S. Thomas’ bring Isipathana’s unbeaten run to an end in vital match

S. Thomas’ College kept their unbeaten season intact after a thrilling and bruising contest against the equally unbeaten Isipathana College, registering a hard-fought 36-24 victory in their final first-round clash of the Dialog Schools Rugby League 2025. The match, played at Mount Lavinia yesterday, was contested for the inaugural Rizvy Suhayb Memorial Trophy.

Leading 21-14 at half time, the Thomians were buoyed by strong home support at the famed fortress by the sea and showed tremendous composure to withstand a spirited second-half fightback from the Green Machine. The encounter lived up to expectations, with both sides trading blows in a high-intensity battle from start to finish.

The home side made an early statement in the sixth minute when centre Seneshka Liyanage burst through a defensive gap to score under the posts. Reliable winger Mayanka Dias added the conversion to give S. Thomas’ a 7-0 lead.

Isipathana responded almost immediately. Two minutes later, flyhalf Avishka Hiran displayed his attacking brilliance by weaving past defenders to score a superb try, which he converted himself to level the scores at 7-7.

The momentum shifted briefly when Thomian fullback Udan Bulathsinhalage was sin-binned in the ninth minute for a dangerous tackle. Isipathana capitalised on the numerical advantage as fullback Nimantha Sandeepa finished off a slick move down the left wing in the 15th minute. Hiran added the conversion to put the visitors ahead 14-7.

However, the Thomians refused to yield. Prop Vishwa Ariyawansa showcased sheer power to bulldoze his way under the posts in the 23rd minute, with Dias converting to restore parity at 14-all. The hosts then seized control three minutes later when flanker Tieshiya Aluwihare spotted a gap and galloped through for a try. Dias calmly converted to give S. Thomas’ a 21-14 advantage at the break.

S. Thomas’ began the second half with renewed intent. A well-worked move saw Bulathsinhalage, returning from the sin bin, combine with No. 8 McKyle Karunaratne, whose sharp offload sent hooker Eyan Pereira over the line. Dias added the conversion to stretch the lead to 28-14 by the 40th minute.

Isipathana fought back with determination. Hiran once again demonstrated his class by scoring a try in the 44th minute and converting it to narrow the gap to 21-28. The Green Machine intensified the pressure further when Hiran slotted over a penalty in the 56th minute, making it a tense 28-24 contest.

When S. Thomas’ were reduced to 14 men again in the 59th minute, the momentum appeared to swing in Isipathana’s favour. However, Aluwihare rose to the occasion, crossing for his second try in the 61st minute to restore breathing space at 33-24, although the conversion was missed. In the closing stages, Dias calmly added a penalty to seal the victory at 36-24, sending the Mount Lavinia faithful into celebration.

The match was a classic arm wrestle, played with intensity and physicality throughout. The Thomians displayed resilience, defensive discipline, and composure under pressure, while Isipathana’s Avishka Hiran was the standout performer for the visitors, contributing an impressive 19 points. The victory ensured S. Thomas’ College remained unbeaten in the league and secured the inaugural Rizvy Suhayb Memorial Trophy amid jubilant scenes at Mount Lavinia.