Sri Lanka annihilate Malaysia to reach Asia’s top tier
Backed by a full house of passionate home fans, the Tuskers delivered a commanding first-half display to lead 33-7 at the break and maintained their dominance to seal a memorable win, as they went on to brace nine tries and convert seven of them. With this result, Sri Lanka qualified for Asia’s Top Tier alongside UAE, South Korea, and Hong Kong — a monumental achievement in the island’s rugby history.
Malaysia, who responded with three tries and two conversions, looked threatening at the onset, but were clinically surprised and tamed by the unsuspecting moves of the Sri Lankan three-quarters.
Sri Lanka celebrating their emphatic victory following epic win at the Racecourse - Pix by M.A. Pushpa Kumara
The game began at a frantic pace, with winger Janidu Dilshan diving over for the opening try in the sixth minute after a clever build-up initiated by skipper and flyhalf Nigel Ratwatte and centre Dhanushka Ranjan. Fullback Mursheed Doray missed the tricky conversion, but Sri Lanka led 5-0.
Malaysia briefly hit back in the 11th minute. After a scrum near the posts, Fijian-born No.8 Etonia Vaqa powered over under the sticks, and the conversion by Amirul Aqik put the visitors ahead 7-5. That would be their only taste of the lead. From there on, Sri Lanka took complete control of the contest, led by the experienced spine of Ratwatte, Ranjan and Tarindu Chathuranga.
Player of the Match, Dinal Ekana
Ratwatte’s accurate territorial kicks pinned Malaysia back. In the 23rd minute, Ranjan broke through the defence after a clever offload from Ratwatte to score Sri Lanka’s second try. Doray made no mistake with the conversion 12-7. Centre Akash Madushanka added the third try in the 32nd minute, running straight and hard past defenders before touching down under the posts. Doray converted again, stretching the lead to 19-7.
Winger Dinal Ekanayake added a fourth just three minutes later, showing pace and agility after a fine pass from scrum-half Heshan Jansen and No.8 Lasindu Karunathilaka. Doray slotted it to put Sri Lanka ahead by 26-7. The fifth try came from debutant lock Naveen Marasinghe, who finished off a flowing move just before the break. With Doray’s conversion, Sri Lanka went into halftime with a commanding 33-7 lead.
The second half saw winger Dinal Ekanayake steal the spotlight with a clinical hat-trick of tries. Following his first in the first half, Ekanayake’s second came in the 46th minute, racing down the left wing untouched. By the 50th minute, he completed his third, slicing through a yawning gap to push the score to 47-7.
Sri Lanka were briefly reduced to 14 men when flanker Thilina Bandara was yellow-carded for an illegal entry in the 52nd minute. Malaysia took advantage, scoring through Etonia Vaqa’s second try from a turnover. With Mohammed Nazrin’s conversion, it became 47-14. But Sri Lanka responded immediately. In the 59th minute, winger Dilshan intercepted a loose Malaysian pass to score his second try. With Doray’s conversion, the scoreboard read 54-14.
Vaqa’s hat-trick not enough
Etonia Vaqa gave Malaysia a rare moment to cheer when he completed his own hat-trick in the 69th minute after breaking through from a lineout with an unconverted try. But it was too little, too late. In the 73rd minute, Sri Lanka’s rolling maul brought the final try of the match through lock Dahan Wickramarachchi, capping off the win in style.
“Our plan was to play fast and open from the start, and we did so during the first 30 minutes of the game. Eventually it paid off and resulted a strong win for us. It’s a wonderful feeling, to enjoy such a good win in front of a surprisingly large crowd,” skipper Ratwatte stated following Sri Lanka’s epic victory.
Sri Lanka’s senior stars were influential throughout. Skipper Nigel Ratwatte, leading the Tuskers for the first time, was calm and precise. Vice-captain Dhanushka Ranjan ran hard lines and disrupted Malaysia’s defence. Tharindu Chathuranga was tireless in the loose. When the final whistle blew, the crowd erupted. The 59-19 victory not only marked a dominant performance but also Sri Lanka’s entry into Asia Rugby’s elite — a remarkable step forward for the sport on the island. Hat-trick hero Dinal Ekanayake was named Player of the Match and received his award from Asia Rugby President Qais Al Dhalai, who was the chief guest at the venue.
Sri Lanka will now face Hong Kong, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates during May and July on the Asia Rugby Emirates Men’s Championship 2025, with the winner guaranteed a slot at the Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 to be held in Australia. The second best team of the upcoming tournament, will enter a repechage phase against the runners-up of the Rugby Africa Cup 2025 later on.
