Royal fight-back to beat Kingswood - 33/25

Chris DHAMBARAGE

Royal College kept their unbeaten record intact while recording a hard fought 33 points to 25 points victory over Kingswood College Kandy in their Singer inter school ‘A’ division league rugby tournament match worked off at the Royal Sports Complex yesterday.

Royal who were trailing 5-10 at half time produced an improved performance in the second half to turn the game in their favour while collecting their points from four goals and one try.

Kingswood College kept their hopes alive almost until the final whistle but paid the penalty at the end for not converting the five tries. They took the lead in the fifth minute with centre three quarter Oshan Perera falling over for an unconverted try. (Kingswood 5-0)

Royal equalized a few minutes later following a superb try from their captain and number eight Shehan Pathirana. However Kingswood went into half time with a lead of 10-5 after Oshan Perera scored his second try of the match.

Kingswood further consolidated their position and extended their lead to a commanding 20-5 mid way in the second half after two more tries from Oshan Perera and Chathura Piyasena.

Royal staged a remarkable comeback thereafter while scoring four tries during the latter stages to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

First it was lock forward Wasim Bawa who fell over with Arshad Jamaldeen adding the extra points. (20-12).

This was followed by a splendid try from centre Damien Ratwatte which was converted by Jamaldeen as Royal reduced the deficit to a solitary point 19-20 going into the last five minutes of the game.

Skipper Shehan Pathirana gave Royal the lead for the first time in the match with his second try which was followed by another try from centre Damien Ratwatte with Jamaldeen converting both tries as the home side snatched a 33-20 lead.

Oshan Perera who had a fine game scored his fourth try of the match for Kingswood College in the dying stages of the game but his efforts were in vain as Royal went on to register their fourth successive victory in the tournament.

Referee: Dinka Peiris.

Thurstan beat Thomians

Thurstan College staged a superb second half rally to beat S Thomas College Mount Lavinia by 22 points to eight points in their Singer inter-school under 19 ‘A’ division league rugby tournament match worked off at the Sugathadasa Stadium yesterday.

After the scores had been level eight all at half time Thurstan College came back strongly in the second half and went on to pull off their first win for the season while collecting their points from two goals, one try and one penalty.

The Thomians managed to score only a solitary try and one penalty all in the first half as they crashed to their third straight defeat in the tournament having earlier lost to Trinity College Kandy (6-75) and Kingswood College (6-63).

Peterites rout Wesley

St Peter’s College powered their way to score an emphatic 62 points to 7 points victory over Wesley College in their Singer inter school under 19 ‘A’ division league rugby tournament match worked off at Havelock Park yesterday.

The reigning champions put up another brilliant performance to score ten tries while converting six of them after having built up a commanding 45-7 lead at half time. Wesley College managed to score only a solitary try.