Under 16	STC - 12	DC - NIL
Under 18	STC - 05	DC- 05
Under 20	STC - 22	DC - 20

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Thomians edge out Rajans

S. M. Jiffrey Abdeen Kandy Sports Corr. (http://www.dailynews.lk/2008/05/10/spo03.asp)

S. Thomas College, Mount Lavinia trailing behind 8-20 at one stage snatched victory from the jaws of defeat when they beat Dharmaraja College, Kandy by 22 points (2 goals, 1 try, 1 penalty) to 20 (2 goals, 2 penalties) in their schools Singer Shield under 20 Division one Segment A rugby tournament match played at the Bogambara stadium in Kandy yesterday. At half time Dharmaraja led 17-8.

The man behind the Thomian success was their No. 8 and skipper Rohitha Rajapaksa who was in the thick of everything and marshalled his forwards to make inroads into their opponents territory with some power play. The Thomians opened scoring in the 18th minute of play through a penalty fixed by scrum half Manjith Thammanagama.

But a minute later, the Rajans went into the lead when they won a line-out mid field and fly half Dharshana Etipola collecting the ball, ran a good 30 metres before touching down. Full back Indika Wickramanayake added the extra paints. Dharmaraja 7-3.

In the 25th minute the Thomian took over the lead when prop forward Rajindra Gunasekera scored off a rolling maul by the left corner flag. Scrum half Manjith Thammanagama failed with a difficult kick. S. Thomas led 8-7.

But the rest of this half belonged to the Rajans who in the 31st minute wrested the lead with a 35 metre penalty knocked over by full back Indika Wickremanayake. Rajans 10-8. In the 33rd minute the Rajans further increased their lead when winger Malinga Godigamuwa intercepted a pass and made blazing 40 metre run skipping tackles to touch down near the left post. Indika Wickremanayake added the extra points. Rajans led 17-8 with that score the teams went for the short break.

In the 11th minute a Thomian was spotted playing from an off side position and Rajans full back Indika Wickramanayake put over 35 metre penalty. Rajans led 20-8 and appeared to have safely wrapped up the match.

But the Thomian had other ideas and led by No. 8 Rohitha Rajapaksa they unleashed some power play which forced the Rajans to crumble.

In the 13th minute skipper Rohitha Rajapaksa led the fight back with a brilliant try off a forwards rush. Scrum half Manjith Thammanagama added the extra points from a difficult angle. S. Thomas College 15-20.

In the 25th minute the Thomians scored again when they won a scrum in front of the posts about three metres from their opponents’ goal line. Their three quarters moved the ball with winger Heshan Gunaratne giving the finishing touches by the left corner flag. Scrum half Manjith Thammanagama made a brilliant conversion to give the Thomians the lead and victory.

Priyantha Gunaratne refereed.

Thomians beat Rajans by thin margin

by Rukshan Razak (http://www.island.lk/2008/05/10/sports12.html)

S. Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia, came out of the jaws of defeat overpowering Dharmaraja College by a wafer-thin margin of 22-20 in the Singer League Inter-school Rugby fixture at Bogambara Stadium yesterday.

A victory is a victory, thus the Thomians should be commended for their brave effort as they came from behind to beat the home team after trailing behind 17-8 at the breather.

The winners accumulated their points off two goals, a try and penalty, while the Rajans could muster two goals and two penalties.

Rajans who were well in command leading at 20-8 at one stage, threw away their chances and their main lapse was that they were not consolidating well and they lost valuable possession with some scrappy play towards the end. Their spirits came out by the dying stages of the game but then it was too late. On the other hand Rajan forwards gave a torrid time for the Thomains and kept them at bay but later their vigour declined gradually and could not hold the unyielding three quarters from Mount Lavinia.

Thoras drew first blood when they were awarded a penalty in the 16th minute of play as the Rajans were penalised for going over the top in a ruck situation and scrum half Manjith Thamanagama put over for the visitors for them to lead 3-0. Rajans shot back immediately, when their fly half intercepted a pass on the move and made a 30-meter dashing before he scored under the post and full back Indika Wickramanayake added the extra points for the home team to take over the lead 7-3. It was tit for tat and this time the Thomian prop forward Rajendra Gunasekara who scored a push over try which was generated off a maul. As Manjith Thamanagama missed the difficult kick at the goal, the scores stood at 8-7 in S. Thomas’ favour.

Then came the dominance of the Kandy team. They had pocession of the ball and as a result, did well to score, first off a penalty followed by a fine try by their winger, Malinga Godigamauwa who covered a distance of over 45-meters as he intercepted a pass in a three quarter move before going over near the post. Indika Wickramanayake added the extras for the Rajans to lead 17-8 at lemons.

Rajan dominance continued even after lemons and thus they elevated their lead by three more points since the Thoamins were penalised for playing from an off side position in a ruck situation and it was Wickramayake’s turn to successfully take the Kandy team’s lead up to 20-8 with his accurate kick at the goal.

What transformed later was a different story and the Thomains made a valiant effort in subsidsing their energy for a win and they did show signs of the same and opened with a push over try by their skipper Rohitha Rajapaksa in the 12 minute of the second half followed with another by their winger Heshan Gunaratne and their place kicker, Thamanagama assured their victory with two fine kicks at the goal to take over the lead for the first time after 40 minutes of play.

Rajans’ wallop was on the cards but as their last two penalty kicks went astray at the dying stages of the game, the lads from Mout Lavinia emerged victorious.

Priyantha Gunaratne refereed.

In The Junior matches played earlier, S. Thomas’ won the Under-16 match, 12 points to nil while Dharmaraja won the Under-18 5 points to nil.

Thomians withstand early Rajans challenge to win