In a commanding display of Rugby prowess, Trinity College Kandy crushed Sri Sumangala College at Bogambara Stadium in the third week of the Dialog Schools Rugby League season.
Trinity’s superior backline and cohesive team play led them to an emphatic victory, underscoring their dominance throughout the match. The game finished with a score of 49 points (9T 2C) to Sumangala’s 14 points (1T 3P). It was a rare sight to see the sun at Bogambara, and the conditions underfoot were very good for fast, open running Rugby. Trinity played with the wind in the first half. Trinity got back to winning ways, but the issue for them was their kicking, having left 14 points from the kicking tee.
From the first whistle, Trinity College showcased their intent to control the game. They scored through the first set piece of the game courtesy an error from the restart. They swiftly moved the ball through their backs, exploiting gaps in the Sri Sumangala defense with precision. It was Udeesha Rathnayake who made the break from just inside their own half. Usman Shafraz ran a superb straining line, gaining around 30 to 40 meters before being tackled by the retreating Sumangala full-back. Trinity somehow kept possession, forming an important ruck. Dinusha Pieris, the big lock who was first to the ball, got himself over the whitewash in the right corner near the touchline. The conversion from the angle missed by a whisker. (Trinity 05-00 Sri Sumangala)
Trinity’s backline, known for their speed and agility, played a central role in the first half. Within the opening 10 minutes, Trinity scored two tries from set pieces, dismantling the Sumangala defense with their speed and running angles. The second try came from a line-out inside the 22m. The ball was quickly given out to the fly-half, who shifted the ball not to his first center but to the winger Udeesha Rathnayake, coming in on a looping angle to curve the line of attack. Rathnayake straightened and handed Yewan Hulangamuwa, the full-back, a lovely cut-out pass. Hulangamuwa cleverly drew in the defense and handed Murad Raizan the ball. Raizan still had a lot to do after receiving the pass but stepped a couple of times to dot down over the try-line. Despite playing around 55 minutes, Raizan had an excellent game and was judged the NDB Player of the Match. The conversion was unsuccessful, giving Trinity an early two-try lead. (Trinity 10-00 Sri Sumangala)
Trinity’s pressure continued unabated, with their fly-half orchestrating play beautifully. Another counterattack from Trinity came in the 15th minute when the Sumangala kicker mistimed a penalty that was supposed to go out. Raizan collected the high ball safely before quickly sending a pass to his fly-half Althaf, who straightened the line through Thisanga Dissanayake, No. 08. Thisanga broke through the Sumangala defensive line, setting up a perfect opportunity to release the three players through the blindside fringe. Udan Wijekoon, the nippy scrum-half, set the line in motion with a well-timed run through the depleting space before offloading to winger Udeesha Rathnayake, who ran in for another try. The conversion was this time on target from under the post. (Trinity 17-00 Sri Sumangala)
Sri Sumangala struggled to gain a foothold in the game, as Trinity’s defense remained resolute. Their attempts to counterattack were stifled by a well-organized defense. Trinity added another try through their inside center, Usman Shafraz, who cut through the defense with a beautiful support line. Sumangala messed up a set piece, leaving the ball loose. Captain Anuhas Kodithuwakku pounced on the loose ball before barging through the defense and feeding Shafraz with the pass. The conversion missed, but Trinity extended their lead. (Trinity 22-00 Sri Sumangala)
With around 10 minutes remaining in the first half, Trinity scored their fourth and bonus point try, demonstrating their relentless pressure. The restart from the previous try was collected by Watagoda, the hooker, who set up camp just outside the 22m line of their red zone. Quick ball from Udan Wijekoon was decided to be run by Shan Althaf. The dividends were shown as Trinity gained over 80 meters with just two phases. The ball was shifted smoothly to the left and right, finally sending Murad Raizan away with another straight sprint over the corner. The conversion was missed, but Trinity extended their lead. (Trinity 27-00 Sri Sumangala)
After this, Sumangala made use of a knock-on from Trinity while collecting the high ball. The Sumangala full-back Akhil Nazar seized the loose ball before offloading to fly-half Shashika Bandara with a money ball over the try-line. The conversion was not successful. (Trinity 27-05 Sri Sumangala)
On the brink of halftime, Yewan Hulangamuwa, the full-back who created a couple of tries from the back, went over for his first try. Good quality ball provided by the halves was received by Hulangamuwa, who powered his way over the whitewash. Concerning signs for Trinity as they could only convert one of their first six tries. (Trinity 32-05 Sri Sumangala)
Half Time – Sri Sumangala College Kandy 05 (1T) – 32 (6T 1C) Trinity College Kandy
Despite their best efforts, Sri Sumangala could not match the pace and skill of Trinity, but they somehow played with the wind in the second half, which assisted them a little. Furthermore, Sumangala was much better prepared to defend the Trinity backs through drift defense. Trinity, however, tried executing the same plan whilst trying to straighten the line through their heavy couple of centers. Sri Sumangala knew there was no way they could have made a comeback and tried minimizing the score, and hence put over a couple of penalties on either side of another Trinity try. Thisanga Dissanayake, the Vice Captain and No. 08 of Trinity, was the receiver of this try. It was a typical No. 08 barge over the try line from 5m out. (Trinity 37-11 Sri Sumangala)
As the game progressed, Trinity’s dominance only grew. They added two more tries, both resulting from well-executed backline moves that left the Sumangala defense scrambling. The first of these tries came from a quick tap penalty taken by the scrum-half, who fed the ball out wide to the outside center, running in for an unchallenged score. (Trinity 44-14 Sri Sumangala)
The final nail in the coffin for Sri Sumangala came in the dying minutes of the match when Trinity’s full-back collected a high ball and launched a counterattack, weaving through the defenders to score the final try of the game. The conversion sealed the comprehensive victory. (Trinity 49-14 Sri Sumangala)
Full Time – Sri Sumangala College Kandy 14 (1T 3P) – 49(9T 2C) Trinity College Kandy
NDB Bank Player of the Match – Muarad Raizan (TCK)
Points Breakdown
Trinity: Murad Raizan (2T) , Usman Shafraz (1T), Yewan Hulangamuwa (1T 2C) , Thisanga Dissanayake (1T) , Dinusha Pieris(1T) , Shan Althaf (1T) , Udeesha Rathnayake (1T), Ramindu Wanasinghe (1T)
Sri Sumangala: Shashika Bandara (1T) , Nazar Adeel (3P)
