BY SANDHYA DISSANAYAKE, ATTORNEY-AT-LAW
Trinity College, Kandy delivered a commanding 36-12 victory over Isipathana College, Colombo in their Dialog Schools League rugby encounter at Havelock Park yesterday (24), despite a disciplinary-heavy performance that saw them reduced to 13 men at one stage.
The unbeaten defending champions once again showed their superiority over the chasing pack, combining structured attacking rugby with strong defensive organisation, particularly from the forwards under pressure.
Trinity were forced to withstand multiple setbacks, including four yellow cards, but still managed to control key phases of the match and maintain momentum throughout the contest.
Isipathana College, who had started brightly and scored first, struggled to maintain intensity as the match progressed. After their opening points, they were unable to break down Trinity’s defensive structure and eventually lost their unbeaten record in the process.
Trinity led 17-7 at halftime, with their points coming through a penalty try, two converted tries, and three additional tries during the match. Isipathana responded with a converted try and another unconverted effort but could not match Trinity’s pace and execution.
Man-of-the-match Udan Wijekoon played a crucial role at halfback, controlling tempo and providing quick, clean distribution to the backline throughout the game.
Captain Shan Althaf also had a major influence from fullback, directing play effectively and using tactical kicking to consistently pressure the Isipathana defence.
A penalty try was awarded after referee Ravin Alexander, in consultation with assistant referees and the TMO, ruled deliberate collapse of a maul—highlighting the physical intensity and discipline issues present in the match.
Despite Trinity’s dominant scoreline, their kicking accuracy was below par, with missed conversions preventing an even larger margin of victory. Coaching staff led by Fazil Marija are expected to address discipline and execution ahead of the next round.
For Isipathana, fly-half Nimantha Sandeepa stood out as a lone positive, scoring a try in each half and working hard in a losing effort as his side struggled for structure.
In the second fixture of the day, Kingswood College, Kandy edged out Science College, Mount Lavinia 25-21 in a closely fought contest at Pallekele.
Kingswood scored through two converted tries, a try, and two penalty goals, while Science College responded strongly with three converted tries but fell just short in the final stages.
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