Kingswood College managed to overpower Trinity College in the third week of the Singer Schools Rugby League 2018 encounter, played at Nittawela, winning for the first time since 2008. Full time score: 23 – 21 in favour of Kingswood
Kingswood came into the game after a rather convincing victory against the Thomians while the Trinitians on the other hand was the total opposite, as they lost their second game week match against St. Joseph’s at Pallekalle. Trinity walked into the game without their regular captain Avishka Shiek who was recovering from a jaw injury.
Kingswood hooker Pathum Weerasinghe drew first blood courtesy of a line-out and a lovely inside pass back to him. Hirusha Sampath, the little scrum half failed to convert. (KCK 05-00 TCK)
Sampath however, extended Kingswood’s lead at the quarter hour mark, bisecting the posts neatly via a penalty given by Referee Priya Suranga for holding on. (KCK 08-00 TCK)
Kingswood scored again to extend their lead by another 7 points in the 30th minute of the game via a lovely exploitation of a gap by the Fly half Asiri Senevirathne. Sampath chipped over the extras from the kicking tee. (KCK 15-00 TCK)
It was a stop start game in the first half with both teams making elementary errors. However, whenever Kingswood got in Trinity’s red zone they managed to claw over the whitewash and retreat back to the half way mark with valuable points.
On the brink of the half time whistle Trinity scored through Janidu Rathnayaka who ran an excellent running angle from the start, after receiving a lovely cut out pass from the acting captain Naween Rajarathnam. Akitha Sakalasooriya added the first points for Trinity from the kicking tee in the season. (KCK 15-07 TCK)
Half Time; Kingswood 15 (2T 1C 1P) – 07 (1T 1C) Trinity
The second half started off with bang with Janidu Rathnayake being sent off to the sin bin and then costing the Lions with Hirusha Sampath adding three more points. (KCK 18-07 TCK)
Despite being a man down, the red-gold-blue jersey’s replied instantly through Vishwa Ranaraja the speedster. A line-out ball cleanly collected was spread wide and into the hands of Ranaraja who sprinted onto the corner. (KCK 18-14 TCK)
Kingswood copied Ranaraja’s try when they won a line out and the scrum half sent a wide out pass to the winger Ruchira Ekanayake to touch down. However, unlike Ranaraja’s try Ekanayake had to cut back in and take two defenders with him to score. Sampath failed to convert. (KCK 23-14 TCK)
The eagerness and the 10 year drought was fuelling the Kingswoodian players as they put their hearts out in the defence to stop the Trinity onslaught. Tragedy struck when Thumal Waligampola was sin binned and Trinity soared attack after attack trying to exploit the one-man advantage, but failed relentlessly.
Trinity was the final team to score in the dying seconds of the 69th minute as Warren Weerakoon barged his way over with a little help from Amith Kulathunga get over the try line. Minidu Jayasundera converted the try to make it a two-point game with only the injury time left. (KCK 23-21 TCK)
After a few tense phases that followed, referee blew the long whistle to bring the game to an end in favour of Kingswood who emerged victorious against the Lions after a long ten year wait.
All credit should go to the Kingswoodians who defended like their lives depended on it throughout the 70 minutes. Their work rate was impressive and the forwards were hitting at every ruck and their flankers won almost 5 turn-overs.
It will be tough going for the Lions this season and they will host S. Thomas’ for the traditional Canon R. De Saram trophy at Pallekelle, while it will be another hill-capital battle when the Kingswoodians play the Antonians in a fortnight
Full Time: Kingswood 23(3T 1C 2P) defeat Trinity 21 (3T 3C)
ThePapare.com Player of the match: Asiri Senevirathne (KCK)
Breakdown:
Kingswood College – Ruchira Ekanayake (1T), Asiri Senevirathne (1T), Pathum Weerasinghe (1T), Hirushan Sampath (1C 2P)
Trinity College – Warren Weerakoon (1T), Vishwa Ranaraja (1T), Janidu Rathnayake (1T), Akitha Sakalasooriya (2C) Minidu Jayasundera (1C)
Yellow cards – Janidu Rathnayake (Trinity) Thumal Waligampola (Kingswood)
