Trinity beat Dharmaraja 20-10

S M Jiffrey Abdeen - Kandy Sports Correspondent

Trinity College came up with some unexpected challenge before posting a 20 points (2 goals, 2 penalties) to 10 (1 goal, 1 penalty win over Dharmaraja College in the final game of the Schools Singer Shield under 20 division one rugby tournament match played at the Bogambara Stadium, Kandy yesterday. At half time Trinity College led 10-0.

The match turned out to be a bruising battle with the rugby fans being served with some fine rugby especially by the forwards.

Trinity College opened scoring through a 30 metre penalty fixed by fly half Rehan Weerakoon.

Soon afterwards the Lions further increased their lead when No 8 Sean Foster playing with a lot of power, breached the Rajans defence to score. Fly half added the extra points for Trinity to lead 10-0.

Rajans fought not only to stop the Trinitians from adding to their tally but also made inroads into the Lions den on several occasions but failed to score.

The team changed ends and the Rajans continued their onslaught to put the Lions on the defensive.

The Rajans were rewarded when they moved the ball deep inside Trinity territory and No 8 S Hapuarachchi scored near the posts off a ruck. Fly half Tilina Wijesinghe added the extra points and the Rajans had reduced the gap to 7-10.

A 35 metre penalty put over by fly half Rehan Weerakoon brought some relief to the Lions to increase the lead to 13-7.

But the Rajans hit back when their fly half Tilina Wijesinghe converted a 52 metre penalty to narrow the gap to 10-13 setting the stage to an interesting finish.

During this period the Rajans could have scored twice. On one occasion they were almost near the try line when an infringement denied them the chance of scoring.

On another occasion, an open field was staring at their forwards when a forward pass put paid to their chances of scoring. With 10 minutes to the final whistle, Trinity’s replacement full back Tharinda Ratwatte joined the three quarters to form the overlap and came around to score under the post. Rehan Weerakoon added the extra points.

Nimal Fernando refereed.