Volcanoes bow to Sri Lankans

The Philippine Volcanoes blew their title bid in the Asian Rugby Championship Division 1, absorbing a 21-25 setback to Sri Lanka and eventually finishing third yesterday at the Royal Selangor Stadium.

The Volcanoes held a 21-20 lead at the 73rd minute mark but their fortunes changed when Jasen Dissanayake sneaked in a late try on the wet grounds that enabled the 2015 champion Sri Lankans to steal the victory.

It wasn’t enough for the Tuskers to retain the crown, though, as host Malaysia beat it to the top of the table at the end of league-format competition by two points.

Cheered on by friendly faces, the Malaysians crushed Singapore in the second game, 40-20, to log a winning 11 points in the four-country meet, pulling down Sri Lanka (nine points) to second.

The Filipinos took the bronze with a seven-point card (1-0-2 win-draw-loss) and maintained their spot in Division 1. With only four points, the Singaporeans (1-0-2) placed fourth and last and were relegated to Division 2.

Sri Lanka put Phl on the back-foot in the first 40 minutes, taking a 20-11 lead with Dissanayake and Riza Mubarak making the most damage.

The Filipinos pressed on in the second half and scored 10 unanswered points to wrest the upperhand, 21-20.

Oliver Saunders started the searing offensive when he eluded the defenders to touch the ground at the 61st and consummated the succeeding conversion kick to cut Sri Lanka’s margin to two at 18-20. The Volcanoes earned a penalty kick at the 73rd and Saunders gamely converted it for a one-point edge.

Dissanayake, however, foiled the Filipinos’ party with his late try.