MILO PRESIDENT’S TROPHY KNOCKOUT FINAL A blockbuster in the offing at Royal Sports Complex
The curtain of the Under- 20 schools rugby season for the year 2014 will come down today with the clash between Isipathana and Royal in the much looked forward Milo President’s Trophy Knockout final scheduled to be kicked off from 4.30pm onwards at the Royal Sports Complex ground in Reid Avenue.
The rugby fans and the supporters of the two schools could expect a blockbuster due to the fact that the two teams possess top talent where a cleanly contested game could be expected as they are evenly balanced.
Royal will be coming into the game to avenge their close 14- 15 defeat to Isipathana in the league championship in the early part of the season. In fact a missed penalty fluffed in the last minute of the game saw them being denied of victory in that match. But since then the Royalists have improved leaps and bounds even though they lost the Bradby Shield against traditional rivals Trinity as they ended up in the fourth position in the league championship.
The Royalists led by their full back Nishman Jayawardena had a successful stint in the Milo President’s trophy tournament when they defeated St. Joseph’s in the quarter- final and then got the better of traditional rivals Trinity in the semi final.
Nishman will be the player that the Isipathanians will have to take note of as he had a successful game in the semi- final against Trinity where he contributed 20 of the 30 points that Royal scored. It was his conversion that gave them a thrilling one point win (30-29).
Royal will bank their hopes in prop forward Supun Warnakulasuriya who scored a hat- trick of tries against St. Joseph’s and also played a wonderful game against Trinity.
Number eight Nikhil Gunadeera will be the other player for the Pathanas to keep an eye on. Nikhil has been in top form this season and was responsible in going over for the match winning try against Trinity.
On the other hand -- Isipathana, the only unbeaten side this season led by flanker Shenal Deelaka will be seeking to win the triple having already clinched the 7s and league titles.
They have a host of players whom they can rely on in the likes of No.8 Omalka Gunaratne, flanker Chathura Dilshan, Gamindu Dissanayake, Sudam Sooriyaarchchi, Dilan Gallage, Asitha Gayashan to name a few who has been in thick of all happenings for the Isipathanians this season.
Of course the Green Shirts had an easy passage against traditional rivals Thurstan whom they outclassed by 50 points to 5 in the quarter-final and then ran through the Science defence in the semi-final after having conceded a 14- 17 lead in the half time to chalk up a convincing 39- 17 victory to book a berth in the final.
This will be the 31st schools knockout tournament which was first played for the President’s Trophy before changing it to Milo trophy in 1995 and then riverting back to President’s trophy a few years back.
Of the 31 tournaments that have been played so far Isipathana has won the title on 13 occasions while ending up as runnerup 12 times, They have won the triple six times with the last being in 1999 under the captaincy of Krishan Chandran. So it’s left to
99TH COLOMBO TENNIS
be seen whether they will be able to win the triple after a lapse of 15 years. Isipathana’s last knockout title win was in 2012.
Royal have won the knockout twice the first being in 2002 but the second time which was in the year 2010 they shared the title with St. Peter’s as the final was not played.
So the final as mentioned earlier is no doubt going to be a blockbuster and the supporters of both sides can witness a high class of rugby being dished out between two of the top sides in the school rugby circuit and let’s keep our fingers crossed whether Isipathana would be able to clinch the triple or Royal take the title for the third year.