Trinity overcome the Green Machine to remain unbeaten

Trinity College kept their unbeaten run intact with a commanding 32–10 victory over Isipathana College at a packed Pallekele Stadium, with two weeks remaining in the Dialog Schools Rugby League.

Trinity began the encounter in the confident style that has defined their season. Moving the ball swiftly from side to side, skipper Usman Safraz delivered a perfectly timed offload to Hamza Abdeen, who stepped past the defence to score the opening try. Shan Althaf added the conversion to give Trinity an early lead.
(Trinity 07 – 00 Isipathana)

Moments later, Isipathana were penalised for being offside, and Althaf made no mistake from the tee, extending Trinity’s advantage by three points.
(Trinity 10 – 00 Isipathana)

After a brief lull in scoring, Trinity struck again. Udan Wijekoon identified space behind the defence and executed a precise box kick, which Althaf chased down and gathered cleanly before grounding the ball for Trinity’s second try. Althaf converted his own try to stretch the lead further.
(Trinity 17 – 00 Isipathana)

As halftime approached, Isipathana began to find momentum. Strong phase play from the Green Machine opened space out wide, allowing Nimantha Sandeepa to score. The conversion attempt was unsuccessful, but Isipathana went into the break with renewed belief.
(Trinity 17 – 05 Isipathana)

Isipathana carried that momentum into the second half, striking early once again through Nimantha Sandeepa, who crossed for his second try following another well-constructed phase attack. The conversion was missed, but the gap had narrowed significantly.
(Trinity 17 – 10 Isipathana)

The momentum appeared to swing in Isipathana’s favour until a pivotal moment changed the course of the match. Isipathana No. 8 Shaakib Zumri was shown a red card for a dangerous tackle on the Trinity captain, leaving the Green Machine a man short.

Capitalising on their numerical advantage, Trinity regained control. Althaf slotted a penalty after Safraz forced a holding-on offence, pushing the lead further.
(Trinity 20 – 10 Isipathana)

Trinity then struck again in trademark fashion. A well-weighted cross kick saw the familiar Althaf–Yaddehige combination come to life, with Minula Yaddehige scoring his 11th try of the league. The conversion attempt went wide.
(Trinity 25 – 10 Isipathana)

With the result effectively sealed, Trinity continued their push for a bonus-point try. Persistent pressure eventually broke the Isipathana defence, as Dhishal Thomas powered over from close range following a pick-and-go. Althaf converted to complete the scoring.
(Trinity 32 – 10 Isipathana)

The match concluded with Trinity securing a convincing victory over Isipathana. As always, encounters between these two schools were played in excellent spirit, with strong displays of sportsmanship, brotherhood, and camaraderie throughout.

points breakdown

Trinity College:
Shan Althaf – 1 try, 3 conversions, 2 penalties
Hamza Abdeen – 1 try
Minula Yaddehige – 1 try
Dhishal Thomas – 1 try

Isipathana College:
Nimantha Sandeepa – 2 tries