Seven-try S. Thomas’ hold resolute Mahanama
The Thomians, who led the halftime by 26-14, braced seven tries, converted six of them and put over a penalty, with Dias accounting for 15 points of the total. Mahanama, who surprised their opponents with canny moves, scored from five converted tries, in which their flyhalf Sithum Ratnayake played a key role with unsuspecting moves, conversions and a stunning intercepted try to complete with 15 points of his team’s total.
The star of S. Thomas’ high-scoring win, winger Avishka Perera, evades a Mahanama defender to brace one of his three tries - Pic by M.A. Pushpa Kumara
Skipper and scrumhalf Venuka Wickramasuriya broke through the Mahanama defence in the fourth minute to score a stunner under-the-post, giving Dias an easy conversion to have S. Thomas’ in a early 7-0 lead. They were well in command and were on the way to post their second try in the 11th minute, until Mahanama playmaker Ratnayake brilliantly intercepted the Thomian backs to run an entire length to make a diving under-the-post try. With his
own conversion, Mahanama equalised 7-all.
But the unthinkable occurred when hat-trick star Perera breached the entire Mahanama defence in the 15th minute to score under-the-post, as Dias converted to help S. Thomas’ regain the lead 14-7. The Thomians’ second attempt soon after in the 19th minute was identically turned over by Mahanama, with another stunner from their nippy scrumhalf Sithum Fernando, who placed a try to provide Ratnayake an easy conversion and equalise again at 14-all.
From there, Mahanama made ruthless attempts only to be unnecessarily penalised many a time, as hooker Amaan Imran in the 23rd minute and Perera, with his second try in the 30th minute crossed the line. With Dias putting over one of the two, S. Thomas’ took a comfortable 26-14 lead up until the halftime, despite Mahanama playing with only 14 men following a sin-bin offence.
Fullback Akith Cooray braced one of his two tries for S. Thomas’ after the resumption in the 37th minute, followed by Perera’s third in the 51st minute, where both were converted by Dias, in addition to putting over a penalty that came in their favour in the 47th minute. Mahanama, despite being unable to be clinical as they were in the first half, responded with a try in the 42nd minute through fullback Isuru Akash, as S. Thomas’ led by 43-21, until prop Chamuditha Peiris gace another glimpse of hope for Mahanama with a try in the 53rd minute.
Despite fighting each other with 14 men again, both teams failed to make any breakthrough until centre Seneshka Liyanagunawardena breached Mahanama’s defence to post S. Thomas’ 50 points with Dias’ conversion in the 61st minute. Mahanama had the privilege of enjoying a consolation try a minute before the fulltime with Peiris scoring his second and Mahanama’s fifth try to end the game by 50-35 in S. Thomas’ favour.