S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, proved themselves to be better ‘mud larkers’ as they recorded a roaring 14-0 win over defending champions Kingswood College, Kandy, while breaking a 14-year hoodoo in a match where the home team displayed a fine sense of sportsmanship by changing their jerseys midway due to a difficulty in distinguishing the players at Bogamabara Stadium in Kandy yesterday.

The Thomians took home the honours after 1995, winning under Hans Willimora who defeated Kingswood under Nalaka Weerakkody and since then it has been Kingswood all the way which makes this win for the Thomians an significant one.

This inter-school rugby encounter that had to be played in wet and slippery conditions, due to heavy rains experienced in Kandy, while not losing the quality of rugby, did transform into one of the finest games and both teams should be complemented for that.

It was the robust forwards of S. Thomas’ who did much of the hard work for their three quarters to deliver the results and they were far ahead of their opponents in set pieces while the home team dominated in the loose. The winners scored their points off two goals while depriving the home team of any breakthroughs.

Both teams that got into the field with identical jersey coulors, saw a scoreless 1st half where the two teams had their chances but solid defence prevented both side from scoring.

The last ten minutes of the 1st half that lowered the excitement due to heavy showers, led to a situation where the referee Aruna Rankothge found it difficult to differentiate the players of the two sides due to their identically coloured jerseys while transforming them into mud-coated outfits, and prior to the resumption, the referee requested the teams to wear different colours and the players of Kingswood were gracious enough to adhere to that request.

They returned to the field with jerseys of their junior team which the senior lads found a bit small. Yet their attempt to keep the game moving should be viewed with appreciation. The Kingswood captain, Roshan Weeraratne, who was short of a jersey of a different colour, was offered one which was worn by their coach Nilufer Ibrahim in an act which emanated a great quality of sportsmanship.

The 2nd half that got off to a late start, saw the control of the game fluctuating to either side and finally it was the Thomians who succeeded to penetrate the rival defence. This was possible as a result of a number eight break from a wheeling scrum, ten meters away from the score-line. It was R.S.P. Gunasekara who went over to draw first blood in the 10th minute of this half and winger Arjun Manoharan was there to place Mount Lavinia lads on top by 7-0.

Subsequently, the Randle Hills lads made a valiant attempt off the efforts of their full back, Rajitha Sansoni but after covering a good 40m, the ball almost popped up off his hands and, gaining advantage of this flaw, the Thomians worked their three quarters where their winger Manoharan offloaded to the 1st centre Wickramasinghe and then to Anuruddha Wilvara who dashed well over 70m before touching down near the post in the 23rd minute of play. Manoharan put over to make it 14-0.