Peiris hat-trick help Rajans stun Sri Sumangala
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Action at Bogambara
No.8 Nimsha Peiris scored a hat-trick as Dharmaraja College regained their winning ways with a commanding 32-12 win against newcomers Sri Sumangala College in a second week game of Dialog Schools Rugby League 2024 at Bogambara yesterday. Kicking off the rivalry between two hometown teams under a heavy downpour, both teams were evenly poised during the first half, with the Rajans holding on to a slender 13-12 lead at halftime.
But they were forceful after the resumption, culminating with a tally of five tries, two conversions and a penalty, against the two tries and a conversion by Sri Sumangala, who looked daring on set play.
The start of the game was shaky as Sri Sumangala unleashed an early unsuspecting onslaught to keep the Rajans thinking and defending. The Rajans gained breakthrough from a penalty in the 15th minute, which was put over by their skipper and centre Sadeera Weerawansa. The 3-0 lead of Dharmaraja was shortlived as Sri Sumangala retaliated to snatch the lead in the 19th minute from a brilliant try from prop Yasiru Ratnayake. With a failed conversion from scrumhalf Sachika Bandara, Sri Sumangala led 5-3.
Lock Ravindu Wickramage contributed from his brilliant moves to held Dharmaraja regain the lead following a try that went unconverted 8-5 in the 27th minute. But Bandara was quick enough to respond with a try in the 31st as he helped Sri Sumangala regain the lead by 12-8 following the conversion from Nazar Adil.
The Rajans fought back valiantly only to be paid off with the first of three tries from Nimsha Peiris on the brink of halftime as the visitors gained a one-point lead at the break.
The second half entirely belonged to Dharmaraja, despite a few brief comebacks from Sri Sumangala, as they went on to add three more tries to the tally and prevent the opponents from scoring. Peiris braced two tries, one in the 37th minute, and the other in the 59th, while flanker Prabuddika Madushan braced one in the 51st minute. Skipper Weerawansa put over the first two tries as Dharmaraja walked away with a 32-12 win.