Tuskers tame Tigers to remain unbeaten
Royal College, missing several regular players from their starting line-up, still proved too strong as they powered to a hard-fought 29-7 victory over Vidyartha College in their Dialog Schools League Rugby 2025 week four clash at the Royal Sports Complex yesterday.
It was a gritty contest where both teams flexed muscles in a see-saw first half, but Royal’s forward power and backline pace eventually saw them break the shackles to pull away after the turnaround.
Royal's Didula Jayasuriya forges ahead - Pic by Eshan Fernando
Vidyartha drew first blood in the 22nd minute when their forwards set up a solid lineout deep inside Royal’s territory. Off a well-controlled rolling maul, flanker Vihanga Sathsindu barged over at the left corner flag to silence the home supporters. Centre Kavindu Hewage made no mistake with the difficult conversion as the visitors took an early 7-0 lead.
But Royal, known for their never-say-die attitude, hit back within four minutes. Their leading try-scorer, the speedy winger Didula Jayasuriya, spotted a gap in the blindside, dashed down the right flank, and rounded the posts for a sensational try. Flyhalf Idris Farouk slotted over the conversion to level the scores at 7-all.
The Reid Avenue lads then tightened their grip on the game. In the 33rd minute, skipper and centre Amika Samarasinghe’s sharp offload sent Jayasuriya crashing through a wall of defenders for an unconverted try. Royal went into the breather with a slender 12-7 lead, having weathered some tough resistance from the Kandy side.
After the resumption, it was all Royal as their heavy forwards and powerful runners began to punch holes in Vidyartha’s defence. No.8 Disas Pathirana took matters into his own hands early in the second half, bulldozing his way over on the mid-left after a series of pick-and-go moves. Farouk’s steady boot added the extras as Royal stretched the lead to 19-7 by the 42nd minute.
The Reid Avenue boys kept their foot on the gas. In the 55th minute, hooker Imithisal Nazeera showed great awareness from a close-range pick-up to dive over and make it 24-7. Despite going down to 14 men in the 66th minute after a yellow card offence, Royal’s fighting spirit never waned.
In the dying moments, flanker Senuja Ranasinghe sealed the deal for his school with a barging try, capping a solid team performance. Though Farouk’s conversion attempt went astray, the final whistle saw Royal emerge worthy winners at 29-7, securing their fourth straight victory in the league.