S. Thomas' College Vs Dharmaraja College - 2008 (STC - 22 : DC - 20 )
played on
Friday, the 9th May 2008 at the Bogambara Grounds, Kandy.
Press Reports :
Thomians edge out Rajans
S. M. Jiffrey Abdeen Kandy Sports Corr.
http://www.dailynews.lk/2008/05/10/spo03.asp
S. Thomas College,
Mount Lavinia trailing behind 8-20 at one stage snatched victory
from the jaws of defeat when they beat Dharmaraja College, Kandy
by 22 points (2 goals, 1 try, 1 penalty) to 20 (2 goals, 2
penalties) in their schools Singer Shield under 20 Division one
Segment A rugby tournament match played at the Bogambara stadium
in Kandy yesterday. At half time Dharmaraja led 17-8.
The man behind the
Thomian success was their No. 8 and skipper Rohitha Rajapaksa who
was in the thick of everything and marshalled his forwards to make
inroads into their opponents territory with some power play. The
Thomians opened scoring in the 18th minute of play through a
penalty fixed by scrum half Manjith Thammanagama.
But a minute later,
the Rajans went into the lead when they won a line-out mid field
and fly half Dharshana Etipola collecting the ball, ran a good 30
metres before touching down. Full back Indika Wickramanayake added
the extra paints. Dharmaraja 7-3.
In the 25th minute
the Thomian took over the lead when prop forward Rajindra
Gunasekera scored off a rolling maul by the left corner flag.
Scrum half Manjith Thammanagama failed with a difficult kick. S.
Thomas led 8-7.
But the rest of this
half belonged to the Rajans who in the 31st minute wrested the
lead with a 35 metre penalty knocked over by full back Indika
Wickremanayake. Rajans 10-8. In the 33rd minute the Rajans further
increased their lead when winger Malinga Godigamuwa intercepted a
pass and made blazing 40 metre run skipping tackles to touch down
near the left post. Indika Wickremanayake added the extra points.
Rajans led 17-8 with that score the teams went for the short
break.
In the 11th minute a
Thomian was spotted playing from an off side position and Rajans
full back Indika Wickramanayake put over 35 metre penalty. Rajans
led 20-8 and appeared to have safely wrapped up the match.
But the Thomian had
other ideas and led by No. 8 Rohitha Rajapaksa they unleashed some
power play which forced the Rajans to crumble.
In the 13th minute
skipper Rohitha Rajapaksa led the fight back with a brilliant try
off a forwards rush. Scrum half Manjith Thammanagama added the
extra points from a difficult angle. S. Thomas College 15-20.
In the 25th minute
the Thomians scored again when they won a scrum in front of the
posts about three metres from their opponents’ goal line. Their
three quarters moved the ball with winger Heshan Gunaratne giving
the finishing touches by the left corner flag. Scrum half Manjith
Thammanagama made a brilliant conversion to give the Thomians the
lead and victory.
Priyantha Gunaratne
refereed.
Thomians beat Rajans by thin margin
by Rukshan Razak
http://www.island.lk/2008/05/10/sports12.html
S. Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia,
came out of the jaws of defeat overpowering Dharmaraja College by
a wafer-thin margin of 22-20 in the Singer League Inter-school
Rugby fixture at Bogambara Stadium yesterday.
A victory is a victory, thus the
Thomians should be commended for their brave effort as they came
from behind to beat the home team after trailing behind 17-8 at
the breather.
The winners accumulated their
points off two goals, a try and penalty, while the Rajans could
muster two goals and two penalties.
Rajans who were well in command
leading at 20-8 at one stage, threw away their chances and their
main lapse was that they were not consolidating well and they lost
valuable possession with some scrappy play towards the end. Their
spirits came out by the dying stages of the game but then it was
too late. On the other hand Rajan forwards gave a torrid time for
the Thomains and kept them at bay but later their vigour declined
gradually and could not hold the unyielding three quarters from
Mount Lavinia.
Thoras drew first blood when they
were awarded a penalty in the 16th minute of play as the Rajans
were penalised for going over the top in a ruck situation and
scrum half Manjith Thamanagama put over for the visitors for them
to lead 3-0. Rajans shot back immediately, when their fly half
intercepted a pass on the move and made a 30-meter dashing before
he scored under the post and full back Indika Wickramanayake added
the extra points for the home team to take over the lead 7-3. It
was tit for tat and this time the Thomian prop forward Rajendra
Gunasekara who scored a push over try which was generated off a
maul. As Manjith Thamanagama missed the difficult kick at the
goal, the scores stood at 8-7 in S. Thomas’ favour.
Then came the dominance of the
Kandy team. They had pocession of the ball and as a result, did
well to score, first off a penalty followed by a fine try by their
winger, Malinga Godigamauwa who covered a distance of over
45-meters as he intercepted a pass in a three quarter move before
going over near the post. Indika Wickramanayake added the extras
for the Rajans to lead 17-8 at lemons.
Rajan dominance continued even
after lemons and thus they elevated their lead by three more
points since the Thoamins were penalised for playing from an off
side position in a ruck situation and it was Wickramayake’s turn
to successfully take the Kandy team’s lead up to 20-8 with his
accurate kick at the goal.
What transformed later was a
different story and the Thomains made a valiant effort in
subsidsing their energy for a win and they did show signs of the
same and opened with a push over try by their skipper Rohitha
Rajapaksa in the 12 minute of the second half followed with
another by their winger Heshan Gunaratne and their place kicker,
Thamanagama assured their victory with two fine kicks at the goal
to take over the lead for the first time after 40 minutes of play.
Rajans’ wallop was on the cards but
as their last two penalty kicks went astray at the dying stages of
the game, the lads from Mout Lavinia emerged victorious.
Priyantha Gunaratne refereed.
In The Junior matches played
earlier, S. Thomas’ won the Under-16 match, 12 points to nil while
Dharmaraja won the Under-18 5 points to nil.
Thomians withstand early Rajans challenge to win -
Singer
League Rugby 2008
By U.J.J. Jezeem – Kandy Sports Corr http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=14321
Unbeaten S. Thomas’
withstood an early assault by Dharmaraja to scrape through to a 22
points (2 goals, 1 try, 1 penalty) to 20 (2 goals,2 penalties) win
in the Singer Shield under 20 Division One Segment rugby
tournament game at Bogambara Stadium in Kandy yesterday. At lemons
Rajans were in the box seat leading 17-8.
This is one game
that the Rajans would like to forget as they were leading 20-8
early in the second half. But was it complacency or failing to
consolidate which led to their downfall.
Had the Rajans
triumphed it would have been one of the biggest upsets this season
as the Thomians came up with the reputation of having beaten St.
Anthony’s and St. Peter’s while the Rajans suffered a humiliating
0-56 loss at the hands of St. Peter’s.
The Thomians took an
early lead when sscum half Manjith Thammanagama fired over a 35
metre penalty.
Rajans wrested the
lead in the 18th muinute through a fine try by Dharshana Ettipola
who ran 30 metres to touch down mid right. Full back Indika
Wickremanayake added the extra points. Rajans took the lead at
7-3.
It was the Thomians
turn to regain the lead through a push over try by prop Rajendra
Gunasekera which was not converted.
The game see-sawed
again when the Rajans took over the lead through a penalty put
over by Indika Wickremanayake. Rajans led 10-8 at this stage.
In the 33rd minute
Rajans winger Malinga Godigamuwa intercepted a pass and made a
blazing 40 metre run to score under the posts. Indika
Wickremanayake added the extra points and Rajans led 17-8 at the
break.
In the 1oth minute
Rajans forged further ahead through a 35 metre penalty fired over
by Indika Wickremanayake. Rajans led 20-8.
Rajans lost the grip
from this stage onwards and allowed the Thomians to get on top.
Thomians skipper and
No. 8 Rohitha Rajapaksa led a ferocious forwards attack which
ended with Rajapaksa himself going over for a try far left Scrum
half Manjith Thammanagama made a peach of a conversion to close
the game at 15-20.
In the 25th minute
some indecisive play by the Rajans saw the Thomian three-quarters
move the ball and winger Heshan Gunaratne scored by the left
corner flag, Manjith Thammanagama added the extra points with a
brilliant kick to give them victory.
Mr. Priyantha
Gunaratne refereed.
