The bowl segment of the Dialog Schools’ Rugby League 2026 kicked off with DS Senanayake the favourites over the underdogs, Prince of Wales College, who had a strong point to prove in terms of the mettle they carry. In gloomy conditions, DS Senanayake College stayed dominant over the Cambrians for majority of the match. The heavens opened up and so did the Prince of Wales outfit late in the game but didn’t prove enough as the Donz overcame a defiant Prince of Wales College.
Both the sides found rough patches in their form, after kickoff, during the initial moments of play. After 5 minutes of finding their feet from both the teams, it was Prince of Wales who managed to get their name on the scoreboard first by making sure Suren Nimsara touched down on the back of a rolling maul for the hosts. Not only did they surprise everyone by scoring first but they also managed to convert with Abeykoon vested with kicking duties.(POW 07 – 00 DS)
DS didn’t take long to strike back with the captain Thatheera Perera finding his groove with his strong array of kicks. It was Inod Thamel who touched down in the hosts’ territory after having gained acres off the real estate through some smart bit of rugby including the strong kicks into the depths of the Cambrian 22. Buddhitha Rusiru was unable to convert as the match turned into a 2 point game in the first 15 minutes of the match.(POW 07 – 05 DS)
Thatheera Perera’s maestro kicks did the damage once again as he gained great territory in the foreign half and his teammates through some smart Rugby handled the rest, with a dummy pass by Sanu Perera and with not even 5 minutes since their first try, Buddhitha Rusiru touched down brilliantly to a short kick he had made on the ball for their second Amana bank try. He wasn’t able to convert, however, the lead was with the visitors.(POW 07 – 10 DS)
From there on in for the remainder of the first half, the hosts had camped themselves firmly in the DS 22, ensuring they test every ounce and bit of defensive tactics the visitors possess. Even though the majority of the next 20 minutes was advantageous for the hosts, they were unable to make any inroads with the score as the Donz defenders were up for the task and defended with all their heart to prevent the hosts from getting over that whitewash.
Halftime – Prince of Wales College 07 (1T, 1C) – 10 (2T) DS Senanayake College
The restart saw a change in momentum for the visitors. It was as if they had shaken off the rust in the first half and had come with all guns blazing. Mere minutes had passed when DS had already won possession of the ball after a lineout in the hosts’ 22. Thatheera Perera showcased his prowess with an ever precise cross-kick right across and over the field, into the hands of Kaushal Priyalal the number 14 jersey bearer, who ran into dive down for the try of the match. The fullback made no mistake this time around as he, Buddhitha converted to put DS with a 10 point lead.(POW 07 – 17 DS)
With rolling mauls galore at the Air Force grounds it was on the back of one that the visitors capitalized once again. With the hosts’s defense constantly on the test, pressure was to give with smart play in progress as an inside pass from the captain to Budditha Rusiru saw him run through the Cambrian defense and touch down for his second Amana Bank try of the match. He still wasn’t at his fluent best with the conversions as he failed to convert and cement their grip on this match.(POW 07 – 22 DS)
With the game clock striking 50 minutes of play, the heavens opened up in an already gloomy Ratmalana. Strong winds and rain saw no stoppage of play as the two teams continued to battle on.
Buddhitha rusiru saw his third try of the match on the back of another rolling maul amidst the strong tides from both the weather gods and the Cambrian defense. With the fullback touching down, the visitors gained a commanding lead over the hosts.( POW 07 – 27 DS)
With 10 minutes to go and the ground in disasterous condition, something had to give for the Princes. A scrum in the DS half had the hosts, licking their lips, especially the captain, Sithija Ramesh who managed to touch down for the hosts’ second try of the match, which was instrumental vastly in terms of a possible comeback for the hosts. Abeykoon and his fine kicking, amidst the conditions was a treat to watch as his kick was spot on, with them converting for the second time.(POW 14 – 27 DS)
With the rain and wind taking out the live stream and cameras, POW continued to be aggressive on their part of the end. They used the conditions brilliantly to fox the visitors and stayed true to their strategies of attack. They scored once more, to touch down for their 3rd Amana bank try and Abeykoon handled the rest with one final conversion to cap it off.
That was all play permitted at the Air force grounds as the Donz survived a rampant Cambrian outfit with attack after attack unleashed in a late flurry against the visitors. However DS Senanayake College came out victorious as the final whistle blew in taking initial honours in the second round of the Dialog Schools’ Rugby league 2026 with their eyes well and truly set on the silverware.
Fulltime – Prince of Wales College 21 ( 3T, 3C) – 27 ( 5T, 1C) DS Senanayake College
- Swisstek Perfect Player of the Match – Buddhitha Rusiru ( DS Senanayake College)
Points breakdown
Prince of Wales College – 21
Suren Nimsara (1T), Sithija Ramesh (1T), Raveesha Abeykoon (3C), N/A (1T)
DS Senanayake College – 27
Buddhitha Rusiru (3T, 1C), Inod Thamel (1T), Kaushal Priyalal (1T)
Match Referee – Tharindu Perera
