The match between Ananda College Colombo and Dharmaraja College Kandy for the plate championship in the Singer League 2014 concluded on Sunday where the defending champions emerged victorious.
It was a controversial game with referee’s decisions constantly being questioned. The Kandy lads emerged victorious who was also the better side of the day. At full time scores read 27-18 for Dharmaraja.
With the weather conditions been perfect for a fast open game of rugby, the match commenced on time when the kick off was made at the picturesque Air Force Grounds in Ratmalana. The Anandians were right up at the collar of the Kandy lads from the beginning passing the ball wide and working the line with good. This provided the speedster Samith Jayanka to break free and touch down on the left side of the field to help the Colombo lads bag the first points of the just in the third minute of the game. The conversion was unsuccessful Ananda led 5-0 early in the game. (AC -05 DCK-00)
Though the Colombo lads drew first blood, both teams took a reasonable time to settle down .The set pieces were shaky at the beginning but both teams found their feet later in the second quarter of the game. After twenty five minutes the Anandians added three more points to their score line through a penalty awarded to them. Pushpakumara`s kick put the home side in an eight point lead. (AC -08 DCK-00)
The defence of the Anandians was tested when the lads from Kandy settled in and started attacking relentlessly. The next score on the board was for Dharmaraja as they made no mistake in putting through a penalty offered and were trailing by 5 points close to half-time. (AC- 08 DCK-03)
The defending champions came back strongly as they levelled the scoreboard in the last minute of the first half and their attacking efforts were rewarded as both closely contested first half came to an end.(AC-08 DCK -08)
Half time – Ananda College -08 Dharmaraja College -08
It was anybodys game and the second half resumed with everything to play for. Both teams walked onto the field with the intention of minimizing the errors and executing the game plan to perfection. It was Dharmaraja who scored first in the second half through Kumara who gave his side the lead. With the conversion been successful Dharmaraja took a seven point lead. (AC -08 DCK -15)
A few minutes after Ananda added three more points by obliging to the referee’s call in their favour. The referee had to call off the game for a few seconds with the supporters edging to the side lines. (AC-11 DCK -15)
Both teams had equal territory but Rajan`s making the better of it took the game away from the home team in the fifty sixth minute of the game. Kandy lads winning the line out and then using the full width of the field made the defenders just mere spectators when Weerasekara touched the ball down on the left side of the field. Kaudupitiya failed to convert. This was recorded as a controversial decision that was given away by the referee which made the supporters uncontainable approaching the side lines disrupting the game. (AC – 11 DCK 20)
With just nine minutes to go Rajaguru touched down for Ananda collecting an off load from his team mate. The set pieces of the game were working well for the Anandians in last few minutes. Pushpakumara bisected the uprights to revive lost hopes. (AC-18 DCK -20)
Rajan`s scored the last try of the evening in the seventy forth minute of the game Sagasekara dived under the post to seal the game for the visitors. Galapitagedara put over the conversion (AC-18 DCK -27)
It was a close game with a few questionable calls made by the referee but the Rajans no doubt deserved the victory for maintaining composure in the last stages of the game.
Full Time – Ananda College 18 Dharmaraja College 27
ThePapare player of the match – M. Kumara (Dharmaraja College, Kandy)
