Thurstan College edged out Kingswood College 25-21 in a nail-biting contest during Week 03 of the Dialog Schools Rugby League 2026 played at Sugathadasa Stadium.
The home side made a strong start, dominating both territory and possession during the opening exchanges. However, despite several promising attacking opportunities, they were unable to convert pressure into points.
Against the run of play, Kingswood College struck first after earning a penalty deep inside the red zone. Opting for a quick tap, Ashik Asmi caught the defence off guard and surged to within inches of the line before lock forward Sathsilu Yalingasinghe finished off the move with a powerful carry. Shamith Shafraz added the conversion to give the visitors the early advantage.(TC 00-07 KCK)
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Thurstan College responded immediately through a moment of brilliance from their backline. Spreading the ball wide, centre Amidu Rajapakshe cut back inside and produced a clever kick-and-chase over the defensive line. The bounce favoured him perfectly, and after regathering possession, he delivered a well-timed offload to skipper Ahad Sallay, who crossed over for Thurstan’s opening try. (TC 05-07 KCK)
With halftime approaching, Thurstan seized control of the contest with two quick-fire tries. The first came through their forward dominance, as a powerful rolling maul marched deep into the five-metre area before a series of close-range pick-and-drives allowed Ruchara Hishan to muscle his way over the line. (TC 10-07 KCK)
Moments later, Thurstan produced the play of the half. With Kingswood expecting the hosts to kick the ball into touch from deep inside their own territory, Rajapakshe instead launched a stunning counterattack, slicing through the defensive line before releasing Akeesha Pushpakumara with a perfectly timed pass near halfway. The winger sprinted away untouched to score in the corner, capping off a superb finish to the first half for Thurstan.
Half Time: Thurstan College 15 (3T) – Kingswood College 07 (1T,1C)
Kingswood College emerged after the break with renewed intensity and were rewarded early in the half. In the 37th minute, scrum-half Himalka Hewage took a quick tap penalty and combined well with playmaker Ashik Azmi to spark an attacking move. The forwards carried strongly through multiple phases before Temash Thilakarathna powered his way over the line with an impressive leg drive. Shamith Shafraz added the conversion to narrow the deficit. (TC 15-14 KCK)
Momentum firmly shifted towards the visitors soon after. Opting for a scrum from a penalty just outside the 22 instead of kicking for touch, Kingswood executed the move brilliantly as No. 8 Menusha Marasinghe broke powerfully from the base of the scrum, brushing aside multiple defenders before diving over beneath the posts. Shafraz added the simple conversion to hand Kingswood the lead. (TC 15-21 KCK)
Thurstan College took time to regain their composure, but once their rolling maul began functioning effectively, they started to claw their way back into the contest. A sustained forward drive brought play close to the line before several pick-and-drive phases sucked in the defence. Scrum-half Sanjuna Paranawithna then switched play quickly to the short side, with playmaker Thenuka Viran helping create space out wide for Amindu Rajapaksha to dive over in the corner, reducing the deficit to just a single point. (TC 20-21 KCK)
Moments later, Thurstan struck again through their dominant forward play. Another powerful rolling maul marched towards the try line, and No. 8 Rasanjana Nirmal broke away from the back of the drive to score the bonus-point try, swinging the momentum firmly back in favour of the hosts. (TC 25-21 KCK)
Kingswood refused to back down and continued to apply pressure deep inside Thurstan territory. Their rolling maul once again proved dangerous, with No. 8 Sanjan Nirmal eventually crashing over after a series of sustained attacks to keep the visitors within touching distance.
The closing moments produced late drama as Kingswood came agonizingly close to stealing victory, only for the try to be held up over the line thanks to desperate Thurstan defence. The hosts held firm through the final phases to secure a hard-fought victory in a thrilling encounter.
Full Time: Thurstan College 25 (5T) – Kingswood College 21 (3T,3C)
Swisstek Player of the Match: Amindu Rajapaksha (Thurstan College)
Points Breakdown
Thurstan College 25
Ahad Sallay 1T, Amindu Rajapaksha 2T, Akeesha Pushpakumara 1T, Rasanjana Nirmal 1T,
Kingswood College 21
Sathsilu Yalingasinghe 1T, Menusha Marasinghe 1T , Temash Thilakarathna 1T, Shamith Shafraz 3C
