Trinity burn down Science lab
Trinity College braced six tries to massacre Science College by 36-0 in a sixth week game of the Dialog School Rugby League 2024 at the Sugathadasa Stadium yesterday.
Travelling down from Kandy to Colombo, the Trinitians were held up during the onset up until the 20th minute by the hosts Science, but despite unforced errors they went on to score from six tries and three conversions, while leading 12-0 at halftime. Science attempted all they could, even forcing Trinity to commit mistakes many a time. But they failed to penetrate the tight Trinity defence and ended up scoreless for the first time in the season.
Pic by Akila Jayawardena
Science were clinical during the opening phase, but skipper and centre Anuhas Kodituwakku made a clean pick and go to land Trinity’s first try in the 20th minute to take a 5-0 lead, after flyhalf Shan Altaf fluffed the conversion. Just on the brink of the halftime lock Yasiru Ariyawansa barged in to give Trinity their second try, and a successful Altaf conversion to follow, they took a healthy 12-0 lead at the break.
The hosts made inroads to attack the Trinity stronghold after the resumption, but the visitors managed to break away from the clutches spearheaded by skipper Kodituwakku and Yevan Hulangamuwa, who had a good game collectively.
Winger Udeesha Ratnayake added Trinity’s third try in the 40th minute, and with Altaf’s conversion they expanded the lead to 19-0. What followed was the constant offensive moves from Trinity, which was well rewarded by a neatly bounded forward move resulting lock Rushen Bandaranayake go for the bonus point try in the 56th minute. Trinity’s 24-0 lead was further expanded to 29-0 in the 65th minute through a similar move, pushing lock Manusha Silva for a well-earned try, as both tries went unconverted.
During the last phase of the game, Science accelerated their pace and were fully occupying Trinity’s 22 until flyhalf Altaf made a surprise interception and covered almost the entire field to score under-the-post. He skipped the kicking to make an easy conversion that sealed Trinity’s 36-0 cleanup on Science.