Joes snatches thrilling win over Kingswood
Kingswood College blew their chances after a gallant effort as St. Joseph’s College came back from the jaws of defeat to snatch a thrilling 20-17 win, following an absorbing pre-quarter-final clash of the Dialog Schools Knockout Rugby Championship 2026 at Havelock Park yesterday.
A rejuvenated Kingswood unit after many seasons, dished out their trademark style of play, indicating the threat they could possess as the season moves forward. They were well set for the big kill, leading the halftime by 17-0 after going over to post two tries, two conversions and a penalty. But they were tested well by the Josephians, who forced two of Kingswood players off the field on yellow-card offences, and responded equally well to level the scores at 17-all at fulltime after scoring from three tries, a conversion and a penalty.
But Kingswood’s genuine efforts turned against them with the two penalties awarded to St. Joseph’s during the sudden death phase, where the first side to score would be named the winner according to competition regulations. After failing the first attempt centre Dion Fernando slotted the second penalty over to seal a 20-17 thriller, as St. Joseph’s advanced to the quarter-final stage.
During the first half, Kingswood wasted little time to turn over all attempts made by the Josephians and force them to commit errors constantly. In such a move flyhalf Aashiq Asmi slotted a penalty in the fifth minute to put Kingswood in the lead by 3-0, and progressively thwart all attempts made by their opponents.
With frustration mounting on the Joes, they were reduced to 14 in the 28th minute with a yellow card, as skipper and scrumhalf Sachintha Naveesha seized the opportunity to brace a try in the very next minute. With Azmi’s conversion Kingswood’s lead expanded to 10-0, as the skipper repeated the same move in just within the halftime to add another converted try and take a fitting 17-0 lead.
But the Josephians changed their approach after the resumption, though Kingswood did not entirely concede, until a flocked forward move broke their stronghold in the 43rd minute. With a converted try to their name, the Josephians made their entry at 17-7, and by the 55th minute Kingswood had lost the two players on yellow-card offences.
It was when centre Menusha Marasinghe barged in to post an unconverted try and close in the gap by 17-12, before winger Hisurha Manahara made a gallant move to flummox the Kingswood defence in the 63rd minute to add another unconverted try and level the game, which dragged towards a sudden death decider.