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Royal rev it up to beat arch-rivals S. Thomas'
By Bernie Wijesekera
Royal : 17
S. Thomas' : 6

Royal's winger Lakshman Dissanayake makes a powerful run in their key rugby game against S. Thomas' at Havelock Park chased by a Thomian player. Royal won the game 17-6. Pic by Ishara S. Kodikara

Fisticuffs broke out between junior rugby players of S. Thomas' and Royal at Havelock Park yesterday as the seniors were playing. Our cameraman Ishara S. Kodikara was there to capture the unruly scenes.

The fancied Royalists overcame their rivals in the much heralded Royal-Thomian rugby encounter yesterday at Havelock Park by a clear margin of 17 points to 6 - but it was a scrappy game allround.

The game, which almost came to not being played as the two school rugby committees clashed with each other on the fixture dates produced little fire. As has now become customary, the Royalists seemed content in being led at the beginning, only to inject the turbo after the turn-around and walk away yet again with the Michael Gunaratne trophy.

At half-time it was the eventual losers that led 6-3, all in penalties. The Thomians showed the way from the kick-off with skipper Karthelis leading his team in rattling the Royalists. Play was concentrated in the Royal half for much of the initial stages. The Thomians were then rewarded with a penalty for a Royal infringement which prop Isuru Fernando converted with a low angling kick that cleared the cross-bar. Royal, stretched, managed to get into the Thomian half and get themselves a penalty which full-back Badurdeen converted to equalise.

Almost with the short-whistle, the Thomians were awarded another penalty which Fernando converted with the greatest of ease. After the turn-around, the Royalists stepped up the tempo with their American football brand of rugby. The incessant waves took its toll on the Thomian defence eventually and Badurdeen who scored all of Royal's 17 points yesterday touching down by the corner flag in one of the rare three-quarter moves seen yesterday when fly-half Varun Wijewardene spotted a gap to break through and centre Kasun Wijesekera did the running for Badurdeen to form the over-lap..

Badurdeen failed with a difficult conversion, but followed his try with a classy conversion of yet another penalty awarded to Royal. The Thomians began to break the rules as the scoreboard margin became wider. Two Thomian forwards were sent off the field to the sin-bin in the second-half.

At 14-6, Royal kept up the pressure pounding the Thomians with hard running. Referee Rohan Nishantha was blowing overtime yesterday and awarded the Royalists yet another penalty in the final moments to make it 17 (a try and 4 penalties) to 6 (2 penalties) at the long-whistle.

Royal 'lock' Dushantha Rajapakse and no. 8 Prabath Udugampola excelled for the winners yesterday. In the Under-17 game, Royal won 17-10, and made it a clean-sweep having also won the Under-15 game 35-15.

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