Courtesy: Sunday Times.
 

The crash of the once strong S. Thomas’ College side was given another substance when St. Joseph’s College sprang to post eight tries

and recorded a convincing 51-8 win to regain the Lady Jayatillake Shield in their Singer Schools Under-20 Rugby League match played at Longdon Place yesterday.

Josephian skipper and centre Vishmitha Peiris and prop Stefan Gregory barged into the Thomian touchline by scoring two tries each in the first session as the eventual winners led the halftime by 29-3.

The Darley Road boys collectively smothered the Thomian grit as they braced in with eight tries, four conversions and a penalty to surpass a half-century score while keeping their opponents at bay all the time. St. Joseph’s played brilliantly to sign off from the schools league competition by adding four more tries in the second half off winger Rahula Vimukthi, centre Hasaru Gunawardena, standoff Sasheen Sudaraka and wing-forward Minura Randula. Fullback Dulith Fernando added 11 points by converting four of the tries and the solitary penalty which was awarded in the first half.

The Thomians were rewarded with a penalty in the first half which was put over by fly half Arith Ferdinando and their solitary unconverted try came off the backs of winger Kasun Jayasuriya after the turnaround. – DS

Thomian – Josephian clash for Lady Jayatilleke Shield Thushan Jayasuriya The much awaited tussle between St.Joseph's College Colombo and S.Thomas' College Mount Lavinia for the Lady Jayatilleke Shield will take place at Longden Place today. Both teams have shown courage and determination to emerge as a major force in the current schools rugby scene.

The Lady Jayatilleke Shield was donated by the late Lucian Jayatilleke of St. Joseph's College a reputed lawyer in memory of his mother Evelyn Jayatilleke in the year 1965. The Thomians had the honour of winning the Shield in the inaugural year. But in 1966 St. Joseph's College captained by Rohan Jayatilleke a grandson of Lady Jayatilleke, defeated S. Thomas' College 8-3. In 1969 the two teams figured in what was considered as the most exciting encounter of the series where the match ended in a 11 all draw. The lads from Mount Lavinia regained the shield under Devin Jayasinghe by recording a smashing 39 – 17 win over Josephians at Havelock Park last year. The Josephians last won the Jayatilleke shield with a 24 – 18 win in 2011 under the captaincy of Malintha Soyza.

The probable teams :

St.Joseph's (from) : Vimukshan Wevita, Devan Fernando, Stefan Gregory, Charana Chamikara, Viraj Perera, Shehan Bopearachchi, Minura Randula, Suchintha Udumalagala, Romesh Priyankara, Shasheen Sudaraka, Vishmitha Peiris(Captain), Hasuru Gunawardena, Vimukthi Rahula, Shamilka Kurumbalapitiya and Dulith Fernando.

S.Thomas' (from) : Chinthaka Kumara, Pandula de Silva, Indraraj Gunasekara, Shehan Udawatte, Hashith Senanayake, Sachitha Jayatilleke, Shaniv Ahangama, Shanel Perera, Asanga Ranasinghe, Praveen Ferdinando, Sanjaya Abeysinghe, Hashaka Senanayake(Captain), Naveen Henakankanamge, Dhanush Peiris, Eesaa Ibrahim.