Maruading Cops tame Sri Lions at Longdon Place in one-sided affair
A solid team effort, largely spearheaded by their forwards, aided Police Sports Club achieve their first win of the SLR-Maliban Club Rugby League 2025/26 season, against a hapless Sri Lions Sports Club by 43-7 at Longdon Place yesterday. Both sides entered the field winless after three games, as hosts Sri Lions marked their first win, but it was a contrasting outcome that they eventually had to experience.
By halftime, the Cops had already stamped their authority with a commanding 24-0 lead, inclusive of bonus points, before eventually finishing the game with a tally of seven tries and four conversions. Sri Lions, who were completely outdone by their opponents, managed to make a successful breakthrough after making few valiant attempts to collect their points from a solitary converted try, and added their fourth straight defeat to sit at the bottom of the points table.
Lock Vimukthi Perera lands one of his two tries for the Cops - Pic by Eshan Fernando
The Cops were in complete command from the first whistle, as they constantly tormented Sri Lions with their heavy and dominant set of forwards. They found the space to breach the Sri Lions defence in the 14th minute, when hooker Vihanga Shaveen completed a brilliant forwards move mid left. Fullback Pasindu Tharuka found his boots intact even from a rather difficult angle as Police SC led 7-0, and further continued to frustrate their opponents.
Centre Vihanga Pivithuru was next to spring into action as he barged through a debilitated Sri Lions defence to brace a try in the 26th minute near the posts, which gave fullback Tharuka an easy conversion to put over. Police SC, leading by 14-0, further stepped on their gas pedal to corner all attempts made by Sri Lions as the control of the game totally slipped away from the hosts.
The Cops added two more unconverted tries, with lock Vimukthi Perera completing a textbook forwards move in the 35th minute, and centre Vihanga Pivithuru touching down his second try in the 38th minute. With that Police SC went in to the halftime break with a comfortable 24-0 lead.
Even after the resumption, Sri Lions failed to find the breakthrough they were hoping for as Police SC gradually paced up their efforts from the first half. Lock Vimukthi Perera repeated the effort he made before the break to land his second try of the game in similar fashion, a try which went unconverted to still have Police SC expanding the lead to 29-0.
The composure of their forwards became evident with Police SC’s sixth try of the game, which came after a forceful move.
Prop Danushka Edirisuriya landed a try in the 55th minute off a maul to have the Sri Lions denfence in guessing, as Tharuka put over to expand Police SC’s lead to 36-0 with 25 minutes remaining.
Two minutes later, the woes of Sri Lions faced further blow when replacement centre Pramuka Theekshana was sent off with a red card for dangerous play, further crippling their chances of scoring. Then came a moment where brilliance outdid the authority of Police. Making a quick break from the centre of the field, Sri Lions’ scrumhalf Praneeth Silva broke through the Police defence to sprint along the far right before making a timely offload to New Zealand centre Provan Samuel who dashed to touch down in the 59th minute. Fullback Kaveesha Nadun converted as Sri Lions added their only points on the board, still trailing the Cops by 7-36.
The final nail of the coffin was pinned by centre Ruskhan Madushanka who added Police SC’s seventh try in the 63rd minute, as they completed the successful mission of claiming their first win of the season in style.