Henry helps Wesley create rugby history

President’s Trophy Schools Knockout Tournament

Henry helps Wesley create rugby history

Chris Dhambarage

It was against the backdrop of some uncertainty that they decided to participate in the Milo Schools knockout tournament after having experienced mixed fortunes during a gruelling league championship which lasted for nearly four months.

But in a most dramatic turn of events Wesley College was able to write a new chapter in their cherished rugby history by winning the coveted President’s Trophy inter-school rugby tournament for the first time. 

Last week the team from Campbell Park completed one of the most memorable inter-school rugby seasons in the recent past by overcoming Trinity College Kandy 34-21 in the Cup final worked off at the Royal Sports Complex in Colombo.    

          

Even then their participation in this tournament was in the balance at one stage after some of their key players had opted out from practices due to nagging injuries. 

“We were of course only targeting a spot in the final before the start of the tournament because a few of our players were injured and as a result we were also in two minds whether to participate in the knockout tournament.

“However as we were placed fourth in the final points table of the league tournament we believed that the team could yet make some kind of impact in the President’s Trophy even though we had a very tough quarterfinal fixture against Science College Mount Lavinia,” said Henry Terrence coach of Wesley College.

In fact this is a huge achievement for Henry Terrence who was coaching a schools rugby team for the first time having earlier been associated in another piece of history where he led his club Havelocks Sports Club to clinch the league championship after a lapse of 31 years.        

Even then Wesley College never looked the team that would win the President’s Trophy before the start of the tournament considering the fact that they had their own share of ups and downs in the league with plenty of room for improvement.    

“I think we made a lot of mistakes in the league tournament but the boys really worked hard and committed themselves more towards the game and with their teamwork we were able to win the President’s Trophy.

“The boys were prepared to learn from their mistakes and they fully studied the strengths and the weaknesses of their opponents and that helped them to accomplish their task even more convincingly,” added Henry Terrence.

Wesley College of course did not mind going into the tournament as the underdogs but certainly there was a huge improvement in their overall performances and looked a completely different outfit after the semifinal encounter. 

“I think our performance against the league champions Dharmaraja College Kandy in the semifinal encounter was probably the best for the entire season and with that triumph we were able to go into the final against Trinity College in a better frame of mind. 

“The boys certainly stuck to their game plan against the Rajans from the kickoff and they were able to block most of their attacking moves through some clean hard tackling which added a lot of pressure on the opponents.

“Unlike in the league tournament fixtures we never allowed Dharmaraja College to dominate and play their usual game and the boys fully capitalised on their opponent’s lapses to counter attack and score two back-to-back tries.”

The Wesley College coach stated that the team executed a different game plan in the final and everything went in favour of them where they were able to score as many as five tries while conceding only two to their opponents.

“In the final of course we had a different game plan and our main goal was to keep play inside the Trinity half and to build up pressure as much as we could with the intention that they would be forced to make some errors.”

“I think it worked well for us especially in the second half because we scored four of our five tries after the break and that really changed the entire complexion of the final which we went on to win by a convincing margin.

“We also ensured that the Trinity fly half was kept quiet most of the time through some heavy marking and that helped us to win a large amount of possession and the luxury to run the ball more often with the three quarters,” added Henry Terrence.

The champion Wesley College First XV Rugby Pool:

Prop forwards: Dilan Madushanka, Lasitha de Silva, Sahan Mendis, Surinda Madampe

Hooker: Chandika de Zoysa, Hashan Maduwantha, Tuan Jalil

Second row forwards: Sanoj Fernando, Joel Perera, Manoj Abeyratne, Kavindu Sankalpa

Flankers: Shezaad Hamidon, Mohamed Muzar, Sithum Peiris, Hiranya Ayodhya

Number eight: Gavin Siegertsz (vice captain), Anuja Ishara

Scrum half: Rahul de Silva (captain), K. D. Madushanka, Tharindu Perera, Anoj Thawaraja

Fly half: Ishara Madushan, Omar Rizan, Joel Tillekeratne  

Centre three quarters: Sahan Fernando, Thusitha Gomes, Yohan Perera, Namal Rajakaruna, Ishaaq Jurangpathy, Rizan Kuthubdeen

Wing three quarters: Vishan Shalith, Sajith Ariyawansha, Jayanath Fernando, Usman Thaha, Dhanushka Namal, Muzni Doray, Akhila Lakshitha 

Full back: Lahiru Madushanka, Zamri Ahmed    

Coach: Henry Terrence

Assistant Coach and Trainer: Amal Pathirana

Rugby Coordinator: Flavio de Zilva

Master in Charge: J. A. W. Bandara

 2 Piture   Captions:

The champion Wesley College rugby team celebrating their triumph after they beat Trinity College Kandy 34-21 in the President’s Trophy knock out rugby tournament final played at the Royal Sports Complex (Pics by Sumudu Hewapathirana and Rukshan Abeywansha)

Pic 2

Henry Terrence (coach)

A separate story in a box together with lead story

A great journey “’neath the double blue”

Wesley College achieved one of their greatest triumphs in the schools rugby arena with a lot of hard work, with the least amount of facilities and comforts compared with some of the other elite rugby playing schools in the country.

In fact at the beginning of the season they were struggling to find even a regular coach for the team and it was at the eleventh hour that one of their accomplished ruggerites Henry Terrence volunteered to take over the reins.  

While some of the other school teams received lavish sponsorship packages including foreign coaches, professional trainers and expertise from rugby experts the Wesleyites went about performing in their own style of play to turn a new chapter in their rugby history of 58 years.

They did not have an official rugby committee to look into their rugby matters but most of the former rugby stalwarts rallied round the team and with the leadership of their Principal Dr. Shanti Mclleland, together they provided all the encouragement needed by the team.                  

The team of course is also grateful for a short stint under the supervision of former Royal College coach Theo Serafin and Sri Lanka vice captain Fazil Marija before the start of the league tournament.

Even after their success in the President’s Trophy the team put aside all celebrations to concentrate on building the side for the next season, apart from participating in an official dinner, which took place in a five-star hotel in Colombo yesterday. (CD)

Pic Caption

 Wesley College captain Rahul de Silva holding aloft the Milo Schools President’s Trophy presented by Norman Kannangara Senior Vice President Nestle Lanka PLC. Also present is Ranjith Chandrasekera, President Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Association)