D.S. hold off spirited Sumangala

Monday, 28 July 2025 01:40 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

D.S. Senanayake College edged out Sumangala College, Kandy 26/19 in a tightly contested Dialog Schools Under-19 Plate Championship encounter held at the Trinity College Rugby Stadium in Pallekele yesterday.

The Colombo side collected their points through four tries and three conversions, while Sumangala replied with three tries and two conversions.

D.S. dominated the first half with well-coordinated play between their forwards and three-quarter line. Early tries by Chamath Samarasinghe, Praveen Lakmal, and Thimath Jinthula gave them the upper hand, with Buditha Rusiru converting all three for a commanding 21-7 halftime lead. Sumangala’s lone first-half try came through Achala Gamage, converted by Pasindu Samarakoon.

The Kandy school mounted a spirited comeback after the break, driven by skipper Adithya Rathnayake and the energetic Shashika Bandara. They touched down twice through Shivantha Madushan and Tharusha Theekshana, with Samarakoon converting one, narrowing the gap to just seven points.

Despite dominating possession in the early second-half spending nearly 15 minutes inside D.S. territory, Sumangala’s poor line-out execution and handling errors proved costly. Their inability to convert pressure into points denied them a possible win.

D.S. sealed the game in injury time with a bonus-point try from Praveen Lakmal, securing a crucial victory in their Plate campaign.

Referee Nalin Lasantha officiated the game. (SJ)