In an exhilarating display of skill and tenacity, Science College secured a hard-fought victory against St.Anthony’s College in their first Dialog schools Rugby League matchup. The game, held at the Nittawela stadium in Kandy, witnessed a spectacular clash between two evenly matched teams, with Science College emerging victorious with a final score of 27-14.
Despite their best efforts, the Antonians struggled to defend against the strangely well-organized lineout and rolling maul of Science College, who are typically known for their backline play. This unexpected forward dominance caught the Antonians off guard, and they were unable to find an effective response. The Antonians can be said to be very unlucky because they bossed the game at times, but were unable to keep up the pressure.
The match kicked off with a lightning start from St. Anthony’s College, setting the tone for an intense battle. In the very first minute, St. Anthony’s was awarded a penalty inside the Science College 22-meter zone. The penalty was expertly kicked out, and the resulting lineout was driven close to the try line. In a moment of precision and power, the scrum-half swiftly passed the ball to first center Ravindu Welagedara, who ran a hard angle and barged over the whitewash to score the opening try. Omitha Dissanayake easily slotted the conversion, giving St. Anthony’s an early 7-0 lead. (St.Anthony’s 07-00 Science)
The Antonians maintained relentless pressure throughout the first quarter, dominating possession and territory. They launched several promising attacks but were unable to convert their opportunities into points due to handling errors and resilient defense from Science College. It wasn’t until around the 20th minute that Science College finally gained possession and momentum. They were awarded a penalty for not rolling away within kickable distance and straight in front of the posts. Oshada Perera stepped up and successfully made the kick from about 25 meters, reducing the deficit to 7-3. (St.Anthony’s 07-03 Science)
Shortly after, Oshan Balasooriya from Science College received a yellow card for a high tackle, forcing his team to play with 14 men. Despite being a man down, Science College displayed remarkable resilience. The game swung between the two sides for the next fifteen minutes, with both teams showcasing strong defensive efforts and tactical play.
In the late thirty minutes of the first half, Science College’s forwards began to dominate, particularly excelling in the rolling maul. Each maul gained them significant ground, often moving them over the gainline by at least 20 meters. In the extra time of the first half, Science College capitalized on a penalty advantage, executing a set line-out move as their forwards executed a series of powerful pick-and-go phases, eventually driving over the line to score a crucial try. Balasooriya, having returned from his yellow card suspension, played a key role in this forward dominance, taking the lead for the first time in the game. The conversion at an angle was put over by ease from the kicking boots of Oshada Perera. (St.Anthony’s 07-10 Science)
Half Time – St.Anthony’s 07 (1T 1C) – 10 (1T 1C 1P) Science College
Right after Half Tiime, Science College extended their lead from the first play of the second half. The Antonians cleared their line through a high up-and-under kick. The highball was skillfully secured by the NDB Player of the Match, Methuka Edirisinghe, who played at scrum-half. Edirisinghe delivered a long cut-out pass to Oshada Perera playing at full back, who evaded the Antonians’ second center before executing a delicate chip kick for his winger and acting Captain, Dimuth Dabare, to chase. The chip kick slipped through the hands of the Antonians’ full-back, and Dabare, showing great speed and awareness, chased down the loose ball and collected it before diving over the try line to score. The conversion did not find the required target although it had the direction. (St.Anthony’s 07-15 Science)
Science College then secured a lineout inside their own half courtesy of the ball going out through a punt. The throw of the resulting line-out wasn’t cleanly collected by any of the Science players, allowing the Antonians to pounce on the loose ball. They set up a couple of pick-and-go phases, gradually wearing down the Science defense. After about five or six phases, the blindside defense of Science was exposed, and Ravindu Welagedara capitalised by scoring his second try of the game via a well-timed pass from scrum-half Oshan Gunarathne. Welagedara showed tremendous power, barging over a couple of defenders to touch down. Omitha Dissanayake’s reliable boot added the extras, bringing the game to a one-point deficit. (St. Anthony’s 14-15 Science)
Science College had a clear game plan centered around their dominant rolling maul. In the 54th minute, they got an attacking lineout inside the Antonians’ 22-meter zone. They set up their well-practiced rolling maul, which had been a key weapon throughout the match. As they drove forward, they were awarded an advantage for the Antonians coming in from the sides of the maul. Utilizing the advantage, Science College executed a series of pick-and-go phases. The blindside defense of St. Anthony’s was left vulnerable, and Methuka Edirisinghe, spotting the gap, passed to fly-half Sasitha Kaluarachchi, who powered over the line for their third try of the game. The conversion by Oshada Perera was successful, further extending their lead. (St. Anthony’s 14-22 Science)
In the 65th minute, Science executed another well-executed rolling maul to score their fourth and final try. They secured the bonus point with that try as well. It was a superb outing for the Science team, who, despite being under pressure during the first quarter of the game, showed that their forwards can take a hit after such a long time. The final try went to the replacement prop, Sithum Perera. Oshada Perera was unable to convert the final kick of the game.
Full Time :- Science College (4T 2C 1P) beat St.Anthony’s College 14 (2T 2C)
NDB Bank Player of the Match :- Methuka Edirisinghe (Science)
Points Breakdown
Science College : Oshada Perera (2C 1P) , Oshan Balasooriya (1T) , Dimuth Dabare (1T), Sithum Perera (1T), Ravindu Crawege (1T)
St.Anthony’s College : Ravindu Welagedara (2T), Omitha Dissanayake (2C)
