Trinity College put themselves in a commanding position to reclaim the coveted Bradby shield by defeating Royal College 33-10 in the highly anticipated first leg of the 80th Bradby Shield encounter at Royal Complex, delivering a superlative second-half burst to secure a massive 23-point advantage.
The 80th edition of the prestigious Bradby Shield kicked off in front of a packed, electric crowd as Royal’s Kavindu Hewage got this highly anticipated two-legged encounter underway.
The opening 12 minutes were a bruising, cagey affair as both teams tested each other’s defenses. The deadlock was finally broken when Trinity was penalized for an offside infringement. Royal opted for the points, and flanker Senuja Ranasinghe stepped up to slot a perfect kick through the uprights, opening the scoring for the hosts.
While Royal attempted to keep the game tight and controlled, Trinity was actively hunting for a spark. It came courtesy of their skipper, Shan Althaf. Spotting a gap, Althaf executed a deft chip kick over Royal’s first line of defense. After a couple of tense juggles, he securely gathered the ball and found center Kevin Weerakoon running a brilliant support line. Weerakoon collected the pass in stride and dived over in the corner. Althaf then showcased his class, adding a superb conversion from a daunting angle.
Half Time: Royal College 03 (1P) – Trinity College 07 (1T,1C)
The hosts struck first immediately after the break. A dismal lineout throw from Trinity’s Akila Fernando gifted Royal possession. A massive carry from skipper Disas Pathirana brought them within five meters of the try line. After a few patient phases from the forwards, another powerful burst from Senuja Ranasinghe saw him power through a couple of defenders to score. Kavindu Hewage added the extra points to put Royal back in front.
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Under pressure, Trinity responded with composure. Following a series of attacking phases, Trinity secured a five-meter scrum. The ball was fed out quickly to Evin Jayasena, who made the initial hard yards. Scrum-half Udan Wijekoon then unleashed a quick pass to Nisith Kumarasinghe, who thrown a beautiful, long cut-out pass to winger Minula Yaddehige. Yaddehige finished beautifully in the corner, and Althaf once again nailed a spectacular touchline conversion to reclaim the lead.
Although Royal attempted to dominate territory, a crucial fumble by skipper Pathirana turned the tide. Wijekoon instinctively put a chip kick over the defense, and Althaf won the aerial contest to gather the ball. He attempted an offload to Dimath Abeypitiya, and while the ball wasn’t gathered cleanly, Hamza Abdeen was perfectly positioned to scoop up the loose ball and race through to score.
With Royal visibly rattled, the pressure mounted. A clearance kick from Royal’s Simak Shafeek was brilliantly charged down by Yaddehige. Bilal Nazeer was the quickest to react, grounding the loose ball. After a TMO review, the try was awarded, and the boots of Althaf comfortably extended the lead.
With the floodgates firmly open, Royal completely switched off. Trinity upped the ante, delivering a masterclass in forward play. Launching an attack from the 40-meter mark, they battered the Royal defense phase after phase, culminating in a massive, unstoppable carry from Mathisha Jayasinghe to score. Althaf added the easy conversion.
With a clinical second-half performance, Trinity College walks away with a commanding 23-point advantage as they head back home to Pallekelle for the decisive second leg.
Full Time: Royal College 10 (1T,1C,1P) – Trinity College 33 (5T,4C)
Swisstek Perfect Player of the Match: Shan Althaf (Trinity College)
Points Breakdown
Royal College: 10
Senuja Ranasinghe 1T,1P, Kavindu Hewage 1C
Trinity College 33
Kevin Weerakoon 1T, Minula Yaddehige 1T, Hamza Abdeen 1T, Bilal Nazeer 1T, Mathisha Jayasinghe 1T, Shan Althaf 4C
