Petes get their act together to thwart Wesley hopes
St. Peter’s held on to their nerve, to prevail over a fighting Wesley outfit to register a 31 points to 22 victory, in a schools top division Cup championship fixture worked out at Bambalapitiya yesterday.
The Petes accumulated their points from five tries and three conversions to losers three tries, two conversions and a penalty.
The Peterites, played a superb game throughout with a plan to rattle their opponents from the first minute itself after two successive defeats at the hands of Royal and S.Thomas’. The Peterite ‘eight’ and their three quarters blended well to make daring moves on their opponents defence, that caught them napping. But also fairness to Wesley, they played a good game and offered stiff resistance. They came back to the game in second half with a well executed plan with good counter attacking moves that had the Peterite defence on disarray on many occasions.
In the first minute itself, the ‘double blues’ had a chance of putting first points on the board after their opponents was penalised for holding on to the ball. But their place kicker cum half back Avishka Lee fluffed the 25 metre penalty.
Then Wesley had their opponents napping in the 5th minute,with a spectacular try by their center Avantha Lee, the twin brother of Avishka. Avantha after collecting the ball, ran about thirty metres to score under the post offering dummies that sent their opponents on the wrong foot. Avishka booted to make it 7-0. In the 9th minute, due to an infringement made by Wesley, Peterites had a chance of reducing the lead. Fly half Stefan Sivaraj’s penalty kick 25 metres out went astray. With both teams competing for the ball ferociously,Wesley was once again penalised for an infringement in the 15th minute. But Sivaraj missed the penalty at the same distance.
With both teams battling out for possession, this time the home team had a chance to break the ‘ice’. In the 19th minute, Peterites setting their back line in motion, 25 metres away from their opponents’ line, had their ace center Theekshana Dissanayake crashing over. Sivaraj failed with the conversion and ‘double blues’ led 7-5. But the home team cut loose in the next 21 minutes by scoring tries repeatedly. It started with hooker Raveen Yapa, crashing through to give Peterites the lead for the first time in the game. Sivaraj made no mistake with the conversion to make it 12-7 in favour of home team. Then in the 30th minute Yapa, scored his second try of the game off a short tap. Sivaraj converted correctly and Peterites took a comfortable lead of 17-7. Then just before the ‘lemons’, Wesley reduced the lead with a 25 metre penalty booted by Avishka. At this time Wesley staved off several incursions made by the Peterite back division, with daring runs by full back Diyath Fernando and Dissanayake.
At short whistle St. Peter’s led 17-10. In the turn around, it was a close battle up front by both opposing teams,with no quarter asked or given. The Peterite half back Avishka Heenpella, made the first scoring done off a three-quarter move, by falling over in the 13th minute of the second half. Sivaraj made the conversion and the home team was sitting pretty 24-10. With both teams battling for possession, Wesley reduced the lead off a short tap by their reserve number eight Daiyan Sabar. Avishka made no mistake with the conversion. Wesley trailing 17-24. Then in the 24th minute of second half, Peterite back line made a spectacular move with center Dissanayake scoring his second try of the match off a pass from skipper Sandesh Jayawickrema. Sivaraj converted and Petes increased the lead to 31-17. Then the never say die ‘double blue’ outfit proving their fighting qualities yet again scored an unconverted try through their lock Imesh Chaturanga. It was the last scoring effort done by the Wesley outfit, though they made several incursions into their opponents’ defence till the referee blew no side.
It was a great game of rugby from both sides. Next week St. Peters will be in the hills to face Trinity and Wesley will meet St.Anthony’s to end their Cup championship campaign
Referee : D. Nimal