In a breathtaking Knockout Final that kept fans on the absolute edge of their seats, Lumbini College staged a remarkable second-half comeback to dethrone Dharmaraja College 17-10 and claim the Premier Trophy. Played at the Royal Sports Complex in front of a deafening, packed crowd that made their presence felt with roaring noise, the Colombo lads overturned a Half Time deficit to etch their names in School Rugby folklore by shattering the hearts of the hill capital.
Dharmaraja started the proceedings with a deep kickoff by putting Colombo lads under pressure, but Lumbini replied immediately with a fine clearance kick. Lumbini were the first to settle into a rhythm, earning a penalty that put them deep in the red zone. From a five-meter lineout, the Rajans were caught offside, handing the initiative right back to Lumbini. Taking matters into his own hands, Lumbini’s gigantic No. 8, Thisun Perera, took a quick tap and barged his way toward the try line. Despite a massive effort from the Rajan defenders to stop the charge, Perera got the better of the tacklers to plant the first try of the game. Fly-half Sahan Prabuddha nailed a magnificent conversion to give Lumbini an early lead. (LC 07 – 00 DC)
However, the Rajans struck back without wasting any time. Marching into the Lumbini half, they capitalised on a silly high-tackle offense from the Colombo side. Then Rajans earned a five-meter lineout by kicking at touch. Then Dharmaraja attacked in typical, relentless fashion with a driving maul. After initially looking like the Lumbini forwards had held firm, the Rajans regrouped and launched a powerful drive that yielded no answers for the defense. Suddenly Shashika Senarathne got away from behind and went over the whitewash to score, making a strong statement. Unfortunately for the Rajans, the place kicker’s effort cannoned off the left upright bar and stayed out. (LC 07 – 05 DC)
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The intense back-and-forth continued as Dharmaraja launched another wave of attack, resulting in Lumbini fly-half Prabuddha being sin-binned by Referee Nipuna Amarathunga for a neck tackle. Surprisingly, from a penalty right in front of the goal posts, Dharmaraja opted for a touch kick. The kick fortuitously landed inside the field of play, and Lumbini winger made a mess of gathering the ball, handing the Rajans a five-meter scrum. Lumbini collapsed the initial maul attempt, but the second time around, the Rajans were successful as Kanishka Kumarasinghe powered over the try line to give Dharmaraja the lead (DC 10 – 07 LC).
Referee Amarathunga soon balanced the numbers by showing a yellow card to Dharmaraja’s Sanuka, mirroring the Lumbini man in the naughty chair (Both fly-halves). Down to 14 men, Lumbini attacked with a lot of heart but couldn’t crack the unshaken Rajan defense. A glimmer of hope came for Lumbini in the final minute of the first half via a 40-meter penalty, but the kicking jinx struck again as the ball hit the upright and bounced out.
At lemons, Dharmaraja enjoyed a slender lead of three points with much work to be done before carrying the glory right into the hill capital.
Half Time: Lumbini College 07 (1T, 1C) – 10 (2T) Dharmaraja College
The second half began with a cruel continuation of Lumbini’s penalty woes. After Dharmaraja were penalized for a scrum offense, the ensuing penalty kick once again smacked the upright and went wide. However, the spirited effort of the lads from Lumbini was soon rewarded. Securing a scrum inside their own half, the Lumbini forwards laid a solid platform. Showing immense intelligence, the Lumbini boys spotted a gap on the blind side. Winger Sachintha Induwara exploited the space beautifully, using a nice side-step before unleashing a blistering run. To avoid the last defender, he executed a flawless chip and chase, re-gathering the ball to plant a magnificent solo try, swinging the score in Lumbini’s favor. (LC 12 – 10 DC)
Just after the restart, the game’s complexion changed drastically. Dharmaraja flanker Gayan was sin-binned for a high tackle, and things went from bad to worse for the Kandy lads when they were reduced to 13 men following a yellow card for obstructing the Lumbini kicker. This point was a critical juncture of the game as the Rajans began to lose their way.
Even when Lumbini briefly went down to 14 men themselves following a yellow card, they refused to take their foot off the gas. Attacking deep into Rajan territory, they earned a scrum. Though Dharmaraja did well to regain possession, they were instantly penalised for not releasing the ball. The colossal Thisun Perera once again took center stage, taking a quick tap. Defeating the tiring Rajan defense with his sheer, immense power, the young lad bulldozed his way to the left corner to score what proved to be the decisive try. (LC 17 – 10 DC)
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In a chaotic and tense finale at the brink of Full Time, Lumbini were reduced to 13 men when their No. 4 was sin-binned for failing to retreat 10 meters after a penalty for collapsing a maul. The penalty was awarded inside the Lumbini 22-meter mark. To make full use of the two-man advantage, Dharmaraja opted for a tap-and-go against the classic line-out and rolling maul move. However, in a moment of sheer folly or selfishness, the Rajan fly-half cut back inside instead of utilising the clear overlap on the outside. He was brilliantly held up by desperate Lumbini tacklers, and the ball was held-up, never emerging.
With that, the Referee blew the Full Time whistle, leaving the Rajans with only themselves to blame for handing the Premier Trophy to Lumbini on a platter.
With this remarkable comeback victory, Lumbini College once again proved their utmost talent and justified their promotion to the elite level of School Rugby. Through sheer heart, tactical intelligence, and undeniable skill, Lumbini has sent a resounding message to their rivals: they are no longer the underdogs, but a force to be reckoned with.
Full Time: Lumbini College 17 (3T, 1C) – 10 (2T) Dharmaraja College
Swisstek Perfect Player of the Match – Sachintha Induwara (Lumbini College)
Points Breakdown
Lumbini College, Colombo – 17
Thisun Perera 2T, Sachintha Induwara 1T, Sahan Prabuddha 1C
Dharmaraja College, Kandy – 10
Shashika Senarathne 1T, Kanishka Kumarasinghe 1T,
