ALL ROADS LEAD TO HAVELOCK PARK
Havelock Park, that groovy venue where rugby blockbusters are fought out, does carry a humdinger edge to tomorrow’s climax when the two unbeaten obvious top two teams defending champions St. Peter’s College and Isipathana College from Havelock Town lock horns for the ultimate in the Schools’ Rugby League final.
The heightening gallop to tomorrow’s showdown in a setting that is by and large the battleground for big contests is the firepower both the Peterites who soar in virtual impregnability from a long running thundering reputation of the undefeated they carry since landing the trophy last year, and Patanians, famously known as the Green Machine for a traditionally steeped reputation as big guns in schools’ rugby, are thus set to drum up the clash for schools’ jackpot.
The battle scarred head to head the two big guns that have thus far come unscathed to what boils down to a rib bruiser when 30 marauders for the explosive nature either side is made of in that 15 from either rub shoulders has by and large galvannised an overflowing spectator heat of die-hard fans from either side that would throng Havellock Park to which all roads from the rugby fraternity would be counting the time to the big scrumdown.
In fitting fashion, the defending champions, St. Peter’s College, are set to take on Isipathana College—a school with an illustrious history in the Schools’ Rugby arena—as the two schools go head to head for the Dialog Schools’ Rugby League 2024!
It will be a hot stakes all guns blazing ding dong that the Peterites will strive to bulldoze to drawing equal to Isipatana’s16 League Championships titles in a no quarters given nor asked for that the Green Machine themselves will be striving to blazing to conquering a mighty opposition to taking back the big Super crown.
The Peterite strength revolves around their three-quarter line in Vishenka Silva, Yumith Shihara, and Pasindu Bandara – all firepower stuff to calling the shots with forwards, Ranithu Rithmal and skipper Dulaj Nawodya key to their success drive.
Isipathana’s high point has been their super job in demolishing Royal College that has raised their stocks to roaring lion like stuff as they saunter tomorrow for that final assault.
Patana’s key play maker has been Shaahid Zumri who played composed rugby in the crunch time to see his side through to the final in galvansing the Patana reputation to deadly heights with the onus on skipper No.8 Nisaja Jayaweera and Kalindu Silva No.9 to live up to that big occasion when the going gets tough to delivering when it counts. The side’s strength runs deep in fullback Abdullah Faizer and make-shift five-eighth, Avishka Hiran.