On a surprisingly sunny day at Havelock Park, spectators were treated to an absolute mauling by St. Thomas’ College as they touched down for try after try to overpower the visitors and secure a dominant victory in Week 8 of the Dialog Schools’ Rugby League 2026, notching up their first win of the Super Round.
Sri Sumangala College kicked things off looking to put early pressure on the Thomians and gain a foothold in the contest. After a couple of early touch-finders in favour of the visitors, the Thomians responded strongly once they found their rhythm. Zaydaan Akbar, donning the No. 11 jersey, found space in the visitors’ defence to touch down for his first try of the match. It was a statement try from Akbar as he displayed excellent game awareness and set the tone for both himself and his team. The conversion was successful as No. 10 Mayanka Dias added to his impressive tally of points for the tournament. (STC 07 – 00 SSCK)
Mere minutes later, the Thomians produced a sensational passage of play. A quick pass opened up space for the ever-dangerous Mayanka Dias, who blistered through the Sumangala defence, sidestepping his way past defenders to score his first try of the match. He then completed his kicking duties successfully, making it two conversions from two attempts. This put the hosts in a commanding position by the 10th minute. (STC 14 – 00 SSCK)
What followed was a period of evenly contested rugby, with both teams threatening in attack. However, Thomian dominance soon returned as they camped deep inside opposition territory. Chanuth Eheliyagoda battled his way over the whitewash after breaching the visitors’ defensive line to score their third Amana Bank try of the match. Mayanka Dias once again made no mistake with the conversion, extending the lead further. (STC 21 – 00 SSCK)
The visitors seemed destined to remain scoreless for a long spell as they struggled to find a way through the home side’s defence. Despite the back-and-forth nature of the contest and some high-quality rugby from both teams, it was Maleesha Karunatilaka who eventually capitalised on a slight lapse in the Thomians’ defence to score Sri Sumangala’s opening try. Pasindu Bandara added the conversion as the Sumangalians finally got themselves on the scoreboard. This came following a brief controversy involving the No. 8s of both teams, who were given stern warnings by the referee. That brought an entertaining first half to a close, with the Thomians holding a significant advantage. (STC 21 – 07 SSCK)
Half-Time – St. Thomas’ College 21 (3T, 3C) – 07 (1T, 1C) Sri Sumangala College
The second half began in much the same fashion, with the Thomians quickly finding their groove. Zaydaan Akbar produced a brilliant pass while on the move to spark another attacking opportunity for the hosts. Through excellent game awareness and tactical execution, the momentum shifted further in favour of St. Thomas’. Mayanka Dias collected the ball and raced over for his second try of the match. He then slotted over his fourth consecutive conversion. (STC 28 – 07 SSCK)
Sri Sumangala managed to produce a positive response of their own when they turned a promising passage of play into points. They repeatedly challenged the Thomian backline before Maleesha Karunatilaka once again found a gap and crossed over for his second Amana Bank try of the afternoon. The conversion attempt was unsuccessful, leaving the visitors with 12 points. (STC 28 – 12 SSCK)
The next ten minutes featured a succession of scrums and lineouts as both teams battled hard for territory and possession. Following that period, the hosts once again made their pressure count. Vishwa Akash capitalised on favourable field position to score his first try of the match. Mayanka Dias continued his remarkable performance from the tee by adding yet another conversion. (STC 35 – 12 SSCK)
Zaydaan Akbar then capped off a prolific outing with another decisive contribution. After the hosts gained momentum and maintained possession through several phases, Akbar took matters into his own hands, slicing through the opposition defence before diving over for his second try of the match. Mayanka Dias completed a flawless day with the boot by adding yet another conversion before the referee blew for full time, bringing an emphatic performance to a close. (STC 42 – 12 SSCK)
The Plate Segment clash between St. Thomas’ College and Sri Sumangala College was largely one-sided, with the hosts producing some outstanding rugby through intelligent play and clinical execution. St. Thomas’ deservedly emerged victorious over a spirited Sri Sumangala outfit in Week 8 of the Dialog Schools’ Rugby League 2026, recording their first win of the Super Round.
Fulltime – St. Thomas’s College 42 ( 6T, 6C ) – 10 ( 1T, 1C ) Sri Sumangala College
- Swisstek Perfect Player of the Match – Zaydaan Akbar (St Thomas’s College)
Points breakdown :
Sri Sumangala College 10
Maleesha Karunathilaka ( 2T )
St. Thomas’s College 42
Zaydaan Akbar ( 2T ), Mayanka Dias ( 2T, 6C ), Vishwa Akash ( 1T)
- Match Referee – Jeewaka Fonseka
