Unbeaten St. Peter’s College resting some of the key players in the first half routed Vidyartha College even before the session could have ended as they won by the season’s highest margin of 66 points to 10 in their final group stage match of the Dialog inter school league rugby championship at Bambalapitiya yesterday.
Taking a 35-5 lead in the first half the Peterites ran all over the place in a way there was no opposition on the field as the Vidyartha players could not figure out which way the home team was moving the ball in an exhibition of run and pass.
In the end the Peterites ended Vidyartha’s misery with as many as 10 tries eight of which were converted.
It did not take long for the Peterites to punch holes in the Vidyartha defence as centre Yumeth Shihara crashed through to score the first try off a backline move after winning possession in a scrum a few metres away from the line.
Winger Pasindu Bandara scored next after a scorching 50-metre burst of speed down the left flank followed by the exciting full back Kushan Tharindu scoring next.
Second rower Shanuka Perera scored the bonus point try followed by Bandara crossing the line for his second try and Tharindu had no problem converting all five tries with a fine display of goal-kicking.
Playmaker Sudesh Jayawickrema continued the one-way traffic for the Peterites in the second half with their sixth try followed by the nippy Praneeth Silva taking a quick tap from a penalty to catch the Vidyartha defence on the wrong foot and race away half the field to score under the posts.
Number Eight Dulaj Nawodya was too powerful for the Vidyartha team when he barged over unchallenged to score after Dineth Jayaweera planted one more.
It all ended appropriately with prop forward Jehan Weerabangsa scoring the tenth and final try of the Peterites for Kushan Tharindu to make his eighth conversion and finish off the match by contributing 21 points that also included a try.