Rugby: Japan beat Sri Lanka 12-10 in Cup semi-final

Sri Lanka fought pretty hard to overpower Japan, who eventually went on to secure a thrilling 12-10 win in the Cup semi-final match of the 18th Asian Games 2018 at the GBK Rugby Field in Indonesia today (1).

Sri Lanka made the initiative by opening the scoring through an unconverted try off Kavindu Perera in the first minute while Japan responded with an unconverted try off Kosuke Hashino in the third minute to level scores at 5-5.

Skipper Sudarshana Muthuthanthri put Sri Lanka on the lead again with a try in the sixth minute and held on to the lead until the brink of the halftime. 

However Japan's Katsuyuki Sakai made a surprising move to score a try and also make the conversion to take the lead by 12-10 at halftime. 

Both teams scored two tries each and Japan booked the berth in the Gold medal final with the difference of a conversion, which Srinath Sooriyabandara failed in on both occasions for the Tuskers. 

Sri Lanka will meet South Korea or Hong Kong in the Bronze medal playoff later today.