At the CR & FC Grounds, St. Joseph’s College hosted Zahira College in a thrilling Plate Segment encounter of the Dialog Schools Rugby League 2025 played on the 26th of July.
Led by captain Beeshma Jayasekara, the Josephians came into the game unbeaten in the Plate, while Zahira College, under the leadership of Luqman Nadeem, were still searching for their first win in the segment. The Josephians showed their class once again beating Zahira College 29-15 to remain unbeaten in the Plate Championship.
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St. Joseph’s College got off to a perfect start in the 4th minute when Thisath Thewnila scored the opening try after Zahira lost the ball. But the conversion didn’t find its mark, and the score remained 5-0. This early breakthrough gave St. Joseph’s College the momentum they needed to control the pace of the game (SJC 5 – 0 ZC)
Zahira lost control of the ball near their own try line once again, and St. Joseph’s College wasted no time capitalizing. Skipper Beeshma Jayasekara showed brilliant presence of mind to set up Hemish Gamage, who touched down for the second try within just 13 minutes. But the conversion attempt missed, and the score stayed at 10-0 (SJC 10 – 0 ZC)
Yellow card to Akash Gomes for a foul play reduced St. Joseph’s College to 14 players. Zahira took advantage and regained momentum, with the forwards backing Imadh Inam to score their first try. However they failed to add the extra points from the conversion (SJC 10 – 5 ZC)
Zahira kept up the momentum with a sequence of clean passes, allowing Abdullah Hassan to dive over for a well-finished try. But once again the conversion didn’t go their way. Still they brought the scores level at 10-10 (SJC 10 – 10 ZC)
After a strong start from St. Joseph’s College, Zahira College bounced back well and put the pressure back on the hosts. Just before halftime, they nearly took the lead but a brilliant tackle by Senuja Geeran stopped a sure try. By halftime, the scores were level at 10-10.
HALF TIME : – St. Joseph’s College 10 – 10 Zahira College
Just like in the first half, Joes scored early in the second half. A strong team effort, featuring a powerful rolling maul that pushed the defense back, helped Mindulka Perera get the try. Malsath Dewmina finally made no mistake with the conversion, giving them a 7-point lead. The momentum clearly swung in Joes favor as they started to dominate the contest (SJC 17 – 10 ZC)
With momentum on their side, Hemish Gamage scored another try in a strong performance, earning a bonus point for St. Joseph’s College and taking the lead evenfurther. The Joes continued to apply pressure, keeping Zahira pinned in their own half. Joes quick ball movement and support play made it hard for Zahira to recover (SJC 22 – 10 ZC)
Zahira College stayed in the fight with a strong try from Abdul Muzil after nearly 10 minutes of continuous attacking play deep inside Joes territory. But once again, the conversion was missed, which was a problem that hurt Zahira College throughout the match. Still, they kept their hopes alive (SJC 22 – 15 ZC)
Both teams gave their best in the final minutes. At the last moment senior player Janith Marasinghe used his experience to break the defensive line and score the try that sealed the win for St. Joseph’s College. Dewmina’s accurate kick added a few points, and St. Joseph’s College finished with a 14-point lead. Even though Maradana Tankers tried to bounce back they couldn’t put enough pressure on Joes in the closing stages.
FULL TIME: – St. Joseph’s College 29 – 15 Zahira College
Zahira College showed fight and had plenty of chances, but too many mistakes and missed conversions cost them the match. They’ll have to wait another week to try for their first Plate Segment win. Meanwhile, St. Joseph’s College led by skipper Beeshma Jayasekara, remain unbeaten and continue to look like serious contenders to lift the Plate Championship. His leadership has been evident in the team’s consistent performance and unbeaten run. Hemish Gamage played a key role in St. Joseph’s College victory. He showed great skill on both sides of the ball and scored two crucial tries. His outstanding effort earned him the Swisstek Perfect Player of the Match award.
Swisstek Player of the Match: – Hemish Gamage (SJC)
Points Breakdown
St. Joseph’s College: –
Hemish Gamage 10 points (2 Tries), Thisath Thewnila 5 points(1 Try), Mindulka Perera 5 points (1 Try), Janith Marasinghe 5 points (1 Try), Malsath Dewmina 4 points (2 Conversions)
Zahira College: –
Imadh Inam 5 points (1 Try) Abdullah Hassan 5 points (1 Try) Abdul Muzil 5 points (1 Try)
