New Zealand U85s inaugural tour of Sri Lanka: Match One

New Zealand Under-85s: 50 (Pasia Asiata 2, Jamie Petford, Ben Megson, Jack Laity, Jarred Percival, Francis Morrision 2 tries; Jarred Percival 4 cons, Taine Cordell-Hull con) Sri Lanka Tuskers: 10 (Dahan Wickramarachchi try; Nigel Ratwatte con, pen) HT: 26-7

The Nittawela Rugby Stadium in Kandy, built in 1949 and opened in 1954, was packed to the rafters, all 25,000 seats occupied for the historic, inaugural clash between the New Zealand Under-85s and Sri Lanka.

Former All Blacks Rugby World Cup-winning coach Sir Graham Henry and Sri Lankan sports minister Harin Fernando greeted the teams before kickoff.

Following a rousing haka, the visitors quickly silenced the buoyant home crowd. Calculated phase attack saw No.8 Pasia Asiata, javelin through the defense from close range. Pōneke’s Asiata is a nephew of former hard-hitting Manu Samoa midfielder Brian ‘Chiropractor’ Lima.

Sri Lanka poured into New Zealand territory. A fumble saw Asiata employ his boot to relieve pressure. The visitors panicked with another spillage at halfway. In retreat, Sri Lanka couldn’t stop Pakuranga Panthers winger Jamie Petford, freed after a 30-metre pass by Ben Megson of Grammar Tech.

The open weight Tuskers employed their superior size to fight back. The lineout was a reliable possession source, and eventually, New Zealand buckled from a maul. Powerhouse No.8, Lasindu Karunathilake, crashing over to a rapturous reception.

Francis Morrison was the most elusive outside back. Light on his feet with rapid speed, the Pakarunga Panthers flyer emulated the form that saw him score the winning try in the 2024 National Club Knockout final. A searing break inside his 22 ended in a try for second-five Megson.

In the second half, Morrison crossed the stripe in sync with Ponsonby Hustlers Eamon Reily. That pair combined again in the 73rd minute to engineer a second for Asiata. In the 75th minute, Morrison speared through a ruck after a bullet pass from reserve halfback Taine Cordell-Hull.

New Zealand captain and first-five Jarred Percival left the field after an hour, but not before he jumped, juggled, and jogged in for a second-half try, having earlier fumbled with the line at his mercy. High School Old Boys teammate Josh Purdon was named man-of-the-match. The Christchurch blindside spearheaded a gusty effort for the loose forward effort. While Sri Lanka was eager and physical, they lacked accuracy.

The Sri Lanka Tuskers won the Asia Rugby Division 1 title in 2024. On April 20, Sri Lanka beat Malaysia 59-19 to secure its promotion back to the continent’s top division and revive its chances of qualifying for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia. Fullback Dinal Ekanayake, the top try scorer in the recent domestic league, scored three tries and was officially named man-of-the-match.

The referee was JP Clements from South Africa. Clements began refereeing in 2012 and was a member of the South African Rugby Referees’ Association (SARRA) until 2021. He formed part of the SARU Referee Academy Panel from 2016 to 2021. Presently, Clements resides in Dubai.

The second and final match for the Sir Graham Henry Cup is in Colombo on Saturday.