Being the favourite is never an easy suit to wear week in week out. The maintenance and dry-cleaning bill can weigh heavily upon you and even make it look like a fading-weakness. So, wearing it well is indeed an art.
With every passing game, Royal became absolute favorites. This is now, all too evident after they dismantled Trinity in the Bradby shield 2nd leg and in the process affirming further their claim as favourites for league honors.
Much like Black Caviar, the great wonder horse from down under. Royal completed round 1 with a perfect, unbeaten run– moreover, a Bradby shield with it. A perfect form line. 11111. Hence, this beautiful picket fence.
For those of you who know what Black Caviar did, an unbeaten run of 25 races, most of them group 1glamor sprints, Royal has thus far mirrored its exact sentiments. Sitting on cruise control for much of the initial stages only to blitz home as they swing the corner, leaving the opposition in its wake, making it a race for who will finish second.
Will this be the case when round 2 concludes, or, a showdown and a dramatic climax with another genuine contender (or two) hot on their heels… St Peters and maybe Isipathana. They will have to wait, for now, at least.
So, here’s what we saw and now know after the conclusion of the 74th Bradby shield.
#1 The A-1 highway
It takes about 3 and a half hours minutes to drive steady, 119 Kms on the A1 highway from Colombo to Kandy. I am not sure how long it would take to jog it, but that’s what it felt like, at times– watching Trinity with the amount of possession they had, the huge gap and time warp between them and Royal in converting pressure into points. Trinity needs to arrest this very, very quickly given they have a “premium” coach on their payroll. Else, the shield may stay in Colombo for the foreseeable future. Hopefully, they do not allow this “highway” commute to get any longer. They will need to find a faster way to bridge it, even though the score line somewhat flattered the home side.
#2 Pseudo science and the myth of “an upset” debunked
It’s fairly commonplace, possibly due to lack of confidence in your own ability or misguided faith in mysterious forces (which either deemed a higher authority or non-existent), to “sit on the fence” on calling a prediction. Some won’t for fear of ridicule (or being seen as arrogant) and others buying into their own pseudoscience, which is all very PC in the island nation. After all, elections in the past have been called on how the stars are supposed to align.
Royal, who was overwhelming, odds-on favorites to win, did exactly that. They detonated any thought or idea of “astrology” and buried Trinity along with any myth of a supposed Bradby miracle at Pallekelle. It never arrived even when the scores were 1 point apart.
Prior to the game, several TCK stalwarts called for action and deliberated into the “Bradby can always cause an upset” rhetoric. Yep, heard and seen that movie before and played a part in the 1998 production.
However, fast forward twenty years; the science of preparation will always triumph mythology and denial of this association- causation, for it is not a fallacy. It’s time to get with the times and admit that winning a Bradby is more than just a cool accident or living on borrowed hope (or glory from the past). This myth is well and truly done and dusted. Your stars won’t align unless you prepare strategically.
One for a Mythbusters episode.
#3 Rain dance on a heavy track
Pallekelle stadium. A postcard perfect, picturesque backdrop with Digana mountains– aptly set, takes your breath away. So does the wider dimension of the playing area for both teams. More so, for the home team as Royal went about ruthlessly exposing a short, narrow and compressed ruck (fringe) defense but came unstuck much thanks to a heavy downpour and sloppy handling.
The Tuskers then kept it very tight for the first few phases, sucked in a predictable Trinity defense and spun it wide. Unfortunately, as the playing surface got heavy and soggy, they couldn’t release their out wide runners coupled in with some resolute Trinity line speed. On the point, at times they looked marginally offside. This made them change tactics and pile on the phases, recycle ruck ball and use their forwards to barge over. Like a heavy track galloper who loves a rain-soaked surface.
#4 Stand over tactics
Rain and forward play go hand in hand. This game witnessed how the front rowers really made their impact. Both teams traded tries in this aspect, with especially Trinity loose head prop Wijesinghe leaving a dent or two in stand over like tries. It was brute force and good body position which propelled him over the line after a short burst. Not to be outdone, Royals
Siyath, when awarded a five-meter penalty, off a quick tap, barreled himself over brushing aside defenders. Royal repeated the dose at the very end.
It was very stand over like reminiscent of a mugging in a dark roadside alley.
#5 The attitude towards altitude adjustment
Trinity had taken the high altitude trip to Nuwara Eliya in preparation for the second leg. This, as a reaction to their abject performance from a fortnight ago. Looking back at how they fell off tackles and looked tactically shot, kicking away good possession, I can’t help but think that this was somewhat absurd. An interesting way to address their main shortcomings. It wouldn’t have mattered had they worked on tackle technique on a by road in Kandy. It just needed to be done.
Trinity clearly needed an attitude adjustment. They did show better application and wanting to play rugby. However, against this Royal side, it was never going to be enough. A number of missed tackles, again, personified the lack of attitude along with a missing application on how to prepare best. That, of course, falls firmly on the shoulders of coaching and their administration.
No matter how high you travel to train there is no glossing over the fact that it was attitude and application which needed adjustment, not the altitude. There you go, I just said it again.
#6 Off field talent
If there ever was a reason other than on-field talent to watch a Bradby LIVE and better yet be there in person, this is it. Given the generous crowd browsing camera work, you would think this was an audition for the Real Housewives of Kandy (or Colombo). Such was the fanfare on hand and a treat for everyone watching. Word on the street is that social media forums, MMS networks, and Instagram were on fire, many thanks to this brilliant and at times well-weathered demographics. Ah! Bradby sure is the Melbourne Cup of SL rugby. #RHOC #RHOK #RHOSL
#7 State of the union and a statement of intent
It’s fair to say Trinity and their rugby season are in a dire place. So is their coach, the much vaunted Lote Raikabula. He has failed to deliver the riches TCK would have wanted. This Bradby failure would certainly intensify the chorus of grumblings from within the establishment and perhaps a fresh line of thinking could be in order. The Lions did have a few, brief moments of brightness, showing endeavor with a neat chip kick resulting in a try, a few telling busts but by and large fell way short of the mark.
Royal for that matter, look sharper and their coach Lewke, a genius. He and they could not be in a better place. They didn’t play their best nor were at their sharpest for both legs but were still way too good. Trinity doesn’t realize how much off the pace they are and Royal, how good they have become.
Furthermore, I can’t help but feel for the last few seasons, Royal who forged a fierce reputation and anyone who claimed this as their “own” success, rode on the coattails of Lewke; let that sink in. You only need to take a look at their playing patterns (last 5 seasons), scoring methods and compare it to what is currently going on.
A statement about making a statement.
#8 The final huddle
This year’s shield had a bit of off-field spice to it. Centering around the player transfer of Lennox Calyanarathne from Royal to Trinity. There was clearly enough niggle and a hint of animosity with both teams wanting a one over the other. As far as the result goes, Royal, as expected emphatically walked all over Trinity. This, done after just one leg. 
However, living up to the true Bradby spirit, they all buried whatever hatchet they had to, moved on and in a moment of pure bliss, huddled together as one, praying for one another which will surely go down as a beautiful Bradby highlight. It is a lesson for any and everyone watching and showed that both RC and TCK are the front runners of upholding what is greater than any win. Respect.
It is earned and not given. They sure earned theirs in the most humbling of ways for the world to see.
#9 Seventy-four down and seventy-five around the corner
Starting in 1945, enduring an almost lifetime in games (and many more to come) and generations of memories, we look forward in absolute glee for next year’s 75th edition. No other schoolboy rugby encounter on earth comes remotely close to shield rugby and this accolade is well deserved.
Playing and winning the Bradby is a feather in your cap no schoolboy rugby player from RC and TCK will ever forget. It is something you take to your grave, almost like finding the holy grail.
I played in an era where Shield rugby was exciting from a competitive perspective and most teams went agonizingly close, battling it out for the Bradby. (None more so than the epic of a decider in the 1997 Colombo/return leg which Royal won 18-11 but lost by one point on aggregate in injury time, a penalty from Nuwan Fernando denied Royal a shot at history). Furthermore, it was a starting XV’s game with no or minimal involvement for the bench. It’s a whole different ball game now with bench impact critical and in season form stacking up with the end result.
On that note, start counting down the days and crossing them off on your calendar and let’s pray for a nail-biting contest. 2019…I cannot wait!
The Verdict:
Royal dominate and retain the Bradby for another year. Given the age grade results, talent and coaching structures in place, they will be very hard to beat, at least for the rest of 2018. Trinity for that matter need a complete shift in thinking. ASAP. That has got to be the memo, on an official letterhead for good measure.
It is, however, an amateur schoolboy competition but the expectations, fanfare, and level of competitiveness have left almost every other professional sport in its wake (in SL).
As the championship round beckons, with the shield gone, Trinity’s focus needs to be, finding a few worthy parts from the salvage yard. It’s a bitter pill to swallow but it is what it is. I hope it won’t leave a deep gash and mental scar for those returning in 2019. However, Trinity is bound to bounce back from this. For they are a great rugby institution who will surely rise again like a Phoenix from the ashes.
As for Royal, enjoy the Blue and Gold picket fence they painted with admiration albeit in torrential rain. Prepare for the road ahead and a possible championship, A-K-A “League title”, responding well to the favoritism they earned.
In the prophetic words of Winston Churchill, “Success is not final and failure is not fatal but it is the courage to continue that counts”. That will give Trinity some solace when licking their wounds and Royal more grit for what lies ahead.
