Royal College took on St Peters College at the Royal College Sports Complex yesterday. This clash has had its twists and turns over the past few years and has always been a close tussle for supremacy. Crowds flocked to the complex expecting it to be the same this year.
The opening points of the game were scored by the home side who were awarded a penalty through a collapsed maul. Captain Nimshan Jayawardena slotted the ball through the uprights with ease taking the Royalists into a 3-0 lead. (Royal 03 St Peters 00)
Royal went onto dominate proceedings through their exceptional forwards who were ably supported by the backs. Unlike last week at the Bradby, the Royal forwards and backs were linking well to give a torrid time to the Peterites. These efforts were rewarded in the in the 34th minute when Royal setup their usual unstoppable rolling maul fifteen meters from the try line. The forwards powered their way through the helpless Peterite defense in order to score the opening try of the game through their hooker Supun Waranakulasuriya. The conversion missed the posts. The Peterites were not able to counter the brilliant forward play displayed by the first eight for Royal. This was eventually the loosing point for the visitors.(RC 08 SPC 00)
The Peterites who hardly saw any possession in the first half had two chances to score at the stroke of half time. The first effort witnessed was when the Peterites falling just short of the Royal try line before conceding a penalty for holding on. The second opportunity went begging when the team's flyhalf Shamri Burah missed a relatively straightforward penalty. This took the Peterites into half time scoreless, and eight points behind the home team.
Half Time: RC 08 v SPC 00
Royal continued their forward based game in the second half as they played with determination to gain ground constantly pressurizing the Peterite defense. Unable to counter this, the Peterites conceded many penalties in the ruck area in their efforts to slow the ball down or make legitimate steal.
The Royalists made yet another break-through in the 50th minute when fly-half Ashok Wijeyakumar unleashed the Royal speedster Bhanuka Gamage who powered his way past Kevin Dixon who was on the receiving end of a huge hand off. A difficult conversion was missed once again by skipper Jayawardene. It was rather uncharacteristic by the Peterite Centre Kevin Dixon to have let the offensive player score as he is usually a sound defender.
The Peterites kept squandering scoring opportunities as another kickable penalty went astray. Sandesh Jayawickrama witnessed his kick sail past the left post as the score line stood at 13-0 in favour of the boys in blue and gold.
The Royalists inflicted further damage with a well-executed move yet again using their signature move, the rolling maul which was nearly a carbon copy of the first try resulting in Warnakulasuriya scoring his second of the game in similar fashion. Jaywardene missed his third conversion of the day. Skipper seemed to have left his kicking boots in the players’ room.
The Peterites were able to score a consolation try in the 70th minute through their reliable centre Kevin Dixon who was set up by a sweeping move by the Peterite line. The conversion was missed.
As the referees final whistle blew the scores stood at 18-05 in favour of the Royalists who dominated most of the game in what was almost a one sided affair which is usually seldom seen in games involving these two teams who have been brewing up a rivalry during the past few years.
Full time score- RC 18(3T 1P) SPC-05(1T)
