Ever since I busted my ACL at the end of 2009, I’ve been struggling for fitness and confidence to get back into playing proper rugby. When you’re in your mid thirties and your body is literally held together by tape, it’s difficult to get that adrenalin rush back from anything else. Other sports are the go karts to rugby’s F1. ...
I was watching the Bradby with an old Royalist buddy of mine. Having played first eleven cricket and been Head Prefect of his school, he knew a thing or two about Reid Avenue and its dynamics. Watching the stress levels rise, even though when it was clear Royal were the better side, showed just how much this game means to ...
Went to see my physio today. She’s having a baby soon. And I promised I’ll get her the entire box set of Sesame Street. No child I have any direct or indirect influence on is going to grow up watching that prehistoric purple homo. So I’ve been quiet. Tings agwan, as they say in the Windies. It’s patois for ‘things ...
In the last week I was called a ‘kalakanniya’, by some chap I’ve never met. Hilarious. Gotta love objectivity. That was only one of the polite things I’ve been called. I do the roundup for The Score, so got some brickbats, which I was helpfully forwarded by the Score lads. Why they’d think I wanted to see them, I don’t ...
Not the Super Rugby. That’s here too. But the Cricket World Cup. Somehow, with elections. Genocidal resolutions. Sri Lanka’s terrible form, I feel that this is the least hyped World Cup probably since 1999. The cricket buffs are obviously talking about it, but people don’t really seem as enthused. Is that because there’s more going on with them, or because ...
I love these weekends. Where so much happens that I don’t even have time to cover all of it properly on Monday’s edition of The Score. Also, the Club rugby season is back, which is going to take a bit of watching. In Cuttack Sri Lanka were swept aside by to centuries from Ajinkya Rahane and the belligerent Shikhar Dhawan. ...
Congratulations to Navy and OTSC ‘A’ (Visakha) for winning the Men’s and Women’s Water Polo Nationals played last Monday. There can be no doubt that the best two teams won the tournament, although it was a bit disappointing that the finals were not close rum affairs. The Navy Men’s team is easily the best collection of players in the country. ...
I’m really getting tired of this shit. http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=63858 Mali had a bad game. Before this match, the amazing statistic is that the most amount of sixes Malinga had gone for in a single game is….wait for it….ONE! Mahela explains why he picked him to bowl the over here http://www.anchorfan.com/article/world-twenty20-heartbreak-59512.html Marlon had struggled against Mali in Kandy and hey…he happens to
God. So tired. A new addition has found its way into the pool who seems to think that swimming needs to be some form of exertion. Ugh. So it seems I have found a new adversary. As if my bosses, colleagues, wife and mother were not enough. Sigh. It’s the second leg of the Hayman today, and for the first ...
It seems unusual that Wales are playing at Twickenham while two other teams are playing in Cardiff. Oh wait, they didn’t expect Wales to get through right? Should have been England and Australia both playing at Twickenham. Ah well…the best laid plans of mice and morons. Hilarious, except for the fact that the Welsh need all the help they can ...
Royal are crowned Champions of the Singer League 2015, and deservedly so. When I saw them play S. Thomas’ for the first time, I had already seen Isipatana a few times for the season. I remember saying on commentary that this was the best Royal side since 2009, and in terms of complete performance, they were more of a title ...
My mate Jivan Goonetilleka is going to have a busy Saturday. He’s the main trainer at Boot Camp Sri Lanka which now sees the involvement of two STC 1st XV Captains. Jakka from 1998, my sworn enemy and classmate, and Jivan from 2001. Now that we are all in our thirties, Jakka – who now lives in Malaysia – has ...
Thisara Perera showed his utility yesterday. After being in and out of the side, we seem to have finally settled on the boundary clearing option that we desperately needed at the lower part of our middle order. His 80 was invaluable, and Sachithra Senanayake, who I’ve had a lot of time for, since his match winning six against Saffa, turned ...
There’s nothing much more to say that already hasn’t been said. The Lions roared…finally. Batting first in a T20 game is always difficult. It puts the onus on the side batting first to dictate the nature of the wicket. India got that one wrong yesterday, although the wicket did ease up a little bit. As much as Sri Lanka batted ...
Yes. So like the compulsive fool that I am I woke up this morning to watch the Test as well. In case you missed the day’s play Australia are 440/8 in reply to SL’s 156. It’s looking like an innings win because Sri Lanka are down to three bowlers with Welagedera pulling a hamstring, and Prasanna won’t bat again because ...
So I’m reading this article which is headline “‘Can’t figure out why we can’t beat India’ says Mathews’. Find it here http://sports.dailymirror.lk/2013/06/21/cant-figure-out-why-we-cant-beat-india-says-mathews/ It has the following quote attributed to our skipper: After India handed Lanka an eight-wicket defeat in an ICC Champions Trophy semifinal here on Thursday, the young Lankan skipper said: “We had our chat and we knew India were ...
One thing that has impressed me greatly about this tour is the fact that Angelo Mathews no longer makes excuses. I have been very impressed reading his comments after the games we have lost, because he fronts up and says we weren’t good enough. He gives credit where it’s due and takes responsibility for dismal performances. That’s a very good ...
With Twickenham hosting the most watched Rugby World Cup ever, and also – according to Graham Henry, who should know – the most open World Cup ever, it was strange that nobody had mentioned the gentlemen who would actually decide its fate. The referees. When England kicked off against Fiji after a quirky and rather dark opening ceremony, the packed ...
The furore over the e mails exchanged between Mahela, Sanath and the Team Manager have now become stuff of legend. Legendary pettiness. All smokescreen and running a block for the real shenanigans going on. A paid employee, of SLC affords a house in Australia, according to website reports. Property must be going cheap. In the wake of Angelo Mathews being ...
That’s a tall claim, and I’m aware of it. I’m sure there are some incredible achievements in sport. But given the nature of rugby, given that one man can’t come out and play a blinder of an innings like in a cricket world cup, the Japanese win over the world’s no.3 side, South Africa, must rank up there with the ...