Text by: M. Shamil Amit / Pix by: Kushan Pathiraja

(Colombo) - Isipathana dethroned St. Peter’s with a close 34 points to 29 win in the title-deciding final of the Dialog Schools President’s Trophy knockout tournament played at the Sugathadasa Stadium.

The win saw Isipathana, having surrendered the President’s Trophy last year, regaining it, and in the process, the Green Machines, as they are fondly known, bagged their 13th knockout title.

The final tally does not indicate how the deciding encounter got along, as the two sides gave their supporters their money’s worth as they fished out top-class rugby.

The closely contested game saw Isipathana take a 20-12 lead at the breather and accumulate their points through a goal, three tries, and four penalties to the Peterites' three goals, two tries, and penalty.

It was sweet revenge for the Green Machines, who are known for their do-or-die game, as they turned the table after going down by three points (6-3) in the battle for the league title a few weeks back.

Hats off to both teams, as it was a completely different game when the two sides played against each other in the league-deciding match, which was played under trying weather conditions.

The hero of their win was fly half Shaahid Zumri, who turned the game for his side with his scintillating moves and place-kicking. For his effort, he was fittingly adjudged the player of the match.

It was the Green Machines who drew first blood after a penalty kicked astray in the eighth minute, with centre Abdul Azeez going over for an under-the-post try in the 15th minute, while Zumri made no mistake with the conversion. The Peterites succeeded in reducing the lead five minutes later from an unconverted try by second row Revone Perera.

The Green Machine continued to put the Bamba Brigades under tremendous pressure, and in the 26th minute, skipper and No 8 Nisaja Jayaweera squeezed through for a try off a scrum, but the conversion was kicked astray. But the Bamba Brigade took the challenge to their opponents’ territory, and in a tussle, winger Ranithu Rithmal went over for a try, and with fly half Raul Peter adding the extra points, the score read 12 points each.

The Green Machines came back with vengeance as they succeeded to score on two occasions within the space of seven minutes, with flanker Nimantha Sandeepa doing both the scoring with a penalty booted over in the 30th minute and then going over for an unconverted try seven minutes later, with which the short whistle was blown with Green Machine leading 20-12.

The resumption saw the Peterites reduce their deficit in the third minute with a penalty booted over by Peter, but the Pathanas struck back two minutes later, with Zumri doing the same for them to increase the lead. With Isipathana in the lead on 23-15, the Peterites hit back in the ninth minute with full back Pasindu Bandara intercepting a pass and sprinting his way for a try down the right corner flag, and with Peter making the conversion, which was wayward, enabled the Petes to bring down the deficit to one point.

The tussle for the ball between the two teams was hotting up with the two sides sharing honours, but the Pathanas surged ahead with back to-back penalties in the 19th and 23rd minutes, booted over by Zumri, and four minutes later they almost hit the nail in the coffin with the playmaker, who had a successful game, going over for an unconverted try.

The Peterites, in a last-minute effort, pulled out all their resources; they succeeded with full back Pasindu Bandara going over for his second try of the match and Peter making the conversion, but it was too late as the Pathanas held on to come out victorious to regain the knockout title, which they lost to the same opponents last year.

Referee: Ishanka Abeykoon

Scores:

• Isipathana 34
• St. Peter’s 29