This will be the game to watch
The Royal Sport Complex today will host one of the most decisive rugby encounters to be played in the recent times when Trinity College and Isipathana College clash in the Milo-President’s Trophy Schools Knockout final.
What makes the Trinity-Isipathana clash more interesting and intensive was the fashion the Schools League Championships concluded. Favourites Trinity was well established to lay their hands on the Schools League Championship until dark horses Isipathana spoiled their apple cart through a revitalised Vidyartha College outfit, who was later disqualified from the tournament being proven of fielding an overage player. Eventually Isipathana were declared the league winners despite having only lost to Trinity in the competition where the outcomes against Vidyartha were altered as wins by the Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association.
Action at the Trinity Vs Isipathana match during the school season
Today’s final game in Colombo will be crucial for both Trinity and Isipathana who will get another opportunity to prove who the real frontrunner for the season is. On strength Trinity has the upper hand with some good names under their belt such as, skipper Kaneel Seneviratne, Sri Lanka Under-19 skipper Randika de Alwis, forward Dhuli Samarakoon, Halique Wadood, Sanjay Somasiri, Thisila Karunatilleke, Dharshana Udalagama and Sanchana Shiek who have produced sterling performances during the season. Though Isipathana do not possess star players unlike other years, they too have good playmakers who are capable of turning a game around in skipper Kumendra Dharmadasa, No.8 Arun Kumar and fly half Kavindu de Costa.
The last time both teams met was on May 20, earlier this year, in what seemed to be a less important clash when the league tournament was still at its infancy. Trinity grabbed the win by 23-20 after a hard fought battle but eventually the margin of the win proved costly for them.
On the other hand though Isipathana lost the league game, the margin eventually came in favour of them when the league’s fate was dependant on a judicial verdict. This was a major blow for the Trinitians who eyed the league plum after hammering traditional rivals Royal twice to claim the Bradby Shield in style.
Despite what occurred in the past, judging the finalist teams from its league outcomes will not be fitting. Both teams have considerably changed their playing patterns over the months and they were out of action for nearly three months since the league tournament concluded. Regardless of being out of action for so many weeks as outfits, both Trinity and Isipathana impressed during schools knockout competition which kicked off two weeks ago.
Both teams received byes in the quarterfinal stage making them the least featured teams against Kingswood, St. Anthony’s, Wesley and Dharmaraja who were eliminated in couples from the quarterfinals and semi-final stages. Isipathana reached the final by beating Dharmaraja by 27-15 last Friday (5) while Trinity pummelled Wesley by 41-24 the very next day at the Royal Sports Complex. What the records indicate cannot be judged in a competition of this nature, as Trinity and Isipathana battle it out for a real supremacy though they feature in the Milo-President’s Trophy Schools Knockout final in Colombo today.
Trinity: Anuradha Karunatilleka, Dhuli Samarakoon, Kishin Siva, Mohamed Insaf, Sanka Etulgama, Chanaka Attanayake, Ryle Madena, Thushan Dharmasena, Shanilka Fernando, Isuru Rangala, Aaquif Sarooj, Umesh Samarasekera, Ashan Perera, Modheera Hettiarachchi, Shahim Singalaxana, Ranika de Alwis, Sanjay Somasiri, Halique Wadood, Namitha Pethiyagoda, Tharinda Ratwatte, Dhanesh Perera, Kaneel Seneviratne (Capt), Thisila Karunatilleka, Lochana Girihagama, Kanishka Yatawara, Dharshana Udalagama, Dureka Aluvihare, Naresh Perera, Sanchana Shiek. Isipathana: Ushan Charuka, Ganuka Dissanayake, S.A.W. Karunaratne, Ashan Darling, Dhanushka Bandara, Manaka Siriwardena, Ruchira Dilshan, Ganidu Lakshan, Malilth Ranga Gomis, Heshan Maldeniya, Kumendra Dharmadasa (Capt), Senal Deelaka, Nuwan Randima, P. Arun Kumar, Hasitha Udyoga, Nilushan Jayanga, Sudam Pathirana, Kavindu de Costa, Asel Jayawardane, Dilshan Viduranga, Shenal Dias, Hirantha Perera, Shamal Chathuranga, Ashan Kavinda, Pabasara Madhawa, Uditha Premathilake, Isanga Panchama, Sandeepa Himasha, Chararana Jayasinghe, Sithum Chathusanka, Kushan Indunil.
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