CHRIS DHAMBARAGE
COLOMBO – St. Joseph’s College will look to make a winning start when they take on St. Anthony’s College in the President’s Trophy Knock-Out Inter-Schools Under-19 Rugby Tournament quarter-final fixture at Havelock Park on Saturday. The kick-off is at 4.15 p.m.
The Josephians will also have a score to settle with their opponents and will be out to avenge their previous defeat having gone down 12-22 to the Antonians in the curtain-raiser match of the league tournament at the Bogambara Stadium in Kandy.
That early defeat certainly dampened their chances of qualifying for the Super Round segment of the tournament and eventually, they had to settle with the seventh place in the final standings.
In contrast, the Antonians went on to make it to the Super Round segment, but they completely disappointed by losing both games against St. Peter’s College (0-39) and Royal College (14-37) respectively.
The two teams also met in last year’s knock-out tournament quarter-finals where St. Joseph’s ran out easy winners 34-14 at the Royal Sports Complex in Colombo.
St. Joseph’s are hoping to win the President’s Trophy only for the second time having clinched their maiden title in 2017 by overcoming Isipathana College 19-13 in the final played at the Racecourse Grounds in Colombo.
Last year too, they came close to repeating that performance but had to settle for the runners-up spot while going down to Isipathana 22-49 in the final played at the Royal Sports Complex in Colombo.
Meanwhile, St. Peter’s College will be determined to keep their winning formula when they confront Trinity College in another quarter-final encounter at Havelock Park on Sunday. The kick-off is at 4.15 p.m.
The unbeaten league champions will be targeting a grand double and are hoping to regain the president’s Trophy after a lapse of four years having last won the title in 2019.
The Peterites will be brimming with confidence as they will have a psychological advantage having defeated the Trinitians 22-10 earlier in a league tournament first-round fixture at the Pallekele Stadium in Kandy.
Trinity, of course, recorded only three wins in the league tournament and they will need a huge improvement in their overall performance to challenge the formidable Peterites
