Joes retain Lady Jayathilake Shield

Friday, 5 June 2026 01:57 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By Shamseer Jaleel

The Lady Jayathilake Shield remains at Darley Road

St. Joseph’s College produced a well-structured performance, combining effective teamwork with smart tactical adjustments, to defeat S. Thomas’ College 29/15 and retain the Lady Jayathilake Shield in their Dialog Schools Under-19 Rugby League encounter played at Longdon Place yesterday.

The Josephians led 19/15 at halftime after an entertaining but error-ridden opening half in which both teams struggled with ball handling and consistency. However, the Darley Road outfit looked sharper and more purposeful in attack, while the Thomians found it difficult to build momentum and often appeared short of direction.

Joes opened the scoring through Rehan Jayawardena, with Bryan Fernando adding the conversion. The visitors responded swiftly when Amman Imran crossed following a powerful forwards’ drive. The home side then shifted gears as Sheveen de Soysa sliced through the defence for a superb try before skipper Inosh Silva brushed aside several defenders to score another. Adriano Candappa, who controlled the game brilliantly with his tactical awareness, added the extras to stretch the lead.

Refusing to surrender, the Thomians fought back through a try by Vishwa Akash, while Mayanka Dias added a conversion and a penalty to reduce the deficit to just four points at the break.

The second half was more structured, with both sides showing improvement. Significantly, Joes altered their approach, relying more on an intelligent kicking game rather than continuous running rugby. The tactical switch paid dividends as they controlled territory and possession. Sathira Gunathilake scored the only try of the second half, while Candappa added the conversion and a penalty to seal a deserved victory.

While St. Joseph’s deserve full credit for a disciplined and tactically astute display, the Thomians must return to basics, improve their handling, and regain confidence. With several matches still ahead, there is ample opportunity to put this defeat behind them, learn from their mistakes, and focus positively on the challenges that lie ahead.

Referee Kelum Sandaruwan officiated the encounter.