In Sri Lanka we are on the eve of the Asian 5 Nations Division 1 to be played in Manila next week. Sri Lanka meets Singapore in the first match to be played on the 15th. Phil Greening, the former English hooker, has a task ahead to take rugby back to its

bond to a win situation. Similar to the decision taken by England in the appointment of a coach, Sri Lanka faced an issue of appointment. The decision taken has to be affected for long term benefit and has to be taken beyond the term of Asanga Seneviratne. Similarly, the decision to not consider players who did not sign contracts has to be taken up and carried forward. These in turn may not make all others love the administration, and the next time around it may be that somebody will promote “our man”. We all know of the disastrous consequences that followed. Yet you cannot postpone or shy away from decisions that may not make you the most popular.

Group Dynamics is about the interactions that influence the attitudes and behaviour of people when they are grouped with others through either choice or accidental circumstances. This is a complex interaction which involves inter and intra personal forces operating in a group which determine the character, development and long term survival. What we need is the long term survival while leaving petty issues that surface to the dustbin where they belong.

Greening with his impressive background and experience with the English sevens remains an assistant coach should be looking at the long term development of the game and not from the performance in Manila alone as his association was around six weeks or less.