Sri Lanka got over the disappointment of failing to qualify for the World Cup Rugby Sevens by clinching the Plate championship of an Asian Rugby Sevens Series for the third time beating China 26-5 in the final played in Singapore yesterday. This is the third straight occasion when Sri Lanka won a Plate title from [...]

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Lanka 7s team bags Plate in Singapore

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Sri Lanka got over the disappointment of failing to qualify for the World Cup Rugby Sevens by clinching the Plate championship of an Asian Rugby Sevens Series for the third time beating China 26-5 in the final played in Singapore yesterday. This is the third straight occasion when Sri Lanka won a Plate title from four Asian Sevens Series outings this year.

In the final, Nigel Ratwatte gave an early lead for Saliya Kumara to convert as Sri Lanka went ahead with 7-0 but China scored immediately to cut the deficit 7-5 with a failed conversion. The hopes of a possible China win took a beating following their solitary try as Dinusha Chathuranga scored the second try for the Tuskers with Kumara’s conversion beefing up the Lankan lead. Ratwatte scored for the second time to extend Sri Lanka’s lead as they went for the breather with a 21-5 lead. After the turnaround China tried their best to add points on the board while Sri Lanka with a spirited performance defended well. Chula Susantha finished any hopes of a China shot as he scored the fourth try for the winners. The munificent victory against China completed a hat-trick of Plate victories since claiming the Bowl title in Borneo.

Sri Lanka’s Vishwamithra Jayasinghe in actrion.

In the main event Japan beat Hong Kong in a grudge battle for regional supremacy by a narrow margin 14-12. Hong Kong led 12-nil at half time but could not prevent the Cherry Blossoms from rampaging in the second half. The Philippines will join Japan and Hong Kong as the third Asian team for the 2013 Rugby 7s when they beat South Korea in another close encounter where the score line was 22-19.
Earlier Sri Lanka had it in them to beat South Korea in the third place play off and win a place in the World Cup Sevens but let it slip away after going down by 17-12. On the way to the Plate Sri Lanka beat Malaysia in the semi-final, for the third time in a row this year.

On the first day of the tournament, Sri Lanka managed to get off to a flyer beating rookies Indonesia by 52-nil but lost against Japan in their last group game, 35-nil. The much looked forward to Cup quarterfinals between South Korea and Sri Lanka was won by the Koreans after a last minute try and with this loss, Sri Lanka failed to qualify for the 2013 Rugby 7’s World Cup in Moscow. Japan and Hong Kong are the only two Asian teams to have qualified for every Rugby World Cup Sevens since the inaugural tournament in 1993, while Korea failed to qualify for the 2009 event in Dubai, they hold the distinction of being the highest ever Asian finisher at a world championship after reaching tied-fifth overall at RWC Sevens 1997 in Hong Kong.




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