ISIPATHANA SECOND HALF BURST TOO MUCH FOR ROYAL
Isipathana needed just under ten minutes in the final stages of the second half (after a 70 metre try scored by centre Hirantha Perera earlier on) to rattle Royal and end the Singer Under 20 Division 1A rugby tournament on a winning note with a comfortable 34-22 win in the match played at Longden Place yesterday.
This was after Royal had taken a close 17-15 lead at the breather. Isipathana accumulated their points through two goals and four tries as against the two goals a try and a penalty by Royal.
The heroes of the Isipathana win was wing three quarter Uditha Prematileke and reliable centre Hirantha Perera who has had a successful season. The duo were responsible for scoring five of the tries for Isipathana with Uditha going over for all the tries in the first half and Hirantha two in the second half.
The first half saw the two teams on par even though Royal was more in the attack. However it was Isipathana who drew first blood through a try by wing three Uditha Prematileke but the conversion was fluffed.
Royal reduced the lead a mo- ment later through a penalty booted over by Rimzi Jamaldeen and then went on to take the lead through a try by second Eroshan de Alwis with Rimzi adding the extra points.
It did not take long for Isipathana to make the next scoring with Uditha going over for his second try to make it ten each. After a tense battle Royal succeeded in taking back the lead which culminated off a five metre scrum with Rimzi Jamaldeen barging his way and also making the conversion.
Later Isipathana having missed several scoring opportunities managed to penetrate the Royal defence which ended in Uditha going over for his third try which too saw the conversion going astray.
The resumption saw Royal missing an opportunity of increasing the lead when a penalty was fluffed with the game six minutes old. But they made amends with a try by Wasim Bawa.
That was all that Royal could do as then on it was Hirantha who changed the com- plexion of the game and his first try was a terrific run of nearly 70 metres.
Hirantha’s run was too much for the Royal defenders who were made to just watch him sprinting his way for a decisive try when Isipathana was trailing 15-22 midway in the second half.
It was Hirantha again who put the game in his sides favour when he went over for a try breaking away from a five minute scrum giving fly half Kavindu de Costa an easy conversion and Isipathana led 2722.
Later second centre Kovinda Wimalachandra sealed the game for the Havelock Park boys in the final stages with a try under the posts with Kavindu de Costa doing the finishing touches which also saw Isipathana regain the Major Milroy Fernando memorial trophy.
Referee- Dinka Peiris