Thomians in 29-11 win over Ananda

By Ranjan Anandappa

RUGBY: S. Thomas' beat Ananda by 29 points (3 goals, 1 try, 1 penalty) to 11 (1 try, 2 penalties) in a scrappy school rugger match played at Longden Place yesterday.

The winners led 15-0 at the breather.

The favourites Thomians lived upto their reputation. Ananda restricted their opponents until the last ten minutes of the match as the Thomians stretched their lead with two tries scored by winger Heshan Gunaratne and Asela de Livera Tennekoon which Manjith Thammanagama giving them the extra points on both occasions.

Thomians drew first blood off a Thammanagama penalty in the third minute.

Ananda should have equalised when a penalty was awarded soon after, but Ushira Jayasundera missed the kick.

It was winger Heshan Gunaratne who scored the first try for the winners when he ran zig-zag and passed the ball to flanker Harshana Mendis to touch down under the post. Thammanagama made no mistake with the easy conversion.

Minutes before half time Harshana Gunaratne was once again the play maker when he picked a clearance from a Ananda defender close to the Ananda territory and pierced through the fragile defence to score an unconverted try.

Ananda scored their only try through flanker Ashan Madusanka. Ushira Jayasundera put over the penalties for the losers.

Referee. Priyantha Gunaratne.