Trinity advance to semi-finals with gritty win over Thomians

Monday, 5 May 2025 02:41 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Trinity College kept their title hopes alive with a hard-fought 24/15 victory over a gritty Thomians outfit in a tense President’s Trophy Knockout quarter-final clash at Havelock Park last weekend.

The Central Hills side showed top-class discipline, tactical maturity, and bursts of brilliance to secure their place in the semi-finals, where they will meet Zahira College on 9 May at the Royal Sports Complex.

At the short breather, Trinity led 17/10.

From the outset, it was clear this would be no easy outing for Trinity after they handed off home town rivals Antonians in a 60+ points score. Thomians, known for their aggressive play and structured formations, brought intensity to the contest. However, Trinity’s ability to absorb pressure and strike with pace proved to be the decisive factor. Trinitians’ defence was out of this world, where Thomians tried their level best to find the try line through 12 phases and still could not achieve the same.

Central to the Trinitians’ success was scrum-half Udan Wijekoon, who dictated the tempo of the game with his crisp passing and intelligent decision-making. Wijekoon was instrumental in linking the forwards and backs, creating space for Trinity’s attacking threats out wide.

Full-back Shan Althaf was another standout performer. His positional awareness and counter-attacking runs consistently placed the Thomians’ defence under pressure. Althaf also contributed significantly with the boot, converting two tries and slotting a crucial penalty to keep Trinity ahead.

Number 8 Shyan Satheeshkumar was a colossus in both attack and defence. He opened the scoring for Trinity and was a constant presence at the breakdowns. His ability to carry the ball through heavy traffic gave Trinity valuable front-foot momentum.

Trinity led 17/10 at halftime after tries from Satheeshkumar, Evan Jayaweera, and Althaf. Althaf added the extras with two conversions and a penalty to give his team a slight edge at the break. Thomians however, remained in the fight with tries from Even Perera and Merckyle Karunarathne, the latter of whom was particularly dynamic in open play.

Thomian fly-half Mayunka Dias kept his side within touching distance, adding a conversion and a penalty. Their attacking efforts were commendable, but they struggled to break through Trinity’s resilient defence in the second half.

The turning point came during a prolonged defensive stand by Trinity, where they repelled more than 13 phases of Thomians’ attack before turning over possession. The grit shown in that moment defined the match and underscored Trinity’s character.

With the win, Trinity progress to the semi-finals and will look to build on this momentum. For now, though, they can take pride in a composed and courageous performance, led by three of their finest – Udan Wijekoon, Shan Althaf, and Shyan Satheeskumar.

The Referee was Gihan Yatawara. (SJ)

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