These are what matches are made of! Blockbuster action that whip ups the action to a frantic crowd for their sides on their feet shouting hoarse brought this schools’ final to a climax as Isipsthana
centre Yuvindu Kodituwakku turned the sweat and blood of over an hour of fury to a dramatically grinding finish with an enthralling now or never last gasp try with defeat staring in the eyes that resurrected the green jerseys from what had looked until that turn around moment like certain the trophy well as surrendered to Trinity.
SURRENDER NOT
But surrender not wast the literal slogan word do or die thrust of the green jerseys from that famous rugby infectious Havelock Park habitat as Isipathana better known in rugby terminology as Patana or more heroically as the Green Machines reached their element in moving the ball to Kodithuwakku performing a truly memorable try barging through a wall of Trinitians that threatened defeat.
A closely contested final of this Schools’ Dialog President’s Trophy Knockout Tournament dimmed by missed penalty scoring opportunities by both sides hovered on a thin knife edge from a 7-6 half time thrust by Isipathana on the works of Centre Adithya Madushan’s 12th minute try converted by Avishka Hiran. The contest was brought close by Trinity scoring 6 points from two penalty conversions by fullback Shan Althaf in the 14th minute and 24th minute, but Trinity’s reputed ever reliable place kicker fluffing a subsequent possible one was a bad miss that well cost Trinity the trophy as the Green Machines led by a thread, 7-6.
The Trinitians would go on to rue a brilliant try by Althaf from a 70 meter solo run was disallowed by referee Gihan Yatawara. Althaf then hit a flow fluffing another penalty but came back with a brilliant drop goal putting Trinity into a 9-7 lead.
But then, Trinity’s trophy insulation as it turned out to be was short lived as Kodithuwskku arrived to snatch it away to the Green Machines retaining the trophy for a second consecutive year.