Isipathana maul Wesley to book last-four berth
Defending champions Isipathana College delivered a powerful performance in the second half to defeat Wesley College by 24 points to 10 in their Dialog President’s Trophy Knockout Rugby Tournament quarter-final match played at the Royal Sports Complex in Reid Avenue yesterday.
It was a thrilling battle in the first half with both teams locked at 10-all, but Isipathana turned up the heat in the second half, driven by a brilliant hat-trick of tries from their dynamic number eight Shaakib Zumri, who was in unstoppable form.
Wesley College started strongly, with winger Kavisha Dilhara crossing the right corner flag for an unconverted try in the ninth minute to give his side a 5-0 lead. They doubled their advantage in the 26th minute when Dilhara struck again in the same corner, pushing Wesley ahead 10-0.
Isipathana faced more pressure when Sanudh Jayaweera was shown a yellow card in the 23rd minute, forcing them to play with 14 men
however , the defending champions fought back bravely. Isuru Udayantha powered his way through Wesley’s defence in the 30th minute to score an unconverted try, reducing the gap to 10-5.
Right before half-time, Shaakib Zumri made his first impact of the evening. Picking up from a scrum, the tall and powerful number eight crashed over for a try, and with no conversion, the teams went into the break level at 10-all.
After the break, it was all Isipathana. Just three minutes into the second half, Zumri scored his second try of the match under the post, giving fullback Nimantha Sandeep an easy conversion to push Isipathana ahead 17-10. In the 50th minute, Isipathana’s forwards set up a driving maul near Wesley’s try line, and once again, it was Shaakib Zumri who broke away to score his third try, completing a memorable hat-trick. Sandeep made no mistake with the conversion, extending their lead to 24-10.
the defending champions kept their opponents scoreless in the second half with strong defence and smart tactical play. Isipathana controlled possession and territory, denying Wesley any real chance to come back into the match. It was a clinical second-half display from Isipathana, who now comfortably move into the semi-finals, where they will face Royal College in what promises to be another exciting clash. Referee: Ishanka Abeykoon
By – The Daily News