Vidyartha trounce Rajans 35-0

Kandy Sports Corr.

Playing with power grit and determination Vidyartha College, Kandy swamped the more fancied Dharmaraja College by 35 points (5 goals) to nil in the curtain raiser of the inter school rugby tournament in the hill capital played at the Nittawela Rugby Stadium in Kandy on Saturday. At lemons Vidyartha led 14-0.

Vidyartha Collage only had a slight edge but they transformed this little edge to trounce their opponents by a huge score. Their three quarters ran with the ball well and spotted the gaps at the right moment to wriggle through to score.

Their No. 8 Thushara Tillakaratne had a good game and had a hand in three of the tries while their centre and Sri Lanka schools player Charitha Senaviratne was in fine kicking form goalling all the tries, two of them being tries scored by the corner flag.

Vidyartha opened scoring in the 15th minute of play when they won a serum inside Rajans '22' and No. 6 Tillakaratne broke off to sling a pass to winger Amantha Perera who squeezed through to score by the right corner flag. Charitha Senaviratne goalled this try with a brilliant kick. Minutes before the short blast Vidyartha won possession in the line out and with the ball going to fly half Chanaka Ekanayake who covered some distance before flanker Amitha Perera took control of the ball and pound his way to score under the post. Charitha Senaviratne added the extra points.

On resumption Vidyartha scored their third try when Tillakaratne peeled off a line out and sent an inside pass to scrum half Radeesha Senaviratne who foxed the opponents defence to score under the post. Charitha Senaviratne had no difficulty in adding the extra points with a drop kick.

Having conceded a lead of 0-14 Rajans defence showed signs of cracking up and scrum half Radeesha Senaviratne scored again under the post which was goalled by Charitha Senaviratne to increase their lead to 28 - 0. Just before the long blast winger Amantha Perera scored off a three quarter movement by the left corner flag and this too was goalled with a well directed kick.

Mahes Gunaratne refereed.