COLOMBO : In a match packed with intensity and spirit, St. Thomas’ College edged out St. Peter’s College 28-26 in a breathtaking battle that swung wildly until the final whistle. With both teams fighting to the end, the Thomians held their nerve to successfully defend the coveted Archibald Perera Trophy once again
The Peterites wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. In just the 7th minute, fly-half Jamal Wahab spotted space and slipped a neat offload to Senuth Dinsara, who dived over the line to open the scoring. Rajith Jeon made no mistake with the conversion, giving St. Peter’s an early boost. (SPC 7 – 0 S
That momentum continued as the Peterites kept possession and pushed deep into Thomian territory. A few phases later, Januth Rathnayake powered over the line from a close-range pick and go. Jeon was once again accurate with the boot, putting the Peterites in firm control. (SPC 14 – 0 STC)
But St. Thomas’ weren’t about to roll over. They responded with a cleverly worked move of their fly half Udan Bulathsinghalage, who sold a dummy that completely fooled the Peterite defence and sliced through to score. Mayanka Dias added the conversion to get the home side on the board. (SPC 14 – 7 STC)
The Thomians struck again before halftime. This time, it was Chanuth Eheliyagoda who found himself in space as a defensive lapse by St. Peter’s opened up a clear gap. Eheliyagoda made no mistake, and Dias’ second conversion brought the scores level going into the break. (SPC 14 – 14 STC)
Half Time Score: St. Peter’s College 14 (2 Tries, 2 Conversions)
St. Thomas’ College 14 (2 Tries, 2 Conversions) St. Thomas’ came out strong in the second half, continuing to build pressure through their forwards. After multiple phases near the Peterite try line, Mckyle Karunaratne crashed over to give the Thomians the lead for the first time in the game. Dias slotted his third conversion with ease. (SPC 14 – 21 STC)
The Thomains weren’t done. A few minutes later, Bulathsinghalage came alive once more, brushing off a would-be tackler and darting under the posts for his second try of the evening. Dias kept up his perfect kicking record to extend the lead to 14 points. (SPC 14 – 28 STC)
Then came a pivotal moment in the 56th minute. Peterite second row Revon Perera was shown a red card for dangerous play, a late challenge that involved elbow contact to the neck of an opponent. With St. Peter’s reduced to 14 men, the odds seemed stacked against a comeback.
But the Peterites found new energy in adversity. Shenuka Perera got them back in the game with a try out wide after a rapid counterattack. However, the conversion was charged down by the Thomians, and this move ultimately became a deciding factor of the game. (SPC 19 – 28 STC)
With time slipping away, Peter’s took full advantage of a Thomian error under the high ball. After winning a penalty just five meters out, they went quickly, and Shenuka Perera crossed again to complete his brace. Emith Jayaweera nailed the conversion, bringing the game within two points. (SPC 26 – 28 STC)
Despite the late surge from the Peterites, St. Thomas’ held their nerve and managed the final minutes smartly to secure a narrow and hard-earned win and managed to retain the Archibald Perera Trophy.
Final Score: St. Thomas’ College 28 (4 Tries, 4 Conversions) – St. Peter’s College 26 (4 Tries, 3 Conversions)
