St. Joseph’s - S. Thomas’ Lady Jayatileke Shield: S. Thomas’ retains Lady Jayatileke Shield with comfortable win

S. Thomas’ celebrate after winning the Lady Jayatileke Shield  

Action from the match between S. Thomas’ and St. Joseph’s
 (Pix by Kushan Pathiraja)  

By M. Shamil Amit   

S. Thomas’ College retained the Lady Jayatileke Shield in their annual rugby encounter against St. Joseph’s College when they came out victorious with a comfortable 43 points to 31 in the 65th match of the series played at Havelock Park yesterday. The win saw the Thomians chalking up their 45th win of the series, Josephians 17 with three ending in draws.   

The outcome of the match was visible before it began and Thomians having taken a comfortable 28-12 lead at the breather accumulated their points through five goals, a try and a penalty while the Josephians made up their points through three goals and two tries.   

Thomian skipper and fly half Yehan Bulathsinghalage had a field day as he was in top form as he was responsible for 21 of the points his side scored.which came off two tries, four conversions and a penalty.   

The Thomians made the first scoring in the third minute with winger Udan Bulathsinghalage going over for a try which Yehan Bulathsinghalage made no mistake with the conversion but the Josephians reduced the deficit with second row Shehan Malinda scoring a peach of a try where he ran over 50 metres but unfortunately a kickable conversion was fluffed.   

From there the two sides shared the honours before the Thomians succeeded to breach their opponents’ defence in the 14th minute with skipper Bulathsinghalage going over for a try and also succeeded to boot over the conversion. Ten minutes later the Josephians struck with centre Malshan Delmin making another move similar to the first try as he intercepted a Thomian pass and sprinted over 60 metres for a try which Beesma Jayasekera added the extra points.   

The Thomians undeterred got their act together and succeeded to go for two tries within the space of six minutes with centre Joel Cameron going over for the first and skipper Bulathsinghalage the second which was his second of the match and with both being converted one by the Bulathsinhalage’s, Yehan and Udan saw the short whistle being blown with the Thomians leading 28-12.   

On resumption it was the Thomians who again made the first scoring in the second minute with Bulathsinghalage booting over a penalty. With the game hotting up the Josephians succeeded to decrease the lead in the eighth minute with Shehan Malinda going over for an unconverted try which was his second of the match but the Thomians increased their lead six minutes later with second row Akesh Fernando’s try while skipper added the extra points.   

With the Thomians in the lead (38-17) saw the Josephians succeeding to decrease their deficit from a try score by winger Induwara Rodrigo and fly half Beeshma Jayasekera making the conversion to which the Thomians replied through an unconverted try scored by Kaveesha Lenagala and just before the long whistle was blown fly half Beeshma Jayasekera went over for a try which he himself converted but it was too late as it could prevent from the Thomians coasting to a comfortable 43-31 victory.   
Referee – Aruna Shantha