In a pulsating encounter at Havelock Park, Royal College managed to edge out a tenacious St. Joseph’s College side by 28 points to 19 in a thrilling Dialog Schools Rugby League encounter in week 06. The Josephians hosted the Royalists at Havelock Park to get onto the winning track after the loss with Peter’s, as the Tuskers aims to continue the winning streak.
St. Joseph’s opened the scoring in emphatic fashion, with Shehan Malinda crossing the whitewash after a series of powerful pick-and-go’s. Beeshma Jayasekara’s conversion gave the Joes an early just within the first 5 minutes of the game.
( SJC 07 – 00 RC )
However, Royal responded swiftly through Thineth Damage, who capitalized on a penalty advantage to breach the Joes’ defense who went to touchdown. Nabeel Yahiya’s accurate conversion leveled the scores at the 8th minute of the game.
( SJC 07 – 07 RC )
Photos – St. Joseph’s College vs Royal College | Div 1: Seg A | Dialog Schools Rugby League 2024
The game continued to be a closely contested affair, with both sides trading blows. St. Joseph’s regained the lead through hooker Mindulka Perera, who benefited from a dominant maul to touch down starting just outside the attacking 22m line. This time Beeshma Jayasekara’s conversion attempt was unsuccessful.
( SJC 12 – 07 RC )
Half Time : Royal College 07 – 12 St. Joseph’s College
A pivotal moment in the game arrived when Royal’s Vice Captain, Yehan Weerasooriya, was shown a red card for a reckless shoulder charge, leaving his team to battle with 14 men just at the beginning of the second half. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Royal managed to equalize through the pacey Yuwan Pathirana, with Nabeel Yahiya converting to lead the game for the very first time in the 42nd minute.
( SJC 12 – 14 RC )
The second half saw the momentum swing back and forth. In the 47th minute, Ayyash Shiyam extended Royal’s lead with a try right under the posts, converted by Yahiya, but St. Joseph’s responded quickly through a powerful drive from Janith Marasinghe, converted by Beeshma get back in the game.
( SJC 19 – 21 RC )
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The final nail in the coffin for St. Joseph’s came through Disas Pathirana, who showcased his brilliance with a dazzling counterattack to score the final try of the game at the 64th minute, adding up the bonus point as well. Nabeel Yahiya’s 100 % successful conversion rate sealed the victory for Royal College, who emerged triumphant with a 28-19 scoreline. Ayyash Shiyam’s brilliance in defense and counter attacks brought him the Player of the Match title one more time to help the Tuskers to seal the deal yet again in week 06 action.
This encounter was a testament to the rich rivalry between these two Rugby giants, and showcased the exceptional talent on display in schoolboy Rugby.
Full Time : St. Joseph’s College 19 (3T 2C) beat Royal College 28 (4T 4C)
- NDB Bank Player of the Match : Ayyash Shiyam (RC)
Points Breakdown:
Royal College : Disas Pathirana 1T, Ayyash Shiham 1T, Thineth Gamage 1T, Yuwan Pathirana 1T, Nabeel Yahiya 4C
St. Joseph’s College : Shehan Malinda 1T, Mindulka Perera 1T, Janith Marasinghe 1T, Beeshma Jayasekara 2C
