with one year of rugger experience can be expected to commit the “faults” Kingswood committed today with their indiscipline and lackluster play. Most shocking was when the Kingswood team charged a penalty given the opposition team earlier on in the game. A team cannot charge a penalty, and as to what Kingswood was thinking shows the level at which they have understood their game.

 

Overall, the game was a mediocre affair: one team failing to capitalize; the other – Kingswood – capitally punishing its supporters and thousands of rugby fans islandwide.

 

In a parallel game at Longdon Place, Isipatana defeated St. Anthony’s 32-10. According to the latest developments, Trinity heads the Super League points table running undefeated. St. Thomas’ is at the number 2 slot.