Defence Services over run SLRFU XV 39-10

Ranjan ANANDAPPA

The Defence Services XV took the President Mahinda Rajapaksa Trophy defeating a Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union XV by 39 points (5 tries, 2 goals) to 10 (1 goal and a penalty) in the second encounter at the Army Ground Galle Face yesterday.

It was a combined team effort by the services team who played cohesively to plant seven tries as the SLRFU XV lacked the same quality of rugby displayed by the Defence Services XV. The SLRFU team was captained by scrum half Zulki Hameed and the Defence Services skippered by R N Meepage. The Services XV as usual indulged themselves in some hard tackling while giving a good display in attack and defence.

The servicemen opened scoring early in the fifth minute when P K Kodagoda crashed through to score an unconverted try. Then skipper Meepage and Kodagoda touched down twice with full back Chanaka Chandimal adding the extra points to the Meepage try.

Priyantha Ekanayake reduced the lead touching down for the SLRFU XI which Wijeweera put over the conversion.

The winners led 17-7 at lemons.

On resumption the Services XV continued their dominance when M A Susantha and Chanaka Chandimal stretched their sides lead scoring unconverted tries. Wijeweera put over a penalty for the SLRFU team, but Saliya Handapangoda carved through the fragile defence to score under the post, which Chandimal put over the simple kick to make the final tally of the Defence Services XV 39-10. President Mahinda Rajapaksa and First Lady Madam Shiranthi Rajapaksa were the Chief Guests.

The teams.

Defence Services XV.

R N Meepage (Captain), P Gunasekera, J Ranaweera, S Malawana, W Susantha, R M Ratnayake, Yositha Rajapaksa, T Harrison, M Jayasinghe, Namal Rajapaksa, M Ibrahim, P K Kodagoda, W M Wickremaratne, K C Chandimal.

SLRFU XV.

Tharindu Asanga, Rajive de Silva, Nalin Welegedera, Ishan Noor, Dinesh Sanjeeva, R Kodituwakku, Danusha Perera, Bilal Hassan, Zulki Hameed (Captain), A. Wijeweera, C Thushara, R Wekadapola, P Ekanayake, H Gunawardene, Ashen de Costa.

Nizam Jamaldeen controlled the game