It was heartbreak for the Lions and jubilation for the Green Machine

Isipathana College produced a courageous and composed performance to retain the Schools Rugby President’s Trophy, narrowly defeating Trinity College, Kandy, 12-9 in a tense, low-scoring final at the Royal Sports Complex in Colombo yesterday.

The defending champions scored a goal and a try edging past Trinity’s two penalties and a drop goal.

Isipathana led 7-6 at half time and held their nerve in the second half, sealing their 15th knockout title with a dramatic, last minute try under immense pressure.

In a gripping contest dominated by fierce defence and high-intensity rugby, Isipathana turned the game around in the dying minutes to clinch their fourth consecutive President’s Trophy final. The result reaffirmed their continued dominance in schools’ rugby.

Trinity College suffered a major setback in the 8th minute when their centre Sadeesha Weerawansa was sin-binned for 10 minutes for an off-the-ball tackle. This left Trinity with 14 players on the field, and Isipathana wasted no time in taking advantage.

Just four minutes later, Isipathana centre Adithya Madushan powered through Trinity’s weakened defence to score the first try of the match. Fly-half Avishka Hiran converted successfully to give Isipathana a 7-0 lead in the 12th minute.

However, Trinity’s reliable fullback Shan Althaf responded with two penalty kicks in the 13th and 18th minutes to narrow the gap to 7-6. He missed a crucial penalty in the 28th minute, which would have given Trinity the lead for the first time.

Both teams displayed outstanding defensive rugby, and despite several attacking moves, there was no further scoring in the first half. Isipathana went into the break leading by a single point at 7-6. The second half turned into a physical, low-scoring contest, with both teams showing tight defensive structures. In the 56th minute, both sides were reduced to 14 players after receiving yellow cards in a heated passage of play.

The pressure mounted when Trinity’s Althaf missed another penalty in the 58th minute, frustrating their supporters. But he made up for it shortly after, slotting a penalty in the 61st minute to give Trinity their first lead at 9-7.

Isipathana’s Avishka Hiran then missed an easy penalty in the 64th minute, leaving Trinity ahead by two points. Trinity had another opportunity to stretch their lead with a 50-metre penalty in the 66th minute, but Althaf missed once again.

The match’s most crucial moment came in the 69th minute. Isipathana’s star Yuvindu Kodithuwakku made a brilliant, weaving run through the Trinity defence to score what would become the match-winning try. Referee Gihan Yatawara referred the decision to the Television Match Official Anil Jayasinghe, who confirmed the try after careful review.

Isipathana now led 12-9 as rain started to pour, adding drama to one of the most thrilling finals in the tournament’s history.