Danuja Peiris try with the last play of the match saw the rejuvenated Thomians end the season on a high while handing Kingswood the last place in the Cup championship with a 22 (4T 1C) – 21 (2T 1C 3P)
After another miserable start to the season S.Thomas’ College had turned a corner in the last three weeks to showcase the Thomian Grit; narrowly edged out by St.Joseph’s and running over Kevin Dixon’s side to rest back the Archibald Perera Trophy from St.Peter’s.
Contrastingly Kingswood College has lost all three of their Cup championship matches, lately a 37-22 loss to Science College at Mount Lavinia and was desperate to conclude the season on a high and avoid the wooden spoon.
Kingswood got off to a perfect start with Reeza Raffaideen hunting for the ‘Top Points Scorer’ this season put over a 22 yard penalty with ease. There on in the hosts quickly regrouped and started to work with the forwards and were camped inside the Kingswood half. In the 12th minute captain Hashith Senanayake powered over from close range after V.T.Perera took a quick tap; Senal De Silva put over the conversion. (07-03)
Straight from the restart the Randles Hill boys earned another penalty and Raffaideen calmly slotted it through the posts, this time from 30 metres out. (07-06). Mid-way through the first half Kingswood’s Hirantha Manamendra was shown the yellow card near the try line and Kasun Jayasuriya went over the whitewash from another quick tap – Senal missed the extras. (12-06)
The Thomians went on to dominate the next passage of play through their heavier forwards, inching closer to the try line. A 5 metre line-out was always going to be hard for Kingswood to defend as Saabir Cader scored easily as the rolling maul went over near the corner. Senal again missed the conversion from a difficult angle. (17-06)
Close to halftime Kingswood patiently build phases and were rewarded with a try on the corner by returning Hirantha Manamendra only to see Raffaideen’s conversion missing the target. (17-11). S.Thomas’ again came close as the 5 metre line but an over thrown line out thwarted the danger while Kingswood went into halftime with a man down as N21 was shown the yellow.
Even with 14 men on the park the visitors started on the ascendency after lemons with Raffaideen putting over another giant 40 metre penalty to cut the deficit to three. (17-14)
With just seven minutes in the boys from Randles Hill took the lead through Manamendra who made amends for his yellow card early in the game. Kingswood from a lineout on the halfway spread it to midfield where Wellangiriya broke through the Thomian midfield and offloading under tackle to Manamendra to finish off. Raffaideen extended the lead to four points. (17-21)
There on in Kingswood had the opportunity to take the game away from S.Thomas’ but Raffaideen missed a 40 metre penalty and an easy 25 metre penalty from in front of the posts much to the dismay of the travelling fans.
Kingswood’s second half dominance withered towards the end as the Thomian forwards once again took charge hammering at an already battered defense. They came close to the 5 metre mark twice but on both the occasions gave away possession.
However the Thomians started another assault stealing a lineout and phase by phase inched closer. Just metres out replacement scrum half Dion Dias passed to Danuja Peiris, who had come on just seconds before to dive over. Ishaaq Jurampathy missed the difficult conversion but the Thomians managed to pip St.Peter’s College for sixth place in the table with the win. (22-21)
Points Scorers
S.Thomas’
Tries – Hashith Senanayake, Saabir Cader, Danuja Peiris, Kasun Jayasuriya
Con – Senal De Silva
Kingswood
Tries – Hirantha Manamendra (2)
Con – Reeza Raffaideen (1)
Penalties – Reeza Raffaideen (3)
