It was one-way traffic in Pallekelle as the resounding Lions massacred helpless Prince of Wales to record a land slide 94-9 victory as they finished off their first round of the Singer Schools Rugby League with a top notch performance keeping the unbeaten tag intact.
Full-time score: Trinity 94 (41) to Prince of Wales 9 (3)
It was a high scoring encounter where Trinity dominated the entire 80 minutes of play with both possession and attack humiliating the lackluster Cambrians.
Gaurawa Senevirathne set the tone for the match touching down in the second minute of play from an offload by Amit Kulathunga. Shaveen Ekanayake followed the footsteps of Gaurawa but this time stormed his way through the middle without contest.
Two more scores came in quick succession as Hasiru Weliwatta and Anuka Boyagoda stepped over the white line in the 14th and 16th minutes respectively. With two of the four tries being converted by Lashane Wijesuriya, Trinity had their bonus point 16 minutes into the game.
Trinity dominated possession entirely in the first half and their quick hands and the game pace was difficult for the visitors to handle.
Three more tries came in the first half for the Lions with Shanel Maralanda, Pasan Samarawickrema and Lashane Wijesuriya getting their names on the scoring list. Wijesuriya converted four of the seven tries that were scored.
While Trinity was fielding in tries from all corners of the park, a single penalty compiled the Prince of Wales scoring list that came off the boot of Nalin Tharanga. (41-3)
Halftime: Trinity 41 (7T 4C) Prince of Wales 3 (1P)
The second half was no different to the first with Trinity maintaining their pace. Trinity got the scoreboard ticking in the very first minute as the selfless effort of Rishane Madena allowed Hasiru Weliwatte to score his second on the far corner for a converted try (48-3).
In the latter stages of the first half, Trinity’s Kanesha Alwis was sent to the sin-bin for a late charge on a Prince of Wales player. Making his way back to the field in the second half, Alwis made sure he rectified his error by scoring a try and creating the opportunity for the one that followed.
Kanesha Alwis scored the next while it was Warren Weerakoon who converted Alwis’s efforts to points.
Trinity’s replacements took some time to get settled into the game and playmaker Diluksha Dange added two more tries to his name in the second half. Tries kept flooding in as Akitha Sakalasooriya, Shenal Abeywarna, Bevishan Wijewickrema and Reshan Bandaranayake scored for the home team.
Debutant Reshan Bandaranayake converted two of the tries that were scored while Diluksha Dange converted one more as Trinity finished with a mammoth 94-point stand.
In consolation, Prince of Wales got six more points off the boot of Nalin Tharanga to get them to 9 points.
Full-time score Trinity 94(41) 16T 7C to Prince of Wales 9(3) 3P
Trinity had a field day playing at Pallekelle for the first time this season and will finish the first round of the Singer League unbeaten. They will top the Group IB and will go into the second round as the only unbeaten team.
There wasn’t too much that Prince of Wales could do but the real test for them will commence from here on in the Plate competition.
ThePapare Player of the Match: Nalin Tharanga (POW)
Score breakdown
Trinity 94 – 16T 7C
Tries by: Diluksha Dange (2), Hasiru Weliwatte (2), Gaurawa Senevirathne, Shaveen Ekanayaka, Anuka Boyagoda, Lashane Wijesuriya, Shanel Maralanda, Reshan Bandaranayake, Kanesha Alwis, Warren Weerakoon, Akitha Sakalasooriya, Pasan Samarawickrema, Shenal Abeywarna, Bevishan Wijewickrema
Conversions: Lashane Wijesuriya (4), Reshan Bandaranayake (2), Diluksha Dange
Prince of Wales 9 – 3P
Penalties (3) by Nalin Tharanga
