Isipathana made to fight hard to enter semis

Dialog Schools Knockout Rugby

Action from the match (Pic by Nisal Baduge)

By M. Shamil Amit

Defending champions Isipathana did not have things easy against Wesley in their quarter-final encounter of the Dialog Schools Knockout Rugby tournament played at the Royal Sports Complex ground in Reid Avenue, as they were made to fight hard to record a win by 24 points to 10.
The two sides shared honours in the first half, sharing honours at the breather with ten points each, while Isipathana added 14 points to nothing by Wesley in the second half as they accumulated their points from two goals and two tries to two tries scored by Wesley.
However, Wesley gave the Pathanas some anxious moments in the first half as they dominated proceedings in the early stages of this session. Wesley drew first blood in the eighth minute through an unconverted try scored by wing three Praththana Rodrigo.
It took another 17 minutes for the next scoring to be done, with Wesley succeeding with skipper and No 8 Sandul Gammanpila going over for an unconverted try. Isipathana, putting in more effort, managed to get past the Wesley defence on two occasions, which were both by winger Isuru Udayanga in the 28th and 37th minutes, and with the conversions being kicked astray, the sides changed with ten points each.
The second half was expected to be a closely contested affair, but it was the Pathanas who succeeded by scoring two tries, which were both by No Shaahid Zumiri in the seventh and 13th minutes, while flyhalf Avishka Hiran put over one conversion, and that stood to be the only scoring to be done in this session that ended in a close 24-10 win for defending champions Isipathana, which ensured them the semi-final slot.
Referee: Ishanka Abeykoon