The vibe around Havelock Park was electric. Both teams were hungry for a win, and Science College were the first to get on the scoreboard. With just two minutes on the clock, the Science College skipper slotted over a penalty from right in front of the sticks to give Science an early lead. (DS Senanayake College 00 – 03 Science College)
DS had possession for most of the next 15 minutes. They looked threatening but fell short due to a string of unforced errors. Eventually, DS broke the deadlock and scored through a maul. Praveen Lakmal, who had made the switch from hooker to No. 8, powered over the line. Buddhitha Rusiru converted successfully, giving DS the lead for the first time in the game.
(DS Senanayake College 07 – 03 Science College)
It didn’t take long for Praveen Lakmal to go over once again. The DS forwards looked menacing, and a solid pick-and-go from Lakmal saw him cross the whitewash. The conversion attempt was off target, but DS extended their lead.
(DS Senanayake College 12 – 03 Science College)
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Science launched an attacking wave, and DS were forced to defend their lines under pressure. However, two dangerous tackles led to penalties and saw DS reduced to 13 men.
With a two-man advantage, Science capitalized quickly. Their captain, Dilruwan Perera, scored their first try after some excellent forward play drew in the defense and created space out wide. Perera missed the conversion.
(DS Senanayake College 12 – 08 Science College)
It was only a matter of time before Science exploited their numerical superiority again. Some slick passing and a brilliant offload sent Akila Rajapaksha, the winger, over for their second try. Dilruwan Perera added the extras.
A late first-half surge from Science saw them go into the break with a narrow lead. DS needed to address their discipline.
Half-Time: DS Senanayake College 12 (2T, 1C) – Science College 15 (2T, 1C, 1P)
DS Senanayake were off the blocks first in the second half. Despite still being a man down, Science paid the price for a costly error. Yerash Bumuddaka capitalized and got the scoreboard ticking for DS. Buddhitha Rusiru slotted over the conversion to regain the lead.
(DS Senanayake College 19 – 15 Science College)
DS continued to build momentum. They scored their bonus-point try after a string of pick-and-go phases, with Methila Peiris the man to dot down. Rusiru missed the conversion.
(DS Senanayake College 24 – 15 Science College)
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The floodgates had opened. Soon after, fly-half Chamith Samarasinghe added his name to the scoresheet with a try. Rusiru’s boot, however, failed him once more.
(DS Senanayake College 29 – 15 Science College)
Science still hadn’t scored in the second half, and DS kept the pressure on. What followed was arguably the try of the game—a perfectly placed cross-kick from Rasindu Bandara found winger Buddhitha Rusiru, who collected cleanly and dived over to score. Rusiru converted his own try to stretch the lead even further.
(DS Senanayake College 36 – 15 Science College)
Science needed to respond—and they did. After a promising passage of play, No. 8 Devmitha Silva crashed over for a try. Dilruwan Perera added the extras to close the gap.
(DS Senanayake College 36 – 22 Science College)
With the clock in the red, Science needed one more converted try to secure a losing bonus point. It was their captain, Dilruwan Perera, who stepped up and found a gap in the DS defense to score. He converted as well, ensuring a respectable finish.
(DS Senanayake College 36 – 29 Science College)
Science College were impressive, but not quite good enough to overcome this determined DS side. DS held their nerve until the very end, and though Science’s late surge showed their resilience, it came just a tad too late.
Full Time – D.S Senanayake College 36 (6T, 3C) beat Science College 29 (4T, 3C, 1P)
Swisstek Perfect Player of the Match – Rasindu Bandara (DSSC)
Points Breakdown
DS Senanayake College
Praveen Lakmal 2T
Yerash Bumuddaka 1T
Methila Peiris 1T
Chamith Samarasinghe 1T
Buddhitha Rusiru 1T 3C
Science College
Dilruwan Perera 2T 3C 1P
Devmitha Silva 1T
Akila Rajapaksha 1T
