The two unbeaten teams meet in a fitting showdown as St. Peter’s take on under-dogs and hosts Isipathana College at Havelock Park as the Dialog Schools’ Rugby League arrives to its climax.
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!
St. Peter’s will have the opportunity to draw level with their rivals, Isipathana, with 16 League Championships in history as the two lock horns.
St. Peter’s College
St. Peter’s has been simply unstoppable throughout the League, as their team has lived up to its billing, coming through when the chips were down.
St. Peter’s started off with a mammoth win over Thurstan College and have not really been pushed to the limit by any team during the first round of the League.
Trinity College came close, but St. Peter’s held firm and then punished the Trinity College outfit in the dying moments to secure their 8th win of the league, setting up the final day showdown with Isipathana.
Players to Watch Out For:
The Peterite three-quarter line is stacked with talent!
Vishenka Silva, Yumith Shihara, and Pasindu Bandara are the sensations, pulling strings and running circles around their opponents.
In their forwards, Ranithu Rithmal and skipper Dulaj Nawodya are two players to keep a close eye on as the favorites, St. Peter’s, aim to defend their title.
Isipathana College
Isipathana College has been simply getting the job done week in, week out. They turn out and grind out the wins that keep them in the reckoning for the Dialog Schools’ Rugby League title.
Isipathana started off with three good wins; however, they were tested in a few narrow victories. But just like the lads from Isipathana do, they hung in there and made it count, getting the ‘W’ in all their first-round games.
The Super Round game was comical. Some would say Isipathana was handed the game on a platter after the final whistle by the TMO; others would say the Royalist had a brain freeze. Do we turn a blind eye to simulation and diving? Plenty of questions are left to answer. However, Zumri held his nerve to slot the clutch kick, taking the Green Machine into the final week with the Dialog Schools’ Rugby League on the line!
Players to Watch out for:
Isipathana in Isipathana fashion, are a force to be reckon with!
When reduced a player in games, time and time again, the 14-men on the field, always puts and extra effort giving 110% to make up for their numerical disadvantage. In similar fashion, the big match players stand up when they are challenged.
Shaahid Zumri is the first name to pop up, but he will not be able to work his magic, without front-foot ball from their forwards.
Skipper Nisaja Jayaweera from No.8 and Kalindu Silva from No.9 will need to step up and show the Peterites what they are made of!
Fullback Abdullah Faizer and make-shift five-eighth, Avishka Hiran are another couple of players to have an eye on!
Scenarios to WIN:
St. Peter’s requires a win, and a win will get the job done. However, they can manage to sneak through even with a loss, as long as they manage to gain two bonus points (try scoring and losing bonus points) and lose by a margin of 7 points or less (without giving away a bonus point to Isipathana).
Isipathana needs to win without conceding any bonus points, but even if they do so by conceding bonus points, they still have a chance, given the Head-to-Head scenario.
Prediction:
Isipathana comes in as underdogs, and as good racers do, they have timed their run to near perfection. It could be made perfect this weekend, but standing in their way is St. Peter’s—the favorites and holders. I think St. Peter’s has a slight edge over the Green Machine.
SPC to win by 5 points or more.
