Royal College narrowly escaped a second-half onslaught from Trinity College to clinch a tense 22-19 victory in their Dialog ‘A’ Division League Rugby Tournament match at the Sugathadasa Stadium yesterday. Despite leading 22-0 at halftime, Royal faced a spirited comeback from their traditional rivals on a wet and soggy outfield.
The match began with Royal dominating the first half as their powerful forwards pack and precise kicking allowed them to build a commanding lead.
Royal opened the scoring in the fifth minute when hooker Bakur Mohamed broke through the Trinity defence after a well-executed maul. Mohamed’s try near the right corner flag was complemented by a brilliant conversion from Mohammed Farook, giving Royal a 7-0 lead.
Trinity had an opportunity to reduce the deficit shortly after, but fullback Yevan Hulangamuwa missed a penalty, leaving Royal’s lead intact. Royal’s momentum continued, and in the 11th minute, Amika Samarasinghe touched down in the left corner after a well-coordinated attack. Although the conversion was missed, Royal extended their lead to 12-0.
Royal’s dominance was further solidified in the 19th minute when they were awarded a penalty. Farook successfully converted it, pushing the score to 15-0. Just three minutes later, Royal added their third try of the half through Mohammad Fahad, who scored in the right corner. Farook added the extra points and Royal went into halftime with a 22-0 lead.
However, the second half saw a dramatic shift in momentum. As the rain intensified, Trinity capitalized on the slippery conditions and began their fight-back. In the 40th minute, Trinity was rewarded with a try after a powerful driving maul, with forward Yasiru Ariyawansa grounding the ball. Although the conversion was unsuccessful, Trinity had finally opened their account, trailing 5-22.
The match became increasingly tense as Trinity continued to apply pressure. In the 59th minute, Trinity’s relentless forwards play resulted in a second try, narrowing the gap to 22-12 after a successful conversion by Shan Althaf. The momentum was firmly with Trinity as they began to believe in a possible win.
With just 10 minutes remaining, Trinity’s Minula Yaddehige broke through the Royal defense, evading tackles and scored under the posts. The decision was referred to the TMO to check for a forward pass and the try was ultimately ruled in favour of Trinity and Althaf made the conversion bringing the score to a nerve-wracking 22-19.
The final minutes of the match were filled with tension as Trinity sought to complete their comeback, but Royal managed to hold on. A strategic kick-out of play in the dying moments sealed the victory for Royal College, who were relieved to escape with a 22-19 win.
Royal first-half dominance proved just enough to withstand Trinity’s valiant second-half effort. The narrow victory highlighted Royal’s resilience but also exposed vulnerabilities in their game, particularly in their line-outs during the second half. Trinity College, despite the loss, showed immense character and nearly pulled off a remarkable comeback win that many did not expect given the conditions.
As the final whistle blew, Royal emerged victorious, but the match served as a reminder of the fierce rivalry between these two schools. Trinity’s late surge will give them confidence moving forward while Royal will be looking to address their second-half shortcomings in the impending Bradby Shield matches.
