Enter St. Peter

By Rangi Akbar

A good team always learns from their mistakes. That’s exactly what the roving Peterites proved yesterday when they stood like a wall in defense and rammed like a raging bull while in attack to down Kingswood by 15 points ( a goal, a try and a penalty ) 7 points ( a goal) in their inter-school rugby tie at Bambalapitiya, yesterday. With this win they amply made amends for their last week’s loss against S. Thomas’ at Mt. Lavinia.

A St. Peter’s player with the ball looks out to break away but he is held back by a host of Kingswood players. St. Peter’s won this match by 15 points to 7 at Bambalapitiya, yesterday. Pix by Ranjith Perera.

At half time the winners led 15-0.

In the first half it was the Peterites who shone. In the initial session they moved cohesively understanding each other’s strengths and weaknesses to form a formidable unit, especially among the backs. Then in the second half when Kingswood who is no spring chicken in rugby found their feet and decided to go on the rampage, the entire Peterite team wove themselves into a impenetrable unit.

St. Peter’s began pegging early in the first half prompting the visitors from Kandy to make mistakes and was successful in putting points on the board through a Harsha Weerakkody penalty to go 3 up.

Then it was the turn of their three quarters to get into action. The first time they scored was in the 23rd minute of the game when full back Gerald Canute formed the overlap to a three quarter move to fall over to score an unconverted try.

Once again the Peterite back division rallied themselves and the three quarters were in motion and this time too Canute proved too much of an asset when he fell over for his second try of the match to which Weerakkody added the extra points.

With the turn around Kingswood scored through their winger Roshan Weeraratne and centre Chamindu Bandara added the extra points to take Kingswood’s tally to 7. Chamindu Bandara had an opportunity of putting over a penalty next but fluffed with it much to the utter dismay of the Kingswoodians.

This was Kingswood’s first defeat for the season and the Peterite coach Sanath Martis said that he was very unhappy with the Peterite’s second half showing.

Referee: Dilroy Fernando

St. Peter’s meet St. Anthony’s in Kandy next on May 17. The Peterite ground will not have a rugby fixture until June 14 when they clash with St. Joseph’s on June 24.

In the junior games played earlier Kingswood won the under 14 game 21-0, lost the under 12 game at 0-22 and lost the under 15 game too at 0-17.