S. Thomas' College Vs Trinity College - 2009 (STC - 26 : TC - 17)
played on
Saturday, the 15th May 2009 at Big Club Grounds, STC ML.
RUGBY: S. Thomas’
College Mt. Lavinia continued with their splendid rise from the
dead, following the season’s opening loss to Royal, with a handsome
26-17 win over Trinity College, Kandy in an exciting President’s
Schools League inter-school rugby match at Mount Lavinia, last
evening.
The Thomians who led
the game twice at different stages, saw Trinity tieing the scores
once and then taking the lead before their overall dominance of the
forward pack helped to stave off a late charge from the visitors.
The winners collected their points from three converted tries and a
try to which the losers replied with a converted try and two tries,
but the former could have swelled their total but for poor
ball-handling in the first-half.
The home side drew
first blood as early as the third minute when prop S David managed
to sneak through on the blind side from a short tap but left-wing
Arjun Monoharan’s conversion was awry for them to lead 5-0.
The Thomian pack
continued to dominate the set-pieces and in the 29th minute
left-wing Manoharan showed a clean pair of heels to the opposition
after a period of sustained pressure on the Trinity try line to
cross over and his own conversion saw them taking a 12-0 lead.
Undaunted by this score, the ‘Lions’ penetrated the S. Thomas’
defence in the 35th minute when right-wing Kennon Armstrong in a
display of individual brilliance swatted aside four defenders to go
under the posts and with his conversion the scores still read 12-7
in favour of the hosts.
Following the turn
around., with the second half only six minutes old, Trinity
left-wing Akila Dissanayake added the finishing touches to a fluent
three-quarter move with the fluffed conversion, the scores were
levelled at 12-all. Trinity pumped up at this stage breached the
Thomian defence in the 51st minute when outside centre L. U. P.
Samarasekera had a touchdown but again the failed conversion allowed
them to lead 17-12. From then on the Thomians took control of the
game to score two well executed tries in the 55th and 65th minutes
which really put the game beyond the reach of the ‘Lions’.
The first try in the
second-half for the Thomians was scored by strongly built number
eight R. Gunasekera who made a brilliant mid-field break and covered
over 30 metres to score unchallenged. The second was grabbed by
prolific lock forward Janith Jayasuriya and with Arjun Manoharan’s
conversion who overall contributed 11 points) a converted try and
two conversions). S. Thomas’ College regained the coveted Canon R.
S. de Saram Shield.
Trinity grounded
By Rangi Akbar -
http://www.sundaytimes.lk/090517/Sports/sp200.html
Yes, the Thomian grit
did prevail at Mt. Lavania yesterday. The Thomians took back the
custody of the coveted Canon R.S. de Saram Shield by beating Trinity
by 26 points (3 goals and a try) to 17 points (a goal and a try) in
a ding-dong battle.
At half time the winners led at 12 points to 7.
It was fast and furious rugby from the first whistle with the
Thomians calling the tune. The Thomians fury paid off only in the
third minute of the game when prop forward S. David broke the
Trinity defence and scored off an unconverted pushover try.The
Thomian good work paid off once again in the 29th minute when their
left winger Arjun Manoharan proved his talent by outrunning his
defence to score. He obliged himself by adding the extra points too
to go 12 up.
Not to be outdone Trinity centre Kenon Armstrong proved what he was
made of when he side stepped his way through to post a try under the
posts to reduce the lead to 7-12 by lemons. In tit-for-tat to
Manoharan it was Armstrong who converted the try for Trinity.
Trinity spurred by their last minute try in the first half scored
once again, this time through winger Akila Dissanayake in the 6th
minute. They once again broke the Thomian defence in the 11th minute
through centre L.U.P. Samerasekera, to take the lead, but both those
tries went unconverted. Trinity led at 17-12.
Then the Thomian machine began to work again. This time went over
through No 8 Rajindra Gunasekera while Manoharan added the extra
points. S. Thomas’ wrested the initiative at 19-17.
In the 25th minute STC scored once again through second row forward
Janik Jayasuriya to which Manoharan added two extra points and the
Thomian score read a healthy 26 points to the 17 scored by Trinity.
There after in spite of immense pressure built by the lads from
Kandy, the Thomian grit prevailed to hold on with that same score
line.
Referee: Dilroy Fernando
Other matches at a
glance:
Royal 30 St. Peter’s 10
Isipatana 38 Mahanama 19
Kingswood 55 Dharmaraja 3
Army 34 Havelocks 0
Under u17 game ended
in a 5 all draw.
