Sri Lanka Fall Short as New Zealand Strike Late

New Zealand Under 85kg team vs Sri Lanka

25/04/2026

A spirited and improved showing from Sri Lankan Tuskers fell just short as the touring New Zealand Under 85kg rugby outfit as they claimed a hard-fought 27–16 victory in the first leg of the series played at Racecourse Stadium.

The historic two-legged series between Sri Lanka national rugby union team and the touring New Zealand Under 85kg rugby team got underway for the second consecutive year under lights, with the visitors holding their nerve to secure a hard-fought win in the opening encounter.

New Zealand struck first, capitalizing on early pressure at the breakdown as Sri Lanka were penalized for holding on. Taine Cordell-Hull stepped up and calmly slotted the penalty to give the visitors the early advantage. (SL 00-03 NZU85)

The Tuskers responded well, making use of a New Zealand knock-on to gain a strong attacking platform. From the resulting scrum, the Sri Lankan pack asserted dominance through a series of controlled forward phases. Scrum-half Harsha Maduranga then released Mursheed Zubair, who delivered a perfectly timed inside pass to centre Akash Madushanka, cutting a hard line before powering through the defence to score Sri Lanka’s opening try. (SL 05-03 NZU85)

However, the visitors responded almost immediately. Despite a solid defensive effort, Maduranga’s clearance kick was charged down by Josh Gellart, with the loose ball bouncing kindly for Simon Sia to dive over and restore New Zealand’s lead. (SL 05-08 NZU85)

Sri Lanka continued to find momentum through their forwards, producing a powerful rolling maul that gained valuable metres before the ball was moved wide to winger Janindu Dilshan, who finished well in the corner. The momentum was short-lived, though, as Dilshan was shown a yellow card for foul play after the try, reducing the hosts to 14 men. (SL 10-08 NZU85)

New Zealand capitalized instantly. Kicking to the corner, they executed a clinical rolling maul, with No. 8 Pasia Asiata breaking off at the back to crash over and shift the momentum once again. (SL 10-13 NZU85)

The contest remained finely balanced as both sides traded phases and defensive pressure. Just before halftime, Sri Lanka conceded a penalty inside their own 22, and Cordell-Hull added his second successful kick. There was late drama as Sri Lanka thought they had crossed again, only for the try to be ruled out for offside. Nevertheless, Thenuka Nanayakkara slotted a penalty from the advantage to keep the deficit to just three points at the break.

Half Time: Sri Lanka 13 (2T,1P) – New Zealand U85KG 16 (2T,2P)

The visitors began the second half with renewed intent, earning an early penalty for a breakdown infringement. Cordell-Hull maintained his accuracy from the tee, landing his third penalty to extend the lead. (SL 13-19 NZU85)

Sri Lanka refused to back down, continuing to play with intensity. Their pressure paid off when Akash Madushanka was caught high by Pasia Asiata, resulting in a yellow card. Nanayakkara stepped up to reduce the margin once again, keeping the Tuskers firmly in the contest. (SL 16-19 NZU85)

New Zealand, however, showed composure under pressure. After a sustained defensive stand, they worked their way back into attacking territory and forced multiple penalties. Opting for goal, Jarred Percival took over kicking duties and bisected the uprights to give the visitors some breathing space. (SL 16-22 NZU85)

With the game hanging in the balance, the decisive moment came in the 77th minute. A clearance kick towards touch was taken quickly by Ben Kelt, catching the Sri Lankan defence off guard. The visitors capitalized instantly, with Pieter Swarts making a strong break deep into the red zone before sending Matt Treeby over in the corner to seal the result.

New Zealand held on to secure a hard-fought victory, striking late to break Sri Lankan hearts and take the early advantage in the series, with the second leg set to take place in Kandy next week.

Full Time: Sri Lanka 16 (2T,2P) – New Zealand U85KG 27 (3T,4P)

Player of the Match: Pasia Asiata (New Zealand U85KG)

Points Breakdown

Sri Lanka 16

Akash Madushanka 1T, Janindu Dilshan 1T, Thenuka Nanayakkara 2P

New Zealand U85KG 27

Simon Sia 1T, Pasia Asiata 1T, Matt Treeby 1T, Taine Cordell-Hull 3P, Jarred Percival 1P