By A Special Sports Correspondent
Bradby boys Royal together with St. Peter’s College kept their hopes alive for podium honours in the inter-school under 19 Fifteen-a-side league rugby tournament when they overcame opponents Isipatana and St. Anthony’s respectively in two Super Round matches that were worked off in Colombo last Friday and Saturday.
The match of the week was the one between Royal and reigning champions Isipatana -played in front of a capacity crowd at Royal Sports Complex -where the host team went on to record a smashing 22-17 win. The game was dominated by Royal from the start and Isipatana just couldn’t dictate terms to the winners during the entire 70 plus minutes of the game. The winners, who led 6-3 at half time, collected their points through one try, one conversion and five penalties while Isipatana collected their points through one try, one penalty try, one conversion and a penalty.
The most significant role for Royal was played by kicker Nabeel Yehiya who kicked right five penalties and a conversion and kept the scoreboard ticking for Royal on a day the boys from Reid Avenue could produce just one try; which came off the efforts of Thivain Perera.
Royal had raced through to a score of 16 points to 3 at one stage of the game, but Isipatana came back strongly and earned a try through Rinesh Silva. That made the score 16-10 with the conversion added with a clean strike, but Royal knew to bring in points and swelled their score to 22 points through the kicking prowess of Yahiya. Isipatana earned some respite through the efforts of Shahid Zumri which forced Royal to err and give away a penalty try in the second half. The gap in points was reduced to five but the way Royal defended resolutely in the dying stages of the match showed that Isipatana was a long way from scoring again and pulling off the match. Royal by virtue of wining this game also took home the Maj. Milroy Fernando Trophy which was on offer.
St. Peter’s made a mockery of St. Anthony’s presence in this stage of the tournament by scoring a run away 39-0 win in the other super round game, worked off on Friday at Bambalapitiya. The winners led 29-0 at half time.
The winners collected their points through six tries, one conversion and a penalty. Skipper Ashean Madugasge touched down twice, but the peach of the try produced in their game came off the efforts of Sudesh Jayawickreme. The other try scorers for St. Peter’s were Dineth Ranasinghe, Ranithu Ridmal and Pasindu Bandara.