Royal College won their first piece of Silverware in 2024, making a valiant comeback to defeat S. Thomas’ 26 (4T 3C) – 20 (2T 2C 2P) to retain the Micheal Gunaratne Trophy for yet another year.
The hosts got off to the best possible start with a try in the 3rd minute, working their line in stunning fashion.
Farhad Nazar and his Royal backline earned the right to go wide thanks to some sublime forward play, scoring beside the touchline. Idris Farook added the extras to make it a perfect 7 to begin proceedings. (RC 07-00 STC)
Skipper Yehan Bulathsinghalage slotted over a mid-range penalty before missing a long-range penalty from 55 meters out as the visitors got off the mark, before the wounded Royalists struck for a second time.
Yuwan Pathirana was the beneficiary this time around as the Royal line fired on all cylinders, catching out the visitors for a second time in a row, giving the home team a considerable lead, even though Farook failed to add the extras. (RC 12-03 STC)
S. Thomas’ received a penalty as the Royal players infringed at the breakdown, giving away a penalty from which the Thomians kicked for touch, with hopes of notching their first try of the evening.
Dehan Senarathne crashed over from the back of a maul to string the home side with minutes left on the clock. The try was converted by Yehan, cutting the deficit to 2 points. (RC 12-10 STC)
With the clock in the red, Royal failed to clear their lines, as their big prop forward Thineth Gamage was sent to the bin for a blatant high shot. Thora went for touch from the ensuring penalty, setting up a surprise maul, as Dehan Senarathne crashed over for a brace. Yehan’s conversion meant the visitors went into lemons with a 5-point lead, stunning the home faithful.
Half Time: Royal College 12 (2T 1C) trail S. Thomas’ College 17 (2T 2C 1P)
The second half was dominated by the hosts as the Thomians managed just a solitary penalty off the boot of Yehan. His first contribution in the second half took the visitors to the 20-point mark, giving them an 8-point lead.
Royal managed to get into the game in the 52nd minute as No. 8 Ayyash Shiyam scored and onces Farook added the extras – it was a single point game, going in to the final stretch of the game. (RC 19-20 STC)
The Thomians defended manfully as Shaleen Wanigasuriya held up a ball before it got over the white-wash, giving the Thomians a glimmer of hope.
It took the hosts just 2-minutes from then on to score, courtesy Yuwan Pathirana as he bagged his brace to put the home side back in the lead. Farook added the extras, which meant that the Thomians had to score a converted try to make a comeback. (RC 26-20 STC)
The comeback was not meant to be as the visitors fumbled their opportunity, as the Royalists made a valiant comeback to secure the game, and with it, retainded the Micheal Gunaratne Trophy for yet another year, winning their first piece of Silverware for 2024.
Full Time: Royal College 26 (4T 3C) beat S. Thomas’ College 20 (2T 2C 2P)
NDB Player of the Match: Idris Farook (RC 10)
Points Breakdown:
Royal College – Farhad Nazar 1T, Yuwan Pathirana 2T, Ayyash Shiyam 1T, Idris Farook 3C
S. Thomas’ College – Dehan Senarathne 2T, Yehan Bulathsinghalage 2C 2P
 – 20 (2T 2C 2P) to retain the Micheal Gunaratne Trophy for yet another year.){kind=link}