Royal pocket first leg with consummate ease
Far superior, and more competent in almost everything they attempted, Royal set the stage for another Bradby triumph by pocketing the first leg 39-7 at their complex last evening. Only a Trinity die-hard would have expected a different result going into this game. Royal had loads of confidence and their play showed it. They touched down on six occasions. But full back Dulan Gunawardena was off colour and only converted three. The penalty in the dying stages was not entrusted to him as his confidence would have been shot to pieces by then.
A Royalist tries to stay intact despite the challenge from Trinity forwards - Pix by Ranjith Perera
The Royalists dictated the pace of the game expertly, slowing it down when it suited them. They were also far superior up front and at the back. Their modes of attack were varied: from the three-quarters to the forwards, the occasional maul and then the pick and drive.
If Trinity salvaged some respect and admiration, it was in a period of about ten minutes in the second half, when they stayed on Royal’s 22 metre line and kept pummeling their opponents. Their first attempt at scoring was repulsed by the strong Royal defence. To their credit, they kept at it for winger Vishwa Ranaraja to go round the defence and end up behind the posts. Skipper Avishka Sheik took the burden of conversion on himself and succeeded. It was good common sense as Akitha Sakalasuriya, the fly half, had not succeeded with a couple of kicks earlier.
Royal started driving forward from the beginning and Trinity was scurrying around to stop the advance. Both kickers missed penalties. In the case of Royal, a sitter.
A couple of attacks on the Trinity line were thwarted. Not for long however, as prop Sasitha Siyath rolled over in the teeth of opposition, to break the ice. Gunawardena failed with the conversion.
After Trinity’s Sakalasuriya had watched in despair, as his kick at goal veered horribly away, Royal increased their tally. A long clearance was misfielded by a Trinitian deep in his 22. The ball was swung around for fellow prop Induwara Bimsara to touch down. Gunawardena added the extra points (12-nil).
Sabith Feroze, the Royal skipper was thirsting for some action at this stage, but it was only midway in the second half that he was able to unleash a 40 yard run.
Royal wanted more. They were all over the goal line, trying out a ploy or two, to outwit the defence. Flanker Maleesha Madumevan provided the spark by going over. Gunawardena arrowed it through for a 19-0 score at the half way stage.
Royal scores once again to the delight of their supporters
Royal had recourse to the ‘Martis Mantra’ at the start of the second half. The rolling maul started from just inside the Trinity 22 proved unstoppable. It was Himantha Hirushan who did the honours on this occasion. This try went unconverted. It was now that Trinity staged a desperate fight back to get on the board. The Royal defence had their hands full countering this sudden Trinity onslaught. Vishva Ranaraja had the honour of scoring the Kandy school’s only try (24-7).
The Blue and Gold boys showed that this was only an aberration as they resumed normal operations. Royal kicked deep and the ball was almost over the dead ball line. A Trinitian, having some valour but little discretion, sprinted away from the in-goal area, ball in hand. After a while, it rolled loose, and that inspirational center, Janidu Dilshan, picked up, ran round the defence and ended up under the posts. It was quite stupefying. The Trinitians were taken by surprise at this reversal of fortune and hardly had time to blink. Gunawardena made the score 31-7.
The next Royal attack also had its reward. Trinity succumbed under pressure. Dilshan got the ball and went straight down the middle, beating the vain effort of the last defender to stop him. Royal’s Maleesha Perera, a substitute, kicked the penalty accurately to make the final tally 39-7.
To all intents and purposes, the Bradby should remain in the custody of Royal after the second leg at Pallekelle. Trinity could, at best, do damage control by putting some points on the board. But there is no way Royal’s lead could be whittled down. Referee – Dinka Pieris.