St. Joseph’s College made a winning start to their Plate Segment campaign with a comprehensive 29-15 victory over S. Thomas’ College in the second round of the Dialog Schools Rugby League 2026, retaining the Lady Jayathilake Memorial Shield after a disciplined all-round performance at Longden Place.
The second round of the Dialog Schools Rugby League 2026 got underway with a crucial Plate Segment clash between St. Joseph’s College and S. Thomas’ College, with both sides eager to make a winning start to the competition’s second phase.
- Joes thump the Cambrians to end first round with a big win.
- Unbeaten Trinity and Peterites lead the way into Super Round
- Spirited second-half surge of S. Thomas’ not enough to down spirited Royal Brigade
- The Race for Silverware Begins: Schools Rugby Super Round Ready for Kick-Off
The hosts drew first blood after putting together several phases of attack. Centre Dion Fernando found space in midfield before flanker Riane Jayawardana injected pace into the move. His quick footwork and sharp stepping left three defenders beaten as he crossed for the opening try, with Bryan Fernando adding the conversion. (SJC 07-00 STC)
The Thomians responded strongly. A disciplined defensive effort earned them a penalty, and a further infringement for failing to retreat 10 metres gave them excellent field position. From the resulting lineout, the forwards drove a powerful rolling maul over the line, allowing hooker Amaan Imran to dot down. (SJC 07-05 STC)
St. Joseph’s hit back almost immediately. A turnover at the breakdown inside the Thomian red zone created an attacking opportunity, and after quick hands through the backline, Shaveen De Soysa sold a perfect dummy to slice through the defence and score. (SJC 12-05 STC)
The Josephians continued to build pressure as repeated penalties pushed them deep into Thomian territory. Although the rolling maul was stopped, Jayawardana once again proved influential, weaving his way close to the line before skipper Inosh Silva took advantage of the quick ball, stepping past a defender and powering over. Adriyano Candappa added the extras to extend the lead. (SJC 19-05 STC)
However, the visitors stayed firmly in the contest. Following a poor restart exit from the hosts, the Thomians launched an attack from halfway. Playmaker Mayanka Dias exploited gaps in the defensive line before combining brilliantly with Zaydaan Akbar to bring play within metres of the try line. After several strong carries from the forwards, Vishva Akash crashed over for the visitors’ second try, with Dias converting. (SJC 19-12 STC)
On the stroke of halftime, the Thomians earned a breakdown penalty, and Dias calmly slotted over the kick to reduce the deficit to just four points heading into the break.
Half Time: St. Joseph’s College 19 (3T, 2C) – S. Thomas’ College 15 (2T, 1C, 1P)
Both sides tightened up defensively after the break, resulting in a fiercely contested second half in which neither team managed to trouble the scorers for the opening 22 minutes.
The deadlock was finally broken through a brilliant counter-attacking move from St. Joseph’s College. Adriyano Candappa sparked the attack with a powerful break through the defensive line and was well supported by Dion Fernando. The move gathered further momentum when Shaveen De Soysa found space out wide before the forwards arrived in support to finish off the attack. Loosehead prop Sathira Gunathilaka eventually crashed over for the crucial bonus-point try, with Candappa adding the conversion. (SJC 26-15 STC)
The Josephians put the result beyond doubt in the closing stages when Candappa slotted over a penalty to seal the opening victory of their Plate Segment campaign and ensure that St. Joseph’s retained the Lady Jayathilake Memorial Shield.
Full Time: St. Joseph’s College 29 (4T,3C,1P) – S. Thomas’ College 15 (2T,1C,1P)
Swisstek Player of the Match: Adriyano Candappa (St. Joseph’s College)
Points Breakdown
St.Joseph’s College 29
Riane Jayawardana 1T, Inosh Silva 1T, Shaveen De Soysa1T, Sathira Gunathilake 1T, Bryan Fernando 1C, Adriyano Candappa 2C,1P
S. Thomas’ College 15
Amaan Imran 1T, Vishva Akash 1T, Mayanka Dias 1C,1P
