Proud coach of the champion St. Peter’s College Rugby Team Sanath Martis believed that their defensive game plan was the key to their success in the recently concluded Inter-Schools Under-19 Division One League Rugby Tournament.
Following are the excerpts from the interview with Martis.
Q: How would you summarise your team’s success in this year’s ‘A’ Division League Tournament?
A: This year at the beginning of the season we never looked a champion outfit. We all got together and worked hard to achieve our goals. Last year we lost most of the matches and played very badly. Overall, it was a good team effort as my coaching staff along with the Rugby Foundation and the College administration and the sponsors provided the backup support to make
it happen. It was not only an effort from Sanath Martis, but it was a joint performance.
Q: What was the turning point for your team’s success that helped to maintain an unbeaten record?
A: If we can beat Royal in the very first match of the tournament, then it was an indication that we can beat all other schools as well. We were lucky to beat Royal because they were a very good side, and it was not their day but finally it turned out to be our day. After the Royal match we played against Dharmaraja and thereafter, we played against Trinity, and we slowly but surely went up in the ladder to become a champion side.
Q: How well did you manage with the players’ injury problems?
A: We were able to manage our injury problems with the help of Dr. Shashimal, Trainer Sunimal Manamperi, Physiotherapist Rukshan Silva and my other coaching staff including Bhanuka Nanayakkara, Rajeewa Perera and Ransilu Jayathilaka. The most important thing is that my coaching staff never exhausted the injured players during the training sessions.
Q: Do you think the current format of the tournament should have some changes?
A: I think there should be some changes to the tournament manual from next year. It will be better if you can take the top 10 teams and play each other for nine matches, while getting away with the super round segment. I think accommodating 14 teams in the ‘A’ Division tournament is too much.
Q: Your defensive structure throughout the season was very good and what was the secret for this success?
A: When you develop players some of the teams were very good at attacking. But when they get stuck and when all their attacking options are reduced by the opposition, those players tend to panic. They have only one game plan and they are depending only on two or three playmakers to do all the scoring. But if you have a good gameplan in both attack and defence, that team would have a better chance of winning the championship. If you take our team our backline is much stronger than the forwards. But instead of depending more on the backline we developed a lot on our forwards play as well.
Q: St. Peter’s scored four tries in the decider against Isipathana and which try had the biggest impact in the final outcome?
A: I think in the second half, when the scoreline was 20-17, we scored our fourth try and that was certainly the moment that changed the whole game. Once we increased the lead the opposition started attacking more but we were very good in our defence and all the players were aware of their duties.
Q: St. Peter’s were leading 15-3 early in the game and suddenly it became 15-10 at half time and what was your message to the players at the break?
A: First thing is we did not panic at half time. I only asked the boys to implement what they had practiced. We knew what kind of rugby that Isipathana were playing on that day. I never attempted to slow down the game. I asked the boys to play the same brand of rugby upfront and try to reduce the number of stoppages and mistakes. I wanted them to be consistent and play the highest number of phases and to repeat it continuously. We, of course, had the option of plan two as well, but I thought if we had implemented plan two, we might have lost the game.
Q: What are your thoughts on having a Television Match Official (TMO) for the deciding game against Isipathana?
A: I think the Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association and Sri Lanka Rugby must further develop this TMO concept in the future. If you take some of the other top rugby playing countries, there are about 18 cameras located in the grounds at different angles.
Q: What kind of role did the St. Peter’s Rugby Foundation play this season?
A: I must thank the St. Peter’s Rugby Foundation headed by Samson Roy and last year Chairman and active member Mangala Dharmapriya for their tremendous support. I should also commend the backing of Managing Director of Nabco Trishan Satyadheva, Chairman TDM International and Old Boy Themiya de Mel, who lives in the UK, Team Manager Rohan Ekanayake, Rector of St. Peter’s Rev. Fr. Rohith Rodrigo and Master-in-Charge Noel Cooray for all their hard work.
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