Royal in hard fought 14-7 win over Joes

Two penalties put over by Royal skipper and fly half Rimzi Jamaldeen midway in the second half made the major difference when Royal pulled off a hard fought 14 points (a try and three penalties) to 7 (one goal) win over St. Joseph’s in the Singer Under 20 school rugby encounter at the Royal College Sports Complex grounds yesterday after leading 5-0 at lemons.

In a compulsive forwards battle the match swung furiously from side to side with both teams erring at crucial moments by knocking on. In the first half the play was confined mostly in mid field with the forwards of either side trying to break the shackles.

Royal opened scoring early in the fifth minute when number eight Pasindu Perera scored off a five metre scrum and Jamaldeen failed to add the extra points. A few minutes later Jamaldeen also missed an easy twenty five meter penalty. But he later fired over two crucial penalties to put his side on the path to victory.

On resumption the Joes forwards spearheaded by Stefan Gregory, Sheran Johnson, Thariq Salih, S. Udumalagala, Jason Melder, Minura Randula gave a terrific display forcing several scrums near the Royal goal line and inserting the pressure which the Royalists withstood through their forwards - Shahid Haniffa, Keshan Peiris, Pasindu Perera, Yasun Weerasooriya and deputy skipper Shuayb Muthaliph.

In the tenth minute of the second half Royal went ahead further when Rimzi Jamaldeen put over an easy twenty metre penalty.

The match swung from one half to the other with both sides unable to penetrate each others defence. The Darley Road school missed the opportunity of reducing the deficit when fly half Dulith Fernando missed a thirty five metre penalty. But the Joes came back strongly exploiting Royal’s defence lapses and lack of fitness to score a fine try when centre Vishmitha Peiris crashed through to touch down under the post to give Dulith Fernando an easy kick at goal and the score read 8-7.

The Reid Avenue school launched an all out assault in the last five minutes and were rewarded with two twenty five metre penalties both of which were put over by Rimzi Jamladeen to give Royal a close 14-7 win.

Dinka Peiris refereed.

Royal winger Udesh Ranaweera storms ahead after evading a tackle from two Josephian defenders.

Royal’s full back Nimshan Jayawardene runs into a tackle by Josephian Vimukthi Rahula in their Singer schools Under 20 rugby match played at Royal Sports Complex yesterday. Royal won by 14 points to 7. Picture by Susantha Wijegunasekera.