Royal regain 'Bradby' after three years
By Ranjan Anandappa
RUGBY: Royal spearheaded by a spectacular forwards display outplayed
Trinity by 15 points (1 goal, 1 try and a penalty) to 11 (1 one try, 2
penalties) in the second 'leg' to regain the Bradby Shield after three
years in their traditional schools match played at the Royal Sports
Complex grounds yesterday.
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Royal’s hero Bilal Hassen scoring his team’s, first try with
Trinitian Viswajith Wijesinghe making a desperate attempt to stall
him. An incident in the second leg of the 63rd Bardby Shield
encounter which Royal won 15-11 to regain the shield with an
aggregate of 35-23. Picture by Kavindra Perera |
Royal after winning the first 'leg' 20-12 played at Bogambara a
fortnight ago secured on 8 point lead and was well on course to regain
the Shield which was introduced 63 years ago. The final aggregate was
35-23 in favour of Royal.
It was the Royal forwards marshalled by number 8 and Sri Lanka youth
player Bilal Hassan, Ayesh Rajapakse, Nikira Senanayake, Thushan Perera
and Eranjan Punchihewa made the difference between the two sides while
for Trinity their skipper and lock forward Sean Wanigasekera was a
source of inspiration and added much vigour to the side playing a superb
game in attack and defence. Wanigaseerka provided the much needed thrust
to the Trinity forwards and was in the thick of things while the three
quarters kept moving.
It was Trinity who opened scoring almost with the kick off when fly
half Cinci Siegertz put over a penalty. But Royal almost immediately
took the lead in the fourth minute of the match when number 8 Bilal
Hassan scored a push over try with Shailendra Chadrasekera, the Royal
full back failing to add the extra points.
After Siegertz firing over a penalty to put Trinity in the lead 6-5,
a fine move initiated by Wanigasekera off a scrum sent centre Visvajith
Wijesinghe to score an unconverterd try which extended the Kandy schools
lead.
But Trinity's joy was short lived when prop Nikira Senanayake a
member of Royal's buzzling set of forwards touched down under the post.
Chandrasekera put over the easy kick. Royal led 12-11 at the breather.
On resumption both teams could not produce the same fire which they
had in the first half. Both sides dropped the wet ball at crucial stages
and could not make nuch headway. However, Royal dominated a good part of
the second half, until the last five minutes or so when Trinity made a
desperate effort in the Royal territory to reduce the lead, but the
Royal defence withstood the attack with their deligent set of forwards.
The only scoring in the second half was done by Royal when Shailendra
Chandrasekera who put over a penalty under the posts.
Royal won the under 18 game for the Simithrarachchi Trophy 18-0 to
clinch the trophy.
Orville Fernando refereed.
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