Thoras stall last ditch attempt by Rajans

by By M Naushad Amit for
The Nation

S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, despite a last ditch challenge by Dharmaraja College, scored a comfortable 45 points (5 goals, 2 tries) to 22 (1 goal, 3 tries) win in their Schools Singer trophy under 19 Division One rugby tournament match played at the Bogambara Stadium, Kandy yesterday. At lemons the Thomians led 28-0.

The first half saw the Thomians exerting their maximum power on the Rajans which resulted in four tries which were all goaled. But the Rajan fight back came in the last minutes of play after the Thoras had drawn the full quota of seven substitutions from the bench which ended with the home team scoring four tries. One of which was a brilliant 90-metre run by winger Anura Ekanayake who intercepted a pass and ended up touching down under the post.

The Thomians completely dominated play in the first half when winger Anuradha Willawara opened scoring with a try near the posts and this was converted by full back Dervin Jayasinghe. More tries followed through the efforts of skipper and No. 8 Rajindra Gunasekera, winger Jeremy Fernando and Jayasinghe goaled all three for the Thomians to run up a comfortable 28-0 lead by lemons.
In the 10th minute of the second half Willawara ran 35 metres and scored near the post and Jayasinghe added the extra points. Five minutes later, flanker Sherwan Kapuwatte scored mid-right and this went unconverted. Thomians were in an unassailable position leading 40-nil.

It was in the 20th minute of this half that Rajans opened their account when their No. 8 Sathsara Basnayake barged over mid-left for an unconverted try. Rajans trailed 5-40.
But six minutes later winger Jeremy Fernando ensured that their 40 metre lead was intact when he plunged over mid-right and this try went unconverted. Thomians led 45-5.
It was at this stage that the Rajans decided to take the fight to their opponent’s camp and narrowed the victory gap of the Thomians. Basnayake scored twice after the forwards had done the ground work and next it was the 90-metre piercing run by Ekanayake and one of which was converted by stand off Rochana Hettiarachchi for the Rajans to go home with satisfaction of restricting the Thomians to a 45-22 victory thus salvaging their pride after the 0-40 lead which they conceded at one stage of the game.
A. Rankothge refereed. (MM)