S. Thomas' College, Mt. Lavinia won the All Island Rugby Knock Out Tournament - 2009 on Saturday, 18th July 2009 @ the Royal College, Sports Complex

Thomians beat Pathana to win U-20 K/O title - http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2009/07/19/spo07.asp

by Ranjan ANANDAPPA

In a match that swung vigorously from side to side S. Thomas' pulled off a last minute penalty win over a determined Isipathana outfit to win the Schools Under-20 Milo Trophy in a fitting final played at the Royal College Sports Complex grounds yesterday.

The Thomians won the Trophy after 15 years (then named as President's Trophy). They last won under Nalin Wijegunawardena in 1994.

The score read 22 points (2 goals, 1 try and a penalty) in favour of the Thomians to Isipathana's 19 (2 tries, 3 penalties). Isipathana led 8-7 lead at the breather.

Both teams should be commended for the fast and furious stuff played which kept the spectators on the toes. Thomians, playing with a heavier set of forwards combining with a swift back division, had a slight advantage, Isipathana too hit back with their powerful runners. However, they could not make much headway with their star winger Vishwamithra Jayasinghe being a heavily marked man.

The Thomians opened scoring when winger Arjun Manoharan touched down off a three quarter move. He also added the extra points. Isipathana reduced the lead when M.U. Jumath fired over a penalty. Minutes later 'Pathana' took the lead when Uthpala Seneviratne scored an unconverted try.

Soon after the turn over Manoharan missed a penalty for the Thomians, but Anurudha Willwara picked up the ball and covered good ground to touch down under the post. Manoharan made no mistake in adding the extra points.

The Thomians stretched their lead off a push over try through Roshentha Kodituwakku, but Isipathana levelled the scores 19-19 with two penalties and a try scored by Niroshana Fernando. Devinda Prasad failed to add the extra points.

During the dying stages of the game the Thomians were awarded a penalty and Arjun Manoharan made no mistake to see his team forging ahead 22-19 to win the match. Priyantha Gunaratne refereed.

Meanwhile, Royal College, Panadura won the Chairman's Trophy defeating St. Benedict's 19-17. The Premier Trophy was secured by Prince of Wales when they beat C.W.W. Kannangara MV by 33 points to 17.

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Manoharan kicks STC over the moon - http://www.sundaytimes.lk/090719/Sports/sp214.html

By Shamil Amit

The late Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ will not be able to hold a candle to the S. Thomas’-Isipathana Milo All Island Under 20 knock-out final at the Royal Complex yesterday as the Thomians clinched the cliffhanger 22-19 as a result of a final minute penalty by Arjun Manoharan.

The Thomians were runners-up in the just concluded league behind champions Royal and they were knock-out champions in 1994.

In the dying stages of the game Isipathana fired two penalties by Prasad Devendra which put them very much in the picture but the Thomians led at 19-14. Just when the game was about to be over the green shirted lads scored a fantastic try through skipper Niroshan Fernando to make the score 19 all.

Then surfaced the fantastic penalty by Arjun Manoharan which cast a pall of doom over Isipathana and sent the thousands of blue and black supporters into raptures of delight as the Thomians nosed to this 22-19 victory.

Not to take off the glamour for Isipathana they led 8-7 at the breather and it took loads of sheer Thomian grit to ward off the marauding Isipathanians.

Isipathana missed a couple of penalties early in the game which would have helped them to turn the game in their favour. The culprit for this was Malik Jumad!

S. Thomas’ scored in the 26th minute of the first half when Arjun Manoharan scored a try warding off several defenders which he himself goaled to put the Thomians in the lead at 7-3.

The tit-for-tat scoring continued when Isipathana struck next through flanker Uthpala Seneviratne and Isipathana led 8-7 at lemons.

The game restarted with a lot of tension and amidst all this Arjun Manoharan missed a penalty much to the dismay of the Thomian supporters and to the delight of the Isipathana supporters.Then came the showpiece of the game when center Anuruddha Wilwara side stepped his way through a host of defenders to score in the 60th minte. Arjun Manoharan converted and the Thomians led 14-8.
S. Thomas’ struck again through an unconverted try by Roshenka Kodituwakku.

Then followed the melodrama which saw the Thomians scraping though at 22-19 due to the Manoharan penalty, after being 19 all! Referee Priyantha Gunaratne.