The quarter finals blockbuster between S. Thomas’ and traditional rivals, Trinity had only one winner, and that is the game itself from a rugby perspective played in the best of spirits Trinity College, Kandy winning a pendulum battle by 24 points to 15 after taking the breather by 17 points to 10 to set up a semi final clash against Zahira College in the Schools’ President’s Trophy Knockout Tournament.
Trinity was exceptional, in defence , loose play, and in breakdowns , whilst the Thomians who could have won this game but were guilty of short naps with both forced and unforced errors against the boot of Shan Altaf which according to former CR & FC wing three quater Krishan George cost the Thomians a place in the quater finals.
He also stated thaty Trinity did blunder periodically with ball handling that cost the school by the sea to draw first blood, but the lead was short-lived with the Trinity forwards playing with lots of forward power to score under post , a try that scrum half Wijekoon planted and Shan Altaf needed no invitations to convert and take the score card to even stevens.
Trinity forwards were brilliant, and the Thomians, despite a much heavier pack, were found wanting in the breakdowns.
Both teams were guilty of a few unforced errors that cost both Trinity and St Thomas’s to conceed a penalty each within kicking distance and conceede 3 valuable points each.
Trinity also scored their second try off a 5 meter line out to take lemons on 17 points to 10 , Trinity forwards yet again towering over the big Thomian forwards in pushing for the lead at lemons.
Talking to Krishan George, he stated that Trinity’s 3rd try by Shan Altaf was one of its kind. He stated it was a backhand pass by Scrum Half Wijekoon to Shan Altaf. He tagged it as a visual dummy, a rare execution last seen in a club game years back.
The mode of the movement was Shan Altaf in full back position. Scrum half Wijekoon does not make an eye contact with Altaf when passing the ball, a back hand pass that the entire Thomian team looked shell shocked as Altaf got past the last man in defence with long strides not only proving to the Rugby fans his boots are not only made for kicking but also running.
With 24 points on the board, the result in favour of Trinity looked inevitable.
Thomians spent 10 minutes in the Trinity try line and the lads from Kandy had to defend their line with only 13 men in the park. 2 players were in the naughty chair.
Thomians managed to score by the corner flag due to conservative forced errors by the Trinity forwards to add another try to their score line in the second half. Dias the Thomian kicker lacked direction in adding the vital 2 points.
The Thomian grit stood tall with Trinity having only 13 men still in the park. They created wave after wave of attacks in the Lions goal line for another 7 minutes. Arul Jesudasan the Thomian forward gets over the line but knock the ball forward.
Trinity College wins the scrum , and Altaf kicks the ball out to safety as referee Yatawara blows his trumpet and Trinity College go through to the Semi finals against Zahira next week.
Trinity no doubt were the better team , but Thomians squandered the to many opportunities, period.