DSS face Joes with eye on Super Round spot
Naveen Marasinghe (St. Joseph’s Captain)-Jayathu Rajarathna (D. S. Senanayake Captain)-Ataab Manzil (Trinity Captain)-Aadil Rafeek (Zahira Captain)
D. S. Senanayake College will be targeting an elusive Super Round spot when they face St. Joseph’s College in a decisive Inter-Schools Under-19 Division One League Rugby Tournament fixture at Havelock Park on Saturday.
The newcomers to ‘A’ Division this year, have already left a lasting impression with some outstanding performances and are just one step away from achieving another milestone in their brief rugby history.
D. S. Senanayake have done all the hard work by recording four superb victories and now they need to focus on their last first-round game of the tournament to finish in second place of Group 1A points table.
In contrast, the last year league runners-up St. Joseph’s are out of the reckoning having already lost three games and they are looking for a consolation win to conclude the tournament on a winning note.
Even then, the momentum is with D. S. Senanayake as they are hoping to continue the excellent work after having pulled off a sensational 13-10 win over S. Thomas’ College last week at the same venue.
Zahira v Trinity
Trinity College will make their first appearance in Colombo when they confront Zahira College in their Inter-Schools Under-19 Division One League Rugby Tournament match at Maradana on Saturday.
This game will also provide a great opportunity for the Trinitians to warm-up ahead of next week’s Bradby Shield second leg encounter against the traditional rivals Royal College in Colombo.
However, the Zahirians could be a tough opposition on their home grounds and will be determined to make a huge impact in their last match of the league tournament.
In fact, last week, Zahira produced a magnificent performance to topple the favourites Vidyartha College 23-3 at the Bogambara Stadium in Kandy.
Trinity and Zahira have the identical playing record of three wins and two defeats from five matches, but the former is slightly ahead with an extra bonus point.
St. Peter’s v Vidyartha
St. Peter’s College will have a great opportunity to conclude the first-round segment on a winning note when they host Vidyartha College in their Schools Under-19 Division One League Rugby Tournament encounter at Bambalapitiya on Saturday.
The Peterites have a clean sheet now with five successive victories under their belt and look well set to further extend their lead in the points table, which will be an advantage for them in the Super Round segment.
Meanwhile, Vidyartha will look to produce an improved performance and bounce back from last week’s shock 3-23 defeat at the hands of Zahira College at the Bogambara Stadium in Kandy.
Science College v Dharmaraja
Science College will have the chance of pulling off their first win this season when they confront Dharmaraja College in their Inter-Schools Under-19 Division One League Rugby Tournament match at Mount Lavinia on Saturday.
Science College have been up against some top teams so far, and a victory in their last match of the tournament will certainly give them a morale booster despite finishing last in the points table. The Rajans too, will be determined to add some points to their tally having started the tournament with a stunning 17-15 win over hometown rivals Trinity College at the Bogambara Stadium.