Another important fixture of the Bowl Segment of the Dialog Schools Rugby League 2025 took place at the Nittawela Rugby Fortress under the usual gloomy Kandy skies. Although St. Anthony’s College had already secured the Bowl trophy with a game to spare, the excitement of the contest never diminished. In the end, the only unbeaten team of the Bowl Segment, St. Anthony’s, saw their perfect record tarnished by a clinical performance from Mahanama.
From the start, Mahanama looked for early points. They worked their way into a strong attacking position and made good ground with a well-executed maul. After reaching the 5-metre line, they sent the ball wide, and after a couple of phases, outside centre Isuru Akash made a show-and-go break to score the first try. Fly-half Sithum Rathnayake made no mistake with the conversion. (MC 07–00 SAC)
The Antonians attacked from the restart and entered the Mahanama 22-metre area, aided by a couple of penalties conceded by the visitors. The hosts tried their best to penetrate the defensive line, but Mahanama’s defence was rock solid. After spending nearly five minutes in the red zone, St. Anthony’s finally drew first blood through a well-worked move, with Randeer Perera crossing for the try. (MC 07–05 SAC)
Mahanama then advanced deep into the Antonian half, inching closer to the try line. The defence of the Antonian Eagles was caught offside, and during the penalty advantage play, Mahanama crossed the whitewash but failed to ground the ball. They opted for a penalty kick to extend the lead but, surprisingly, missed from right in front of the posts.
Soon after, Mahanama kicked for touch from a penalty and followed it up with another well-executed maul. Hansaka Shakya peeled off and planted their second try. (MC 12–05 SAC)
On the brink of halftime, Mahanama earned a lineout throw inside St. Anthony’s 22. A maul was formed, and the referee played advantage for collapsing it. After a single pass, centre Isuru Akash sliced through a gap in the defence to score his second try, leaving the Antonian players as mere spectators. Sithum added the extras, and the halftime whistle followed.
Halftime: Mahanama College 19 (3T, 2C) – St. Anthony’s College 05 (1T)
In the second half, Mahanama picked up where they left off, maintaining their momentum. They earned a penalty as St. Anthony’s were penalised for not rolling away in a tackle. After a series of pick-and-drives, the ball went wide, and last week’s hero, Nihindu Damsuka, broke through to score. Sithum again converted. (MC 26–05 SAC)
St. Anthony’s then overpowered Mahanama at a ruck near halfway and kicked for touch to enter the 22. They formed a maul, made good metres, but Mahanama brought it down. Switching to their three-quarters paid off as winger Yohan Gunawardhane scored in the right corner. (MC 26–10 SAC)
The Antonians kept the pressure on, forcing Mahanama into mistakes. Tharusha Deshan was sin-binned for repeated infringements, including offside. With the extra man, St. Anthony’s won a 5-metre lineout and launched sustained attacks, but a handling error squandered the opportunity.
From a scrum inside their own 22, Mahanama cleared, but a late tackle on the kicker handed them a penalty. Taking a quick tap, fly-half Sithum Rathnayake ran from his own half, slicing through the Antonian defence to score under the posts. He converted his own try. (MC 33–10 SAC)
Shortly after, Sithum himself was yellow-carded for offside. Using the advantage, St. Anthony’s attacked again, with centre Randheer breaking the line. At the breakdown, fly-half Deshan Liyanage exploited the blind side to score their third try. (MC 33–15 SAC)
In the final minute, Mahanama earned a 5-metre scrum after a series of handling errors from the hosts. They pushed forward, switched the ball to their backs, and centre Nihindu Damsuka crossed for his second try. Sithum converted to seal the game. (MC 40–15 SAC)
Despite their effort to disrupt Mahanama’s progress, St. Anthony’s discipline faltered, giving away numerous penalties that proved pivotal in Mahanama’s victory. While the visitors’ spirited performance should not be overlooked, the Antonian Eagles ended their league campaign as Bowl Champions—albeit with a heartbreaking defeat to Mahanama.
Full time: Mahanama College 40 ( 6 T, 5 C) – St. Anthony’s College 15 (3 T)
- Swisstek Perfect Player of the Match: ( Isuru Akash – Mahanama College)
Points Breakdown
Mahanama College, Colombo – 40
Isuru Akash 2 T, Nihindu Damsuka 2 T, Hansaka Shakya 1 T, Sithum Rathnayake 1 T, 5 C
St. Anthony’s College, Katugasthota – 15
Randeer Perera 1 T, Yohan Gunawardhane 1 T, Deshan Liyanage 1 T
The Match Referee – Nipuna Amarathunga
