New Zealand outsmart Sri Lanka in Central Hills

The victorious New Zealand Under-85kg outfit
Pix by Shane Senevirathne

By Shamseer Jaleel at Nittawela

Sri Lanka produced a spirited performance but were left to rue missed opportunities as they went down in a hard-fought encounter against New Zealand in their Under-85kg rugby clash by 25 points (3 tries, 2 conversions, 2 penalties) to 10 points (1 penalty goal, 1 penalty) at the Nittawela Rugby Stadium last evening, which was played in front of a packed stadium.
New Zealand, who won the first leg 27-16, won on aggregate 52-26 in the second series of the Sir Graham Henry Trophy encounter.
At the short breather, NZ led 13-7.
The hosts made a blistering start, applying early pressure deep inside the New Zealand red zone. Their persistence paid off almost immediately when they were awarded a penalty try in just the second minute, giving Sri Lanka a deserved 7–0 lead. However, the New Zealanders responded with composure and structure. Lock Jack Laity crossed the line following sustained forward pressure, and skipper Percival added the conversion to level the scores and shift momentum.
Despite enjoying territory and possession, Sri Lanka failed to capitalise on two clear scoring opportunities during the first half. Handling errors and lapses in finishing denied them the chance to extend their lead, which ultimately proved costly. In one of the moves they opted to keep the ball with the forwards while the NZ defence was all over. They failed to use the three-quarter line and missed out on a certain first-half try. Bringing in Kavindu de Costa to the base made a huge difference but still missed the presence of Heshan Jensen.
New Zealand took full advantage of these missed chances. Percival, leading from the front, slotted over two well-judged penalties to edge his side ahead. The visitors carried a narrow 13–7 advantage into the halftime break, reflecting a tightly contested opening period.
In the later half Sri Lanka once again failed to convert territory into points, while New Zealand U-85kg looked threatening in their moves. Josh Evans and Francis Morrison scored a try each, with Pieter Swarts adding one of the conversions. For Sri Lanka, Thenuka Nanayakkara converted a penalty.
Sri Lanka continued to battle with determination, with several players stepping up impressively. Mursheed Doray, Akash Madushanka, Diluksha Dange, Naveen Marasinghe, Omalka Gunarathne, de Costa and Tharindu Chathuranga all made significant contributions, showing grit and commitment throughout the game.
For New Zealand, their Number 8, Sunia Vosikata, Jackson Ephraims and Morrison played their hearts out.
Referee: Morgan White