Fitter and hard-running St. Peter’s College taught an over-enthusiastic Wesley College a lessen on how to sustain themselves on the big stage in their inter-school league rugby match for the Dialog trophy as the Peterites won 25-10 at Bambalapitiya yesterday.
Wesley started off as if they meant business and subjected the Peterites to a heavy forwards attack in the first 20 minutes of the first half but only until the home team needed some time to settle in and completely dominate forwards play especially in the second half.
The quick-thinking Peterites were also too much for Wesley to come to grips with as each time the defending champions ran the ball Wesley were caught on the wrong foot.
After a 12-10 half time score the Peterites got into their strides and had enough ball to score more than the four tries but were guilty of dropping a few passes or giving out some high ones which gave Wesley time to form the defence.
Where Wesley cracked up was that their forwards in the second half could not maintain the pressure on the Peterites who were fitter enough to out-shove their opponents.
Wesley were also guilty of losing ball in their line-out put-ins with crocked throws going in favour of the settled Peterites who for the first time in the season encountered some opposition at least in the first half after feasting on Thurstan College and Kingswood College in their opening matches of the 16-team League.
Wesley drew first blood but the Peterites hit back in no time to make the scores 7-5 after Pasindu Bandara crossed the line for their first of four tries.
Wesley came back briefly for a 10-7 lead through a try by Mohamed Fawaz but that joy was short-lived again as the Peterite nippy scrum half Praneeth Silva set up a vital try by breaking off the scrum to send his captain and Number Eight Dulaj Navodya to score making the scores 12-10.
The second half was one-sided and the Peterites could have done anything they wanted but that could have also been the reason they could not go beyond two tries scored by Bimsara and Yumith Shehara who also landed in a magnificent 48 metre penalty in the closing stages with the result already in the bag.
