Trinity College managed to score three tries in the last 10 minutes to come back and win their Schools Rugby League 2015 match against St. Joseph’s College by 36 points (5T, 4C,1P) to 24 (3T,3C, 1P) at CR & FC grounds on Saturday evening.
Both teams had everything to play for as they suffered defeats last week from Royal College and Isipathana College. Trinity College fly-half Lashen Wijesooriya kicked off proceedings with all the attention on the league decider which was being played few blocks away.
Josephian center Gemunu Chethiya was sent to the ‘Sin Bin’ straight after the kick off when he tackled a Trinity player who was on air to collect the kick off.
After 10 minutes of play, the hosts’ received a penalty within kicking distance when the visitors were penalized for not supporting their body weight in a ruck. Shamilka Kurumbalapitiya failed to convert the penalty into points. Few minutes later, Trinity got the opportunity to draw first blood through a penalty kick after the Josephians were infringed for off-side play but Saranga Gunathilake’s kick went astray.
The Josephians were all over the Trinitians in scrum time but it took 26 minutes for the boys in blue and white to score their first try. Full back Saranga Gunathilake made a rare error while defending a territorial kick and after few phases of forwards’ play, prop Charana Sendanayake scored a terrific try under the posts. Shamilka added the extra points. (TCK 00 – SJC 07)
Trinity managed to hit back in no time through their dynamic center Rayan Weerakoon who took a quick tap off a 5-meter penalty advantage to barge over the try line in the 29th minute. Lashen Wijesooriya converted. (TCK 07 – SJC 07)
Both teams made crucial errors while being in their opposition 22’. The Josephians were missing tackles and their drift defense was not up to the mark. Against the run of play, G. Pethiyagoda collected a loose ball in the far corner and gave a superb off-load to unleash Ayesh Edirisinghe who touched down in the 38th minute as Trinity head into the break in the lead. Lashen Wijesooriya failed to add extra points.
Half-Time: Trinity College 12 (2T,1C) – St. Joseph’s College 07 (1T,1C)
After lemons, Shamilka Kurumbalapitiya restarted the game. Just five minutes into the second half, Trinity received an easy penalty which Sanushka Abeywickrama converted into points. (TCK 15 – SJC 07)
In the 53rd minute of the match, Sanushka Abeywickrama and Josephian prop Kevin Silva were both sent off for 10 minutes due to a foul play. Shamilka cut down the deficit brilliantly through his reliable right boot. (TCK 15 – SJC 10)
The Blue and White Hornets showed their true prowess with speed and agility when Shamilka Kurumbalapitiya’s well executed chip kick was chased down neatly by Suneth Chathuranga who went over the try line to put his College back in the lead. Shamilka converted without much hesitation. (TCK 15 – SJC 17)
Just as the game entered the final quarter, Trinity skipper Isuru Rangala conceded a crucial penalty to the Josephians for second movement. The Josephian scrum-half Vimukthi Rahula took a quick tap and pierced through the Trinity defense and then chipped, chased and dived over the try line to extend the lead. Shamilka bisected the posts. (TCK 15 – SJC 24)
The boys from Kandy needed to score twice to win the game and needed some inspiration and their late surge was started off in the 70th minute through their hard-working replacement forward, Shalinda Alahakoon who barged over the try line through a classic forward’s pick and go move. Sanushka Abeywickrama added the extra points (TCK 22 – SJC 24)
The Josephians needed to defend strongly in the last couple of minutes but they ran out of gas when winger Dilukshan Dunge ran a superb angle and punished the tired Josephian team scoring a memorable try in the far corner. Lashen Wijesooriya made no mistakes with the conversion. (TCK 29 – SJC 24)
The large spectator contingent of the home team were clearly shocked how things turned around as the nippy Trinity scrum-half Anuka Boyagoda added more salt to the Josephian wounds in the final move of the match when he scored a stunning try to successfully secure the 3rd place in the Singer Schools Rugby League for the Lions from Kandy. Fly-half Lashen Wijesooriya converted.
Full-Time: Trinity College 36 – (5T, 4C, 1P) – St. Joseph’s College 24 (3T, 3C, 1P)
The Referee – Irshad Cader
The Papare Player of the Match – Rayan Weerakoon (Trinity center)
Trinity College – Points Scorers
Rayan Weerakoon 5 points (1 try), Ayesh Edirisinghe 5 points (1 try), Anuka Boyagoda 5 points (1 try) , Dilushan Dunge 5 points (1 try), Shalinda Alahakoon 5 points (1 try), Lashen Wijesooriya 6 points (3 conversions), Sanushka Abeywickrama 5 points (1 conversion and 1 penalty)
St. Joseph’s College – Points Scorers
Charana Sendanayake 5 points (1 try), Suneth Chathuranga 5 points (1 try), Vimukthi Rahula 5 points (1 try), Shamilka Kurumbalapitiya 9 points (3 conversions and 1 penalty)
