Antonians - determined lot

S M Jiffrey ABDEEN-Kandy Sports Correspondent

St Anthony's College are determined to create a good impression in the forthcoming inter-school rugby season.

They have a good side with more than half of last season's players being available this year.

Leading the side this year is that third year player and hard working No 8 Sanka Rajaguru who is an excellent player in the loose and often seen at thick of things.

Another third year player and lock forward Nirodha Suriyabandara is the vice captain of the side.

His fine jumping in the line outs has given the Antonians a lot of advantage in the 'loose heads'.

The Antonians though having a history of over 150 years, first played rugby in 1955 when the game introduced by former All Ceylon prop forward Maurice Perera when Rev Fr Rosati was the Principal. Since then they have made good progress having beaten the Trinitians for the first time in 1972 under Tuan Dole which created history.

The team is being coached by former Kandy Sports Club scrum half Priyantha Gunaratne who is also one of the leading rugby referees in the country.

Priyantha Gunaratne coached the Antonians for over eight years till he relinquished duties three years ago.

A string of failures by the Antonians saw him coming back to coach the side again late last year and did remarkably well to transform the team into a winning combination, thereby avoided a possible relegation. In stand off Chamara, they have a fine fly half whose probing kicks have helped them to gain territorial advantage and he is also a reliable place kicker and has the ability to execute drop goals.

The Antonian rugby pool is made up of:

Props: Pandula Angammana, Tharaka Premalal, Indrajith Sangakkara, Francis Joseph.

Hookers: Mohamed Ali, Tharaka Premalal.

Locks: Mohamed Sabith, Diliepa de Silva, Sajjid Lahir, Nirodha Suriyabandara (vice captain) and Mohamed Hisham.

Flankers: Royston Roche, R Rajendra, Mohamed Hisham.

Number Eight: Sanka Rajaguru (Captain).

Scrum halves: Sanjeewa Karandegoda, Dimish Chaturanga, Fazrul Rahman.

Fly halves: Chamara Kumara, Dinesh Chaturanga, Fazrul Rahman.

Centres: Praveen Charles, Royston Christopher David, Iranga Ariyapala.

Wingers: C T B Weerasekera, R Ramesh, R Rambukwella, W L Madusanka.

Full backs: Fazrul Rahman, Iranga Ariyapala, Danesh Dayan.