Gritty Tuskers reach Cup semis in China
A fired-up Shaahid Zumri touched down twice against Thailand
Sri Lanka’s men’s 7s team endured a tough start but finished strongly on the opening day of the Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Series – Round I in Hangzhou, China yesterday, to reach the Cup Segment semis. The islanders, playing in Pool ‘B’, were beaten in their first game by Asian giants Japan but came back with determination to record back-to-back victories over Thailand and Singapore. Their spirited recovery kept alive hopes of advancing further in the tournament.
However, the Tuskers qualified for the Cup semi-finals, after becoming the best second-placed team out of the three pools, which were topped by Hong Kong, Japan and hosts China respectively. While the three group toppers already booked their berths, the contention for the final slot was between South Korea and Sri Lanka. Following South Korea’s loss against China, Sri Lanka booked the semi-final berth, where they will face Hong Kong after 11:00am today, followed by the second semi-final clash between Japan and China.
The first match against Japan was always going to be the toughest challenge for the young Sri Lankan side. Japan, regarded as the best team in Asia, showed their power and structure from the very beginning. They dominated possession, stretched the Sri Lankan defence wide, and punished any mistakes. By half-time, the Japanese had taken full control of the game. Sri Lanka fought hard but could not match the pace and accuracy of their opponents. Their only consolation came when prop Akash Madusanka broke through to score a try. Dinal Ekanayake added the conversion, but Japan finished winners at 38-7, underlining their status as group favourites.
Despite the setback, Sri Lanka regrouped quickly for their second game against Thailand. This time, the islanders played with far more energy and discipline. Flyhalf Shaahid Zumri, who had shown flashes of brilliance against Japan, came into his own. He scored two tries with his trademark pace and elusive running lines, giving Sri Lanka the edge. Scrumhalf Mohamed Rifan also darted over for a try, while Madusanka added his second try of the day with a powerful burst. Conversions from Zumri and Rifan pushed Sri Lanka further ahead, and the defence held firm to limit Thailand to just one converted try. At the final whistle, Sri Lanka celebrated a 24-7 win — their first victory of the campaign.
The momentum carried into their final Pool ‘B’ game against Singapore, which turned out to be their most polished performance of the day. Singapore shocked Sri Lanka with an early converted try in the second minute, taking a 7-0 lead. But the response was immediate. Zumri powered through the defence for his third try of the tournament and converted to level the scores. Soon after, captain and centre Kavindu Perera produced a long solo run, touching down under the posts. Although the conversion was missed, Sri Lanka went into the break with a narrow 12-7 lead.
In the second half, the islanders dominated both territory and possession. Janindu Dilshan sprinted down the right flank for a try that widened the gap. Perera then added his second try of the game, converted by Rifan, as Sri Lanka tightened their grip. Zumri crossed again with a clever angled run before Madusanka stormed over on the left wing for his third try of the day. By the final whistle, Sri Lanka had scored six tries in total — two each from Zumri and Perera, one from Dilshan, and one from Madusanka. With two successful conversions from Zumri and Rifan, the scoreline read 34-7, sealing a commanding win.
While the men’s team enjoyed two morale-boosting victories, it was a difficult day for the Sri Lanka women’s team in Pool ‘D’. They went down 44-0 to hosts China in the opening game, lost 24-14 to Malaysia despite a spirited fightback, and later fell 41-0 to the UAE. The young side, however, gained valuable international exposure against stronger opponents. The Sri Lankan lasses will now face Indonesia in the 9/10 place playoff at 7:45am today.