Royal - Isipathana match ends in chaos

By Ranjan Anandappa

An intense and a chaos situation prevailed at the Royal-Isipathana school under-20 rugby match when the Principal of Royal College Upali Gunasekera had to bring the match to an abrupt halt after twenty minutes of play in the second half when the scores were level 20-20 and awarded the Milroy Fernando Memorial Trophy to Isipathana.

The reason for the stoppage of the match was due to the safety of players. It is reliably understood that three Royal players flanker Keshan Pieris, flanker Manusha Athukorale and Thivanka Perera were rushed to Accident Service for treatment after receiving punches from their opponents.

The final tally was 27 points (three goals, one drop gaol and a penalty) to 20 (two goals, two penalties) after the Royal team walked off the field.

In a match that swung from side to side Isipathana scored twice in the first half and led 14-0 through two goals - a try each from Umalka Gunaratne and Uditha Prematileka to which Hirantha Perera added the extra points. Then Royal reduced the lead when hooker Shuaib Jabbar scored off a line out and Ramzi Jamaldeen giving them the extra points. There after Hirantha Perera for Isipathana and Jamlaldeen for Royal put over penalties to give Isipathana a 17-10 lead at the breather.

It was a battle between the Royal forwards and the Isipathana line through out the game and soon after resumption the Royalists were awarded a penalty which Rimzie Jamladeen put over in style which helped the home team reduce the deficit 13-17.

Royal took one step ahead in the sixteenth minute of the second half when hooker Shuaib Jabbar scored his second try off a line out close to the their opponents territory, Jamaldeens fine kicking gave them the extra points. Royal took the lead 20/17. Referee Pradeep Fernando was under severe pressure as their were foul cries from the crowd and the players for being lenient. He hesitated to produce any type of card from his pack as some of the Royal players were seen assaulted openly and three ending up in hospital.

With Royal leading 20-17 and half of the second playing session remaining Isipathana trying desperately to forge ahead saw Hirantha Perera dropping a peach of a kick to be on par with the Royalist 20-20. Then all hell broke soon after the drop goal when an Isipathana player punched a Royal player which was not noticed by the referee or linesmen which resulted in Royal’s coach Bilal Yusuf taking the players off the field in the twentieth minute of the second half.

With only the Isipathana players on the field Hirantha Perera took the kick off collected the ball on the follow through and scored under the post and converted himself to make the score 27-20. After sometime the Royal Principal Upali Gunasekera made a public announcement that Royal will not continue the match for the safety of the players and awarded the trophy to Isipathana.

Referee: Pradeep Fernando.