Small Blacks crush Sri Lanka to win Sir Graham Henry Trophy
Embarking on their maiden international tour, the New Zealand Under-85kg team ran riot against Sri Lanka to win the second Test of the two-game series by 32-6 under scorching conditions at the Racecourse ground in Colombo last evening.
The Tuskers had their moments, a few electrifying breakthroughs that went to waste, but they surely gained the much-needed exposure and experience ahead of the upcoming Asian Men’s Championship where they will have to face Hong Kong, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates.
New Zealand won the series by an aggregate score of 82-16 - Pix by M.A. Pushpa Kumara
The Small Blacks, as they are nicknamed, approached the game differently from their performance at Nittawela where they recorded a thumping 50-10 win last Sunday, creating a fast-paced game whenever in possession.
“What a great performance, both teams played outstandingly and it was a really good game. Sri Lanka’s performance just keeps growing and they have so much potential,” Player of the Match and New Zealand centre Ben Megson noted soon after a tiring game.
Eventually, the visitors finished the game with a tally of five tries, two conversions and a penalty, while Sri Lanka’s sole saviour was the two penalties put over by fly-half Tarinda Ratwatte at either end of the game. From the two Tests, New Zealand claimed the Sir Graham Henry Trophy with an aggregate of 82-16, with a thumping tally of 13 tries, seven conversions and a penalty while conceding a converted try and three penalties.
Former national cricketers Chaminda Vaas (left), Sidath Wettimuni and Aravinda de Silva among the crowds
Within the first quarter of the game, New Zealand were aggressive against the tight-defending Sri Lankan side, yet managed to score two brilliant unconverted tries from skipper and fly-half Jarred Percival in the 11th and 21st minutes. Both almost identical diving tries posted by Percival could easily be termed as perfect demonstrations of back division coordination, timely offloads and creativity to the packed attendance and aspiring athletes.
To cut down the early lead and deficit of 10-0 created by the Small Blacks, the Tuskers thrived immensely, while maintaining a solid defensive wall, and they eventually managed to force the visitors to commit an error. Fly-half Tarinda Ratwatte, who had to sit out of the first game due to an injury and was making a comeback in place of the injured skipper Nigel Ratwatte, put through a long-range kick in the 23rd minute to earn Sri Lanka’s first three points.
The iconic Haka at the Racecourse in Colombo
Four minutes later, New Zealand managed to breach Sri Lanka’s tight defence when winger Pieter Swarts cut across to post a try that gave skipper Percival an easy conversion to go into halftime with a lead of 17-3.
Sri Lanka was the first to score in the second half as Ratwatte put over a similar penalty that came in the 54th minute, bringing their tally to 6 against 17. Despite replacements, Sri Lanka failed to overcome the challenge they were facing against a fast-paced New Zealand side, who went on to score two more tries in addition to the penalty that was put over by replacement fly-half Eamon Reily in the 56th minute. Reily converted flanker Tosh Gellert’s try in the 60th minute before Player of the Series and fullback Francis Morrison posted the game’s and New Zealand’s final try in the 70th minute.