Royal College regained the Bradby Shield in its 79th edition with an aggregate score of 18–13, despite losing the second leg 8–3 to Trinity College which was played at the Royal Complex.
The 79th edition of the prestigious Bradby Shield produced an unprecedented result in Kandy, as newly crowned league champions Trinity College faltered in an error-riddled encounter. Royal College arrived with a clear game plan, executed it to perfection and walked away with a crucial 10-point lead as the series shifts to their home turf.
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- Althaf’s Drop Goal secures famous win for Trinity Lions
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- Trinity thump Royal with an All-Round Performance in the Hills
- Royal tame the error-ridden Trinity Lions with a memorable performance
Trailing by ten points on aggregate, Trinity College made the early inroads thanks to a brilliant kick from Shan Althaf and some equally sharp defensive work that earned them territory inside the 22. From there onwards, the forwards took control – first setting up a maul and then working through pick-and-drives. After several phases of sustained pressure, a powerful carry by Manusha Silva broke the defensive line, allowing tighthead prop Achintha Jayasena to barge over and open the scoring. However, the straightforward conversion was missed by Sadeesha Weerawansa. (TCK 05–00 RC)
Conceding early did little to unsettle Royal College, who quickly regained dominance in both territory and possession. They forced three penalties, but to the surprise of many, placekicker Mohomed Shimak was off-target with all three attempts, including two relatively straightforward kicks. Trinity too had a chance to close the gap, but Althaf failed to convert his penalty opportunity. The remainder of the first half saw no further addition to the scoreboard, with Trinity heading into the break trailing by five points on the Bradby aggregate.
Half Time: Royal College 00 – Trinity College 05 (1T)
Royal College came out strong after the restart, continuing to dominate possession and territory. However, a few errors in judgment at crucial moments prevented them from adding to their tally in the opening 15 minutes of the second half.
Despite Royal’s dominance, Trinity clawed their way back into the contest through a well-constructed attacking move orchestrated by playmaker Shan Althaf. The sequence earned them a kickable penalty, which Althaf converted to narrow the margin. Yet, just minutes later, those three points were canceled out when Idris Farook calmly slotted over a penalty for Royal, restoring their five-point cushion on the aggregate.
In the tense closing stages, Royal College showed composure and discipline to protect their slender lead, holding firm until the final whistle to reclaim the coveted Bradby Shield they had surrendered last year.
Full Time: Royal College 03 (1P) – Trinity College 08 (1T,1P)
79th Bradby Shield Aggregate: Royal College 18-13 Trinity College
Swisstek Perfect Player of the Match: Yuwan Pathirana (Royal College)
Points Breakdown
Royal College: 03
Idris Farook 1P
Trinity College 08
Achintha Jayasena 1T, Shan Althaf 1P
