St. Benedict’s College delivered a commanding performance to comfortably overcome Prince of Wales’ College 19-10 in their semi-final clash of the Dialog Schools Rugby Knockouts 2025 Premier Trophy, played at Sugathadasa Stadium.
After a commanding quarterfinal win, Prince of Wales College faced off against St. Benedict’s College — who came through a nail-biting finish in their previous outing — with both sides eyeing a coveted spot in next week’s final.
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It was the boys from Moratuwa who struck first. Off a lineout near the 10-meter mark, they set up a powerful rolling maul, followed by a series of solid carries, before hooker Suren Minsara snuck through the Benedict’s defense to dot down for the opening try.
Despite conceding early, St. Benedict’s dominated possession and territory for much of the half, repeatedly threatening the try line but failing to finish. Prince of Wales struggled with discipline, conceding multiple penalties and losing scrum-half Naveen Sathsara to the sin bin for a cynical infringement in the red zone. Shortly after, winger Suhel Rohana was also shown yellow for foul play, but the Bens couldn’t capitalize on the two-man advantage.
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However, in the dying moments of the first half, St. Benedict’s finally broke through. From a 5-meter centre-field scrum, they launched an attack with a few close-range pick-and-drives before No. 8 Nirosh Fernando bulldozed his way over the line. Revon Fernando added the easy conversion, giving St. Benedict’s a narrow lead heading into halftime.
Half Time: St. Benedict’s College 07 (1T,1C) – Prince of Wales’ College 05 (1T)
St. Benedict’s picked up right where they left off after the break, earning back-to-back penalties that brought them deep into Cambrian territory. From the resulting lineout, they set up another rolling maul that rumbled toward the try line, with tight head prop Matheesha Perera peeling off from the back to crash over for their second try.
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Things went from bad to worse for Prince of Wales College, who struggled with unforced errors. Their discipline faltered again as tight head prop Sithija Ramesh was sent to the sin bin for foul play. Moments later, they were penalized for dissent, gifting the Bens another attacking opportunity. Kicking to touch, the Kotahena side shifted gears — this time unleashing their backline with a slick series of passes that found winger Dinuka Amarasingha, who outpaced the Cambrian defense and fullback Gajaba Samarasekara to score a brilliant try under the posts. Revon Fernando added the extras with ease.
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The boys from Moratuwa finally responded, showing glimpses of attacking flair. Their forwards mounted pressure through sustained pick-and-drive phases before fullback Gajaba Samarasekara charged through a gap and powered over the line for their second try of the match. However, it proved too little too late, as St. Benedict’s held firm in the closing stages to seal their place in next week’s final against Ananda College.
Full Time: St. Benedict’s College 19 (3T,2C) – Prince of Wales’ College 10 (2T)
- Swisstek Player of the Match: Thenuka Samarakoon (St. Benedict’s College)
Points Breakdown
St. Benedict’s College 19
Nirosh Fernando 1T, Dinuka Amarasingha 1T, Matheesha Perera 1T, Revon Fernando 2C
Prince of Wales’ College 10
Suren Minsara 1T, Gajaba Samarasekara 1T
