St. Peter’s College taking some time to settle in saw off an enterprising and spirited Trinity College team to win 22-10 their Dialog inter school league rugby match at Pallekele in Kandy yesterday.
The Peterites undoubtedly came under heavy pressure in the opening minutes of the game after Trinity College prop Thenuka Fernando barged over the line to score in the very first minute of the game to take a 7-0 with Shan Althaf converting.
But the Peterites lived up to expectations to ensure the Trinity forwards did not have any more say in the match as they hit back with a try through their hardy prop forward Ranidu Ridmal after they entered the home team’s camp for the first time and drew level 7-7 with the conversion in the ninth minute of play.
But trouble and panic hit the Trinity camp when the Peterite play-maker and centre Sudesh Jayawickrema scored an unconverted try for his team to surge ahead 12-7 for the first in the 21st minute as the try was unconverted.
Trinity also had to contend with injury problems as the Peterites took a 12-7 lead at half time while the visiting team was also guilty of some poor ball handling in the first half.
Trinity never looked to give up at any stage and in the third minute of the second half cut down the lead 12-10 through a penalty by Althaf.
The Peterites were able to move ahead with a much needed boost by way of a penalty put over by Emith Jayaweera fifteen minutes before the end making the scores 15-10.
But it was only in the final ten minutes of play that the Peterites played like Peterites when they decided to run the ball from their own 22-metre line with their gutsy full back Kushan Tharindu sprinting nearly 40 metres down the left flank to set up their third try.
The ball was sent out to Jayawickrema who cut in and beat the Trinity defence covering more ground to send the ball out to flanker and captain Ashean Madugaspe who brushed away two defenders to fall over and score for Jayaweera to make the conversion and the score 22-10.