Kingswood College capitalised on their opportunities and produced a strong second-half display to defeat Mahanama College 29-12 in their Dialog Schools Rugby League 2026 Bowl Segment encounter held at the Ananda College Rugby Grounds in Rajagiriya.
Played in difficult, muddy conditions, both sides took time to settle into the contest, with handling errors and a physical forward battle dominating the early exchanges.The visitors struck first when they were awarded a penalty for an offside infringement, and Shamith Shafraz made no mistake with the kick to give Kingswood College an early lead.(MC 00-03 KCK)
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Mahanama College responded strongly. Scrum-half Kalhara Dias ignited an attack with a clever chip kick over the defensive line and was subsequently taken out late by a Kingswood defender, earning his side a penalty inside the 22. Sensing an opportunity, Dias took a quick tap and moved the ball swiftly to Mandilu Hapuhinna, who powered through a couple of defenders to score the hosts’ opening try. (MC 05-03 KCK)
With momentum firmly on their side, Mahanama continued to exploit the conditions. A booming territorial kick from Sithum Rathnayake turned the Kingswood defence around, and winger Avishka Rathnayaka chased brilliantly before nudging the ball ahead. Quick support play followed, allowing Kalhara Dias to gather possession and cross the line for Mahanama’s second try. Rathnayake added the conversion to extend the lead. (MC 12-03 KCK)
Kingswood fought their way back into the contest on the stroke of halftime. The forwards patiently worked through multiple phases, gaining valuable metres before skipper Sachintha Naweesha hit a superb running angle to pierce the defence and score. Shafraz converted the try to leave the visitors trailing by just two points at the break.
Half Time: Mahanama College 12 (2T,1C) – Kingswood College 10 (1T,1C,1P)
Mahanama dominated both territory and possession after the break and created numerous scoring opportunities, but a combination of handling errors and poor execution prevented them from adding to their tally. The hosts spilled the ball on several promising attacks, allowing Kingswood to remain within striking distance.
The visitors eventually made their pressure count. Adopting a patient, forward-oriented approach, Kingswood worked through a series of pick-and-drive phases, keeping possession tight around the fringes. With Mahanama repeatedly infringing close to their own line, the referee finally lost patience and awarded a penalty try after another infringement stopped a likely score, handing Kingswood the lead. (MC 12-17 KCK)
Mahanama continued to push forward in search of a response but were again let down by handling mistakes at crucial moments. Kingswood capitalised on one such turnover by launching a swift counterattack. Skipper Sachintha Naweesha led the charge with a powerful run from inside his own 22 to beyond the 40-metre line before the visitors shifted the ball wide to exploit a fractured defensive line. No. 8 Menusha Marasinghe finished the move in the corner, with Shamith Shafraz adding the conversion. (MC 12-24 KCK)
With victory secured, Kingswood chased the bonus-point try in the closing moments. On the final play of the match, they opted for a scrum from a penalty. Clean ball from the base allowed playmaker Dineth Ranaweera to release Naweesha, who burst through the defensive line to score his second try of the afternoon and seal maximum points for the visitors.
Full Time: Mahanama College 12 (2T,1C) – Kingswood College 29 (4T,3C,1P)
Swisstek Player of the Match: Sachintha Naweesha (Zahira College)
Points Breakdown
Mahanama College 12
Mandilu Hapuhinna 1T, Kalhara Dias 1T, Sithum Rathnayake 1C
Kingswood College 29
Sachintha Naweesha 2T, Menusha Marasinghe 1T, Shamith Shafraz 2C, 1P , Penalty Try
