When Royal’s ‘Bulla’ Bulletized Trinity 50 years ago
I am not superstitious. Yet there is something about Royal and decades that end in ‘8’.
It was in 1948 that Royal first won the Bradby under Ashy Carder when Azwer Mohamed captained Trinity. The record book speaks for itself since: Royal, as if on cue, won the Bradby in every decade since then that ended in ‘8’, with one exception of 2008.
And following last week’s stellar performance by Royal, one does not need a Crystal Ball to foretell the destiny of the Bradby in 2018!
Fifty years ago Mahes Rodrigo told this writer that when Trinitians run into the field in their stunning Red, Yellow and Blue jerseys it always has a psychological effect on opposing teams. “The teams opposing Trinity are already five points down” he quipped!
And yes, Fifty years ago, 1968, Trinity under the super leadership of Ajit Abeyratne had crushed all teams that season. That was until it came to the Bradby. A prescient limerick accompanied by a Cartoon depicted Captain CR ‘Bulla’ de Silva in the Royal Bradby Souvenir:
“The Captain with a grin as sweet as Candy
He made a vow to win back the Bradby”
Coach UL Kaluaaratchi in prepping up the team had recounted Mahes’ jersey theory and lit the grid in the hearts of the Royal team: ‘You are the best, the game is in your hands and give it all you can.’
The 19/0 first leg win by Royal in 1968, against the odds, was the stage-setter for the fulfillment of the vow.
The Royal team traveled up to Kandy and was lodging at the Trinity Boarding. On the Saturday before the match, I invited Bulla, who was a close friend, to my home, which was right opposite Trinity, for a quick lunch. “I’ll come only if it’s a Biriyani feed.” And so Biriyani it was. As he gobbled his lunch he said “my coach will blast me if he got to know; and worse still Kadalay, (the Royal gram-seller and conscience keeper) will Murder me!” And then he dug into me with his Attorney-style confident deep voice, “Mush, if you think the Biriyani will slow me down, forget it. I feel much stronger now!”
Hours later Bulla Bulletized the Trinity team with a 5/3 win and the Bradby.
Regardless of predictions, the Bradby week is a spiritual moment for all Trinitians and Royalists, and even for many a rugby fan of other affiliations. Many are highly spirited. Others are literally spirited highly! Lemon juice or other spiked concoctions gives it the tang and tango that makes rugby spirits spark. The Bradby has a unique spirit with a charm and a character that has bonded Trinity and Royal teams. Although hard fought with the best in breed of rugby standards there is a special charm and character — friendship and rivalry —as it is on opposite sides of the coin, but it’s one. Toss it any way and yet it reflects the best of tradition.
In one Bradby encounter at Nittawela two players were seen in fisticuffs and tempers were flaring. The then Trinity Principal Lionel Fernando, who was the host, also a former ruggerite, spontaneously walks in and gets the two players to shake hands!
One memorable incident was when Trinity flanker Chulika de Silva got knocked out from a hard tackle. He was virtually concussed and referee Miles Christofelsz was about to rule that he is not fit to play. In those days substitutions were not allowed. Royal captain UL Kaluaaratchi walks with his renowned gunman style swagger and says to Chulika ‘get up Chukka, you can play you bugger!’ And Chulika rises to the gentlemanly call by the opposing captain.
Some stories from the decades that end in ‘8’. In 1928 there was a revival of rugby at Royal under coach Stanley de Saram. Now Stanley used to speak with an accent and at practice called for volunteers to “Hook”. Sargo Jayawickreme later known for his prowess at cricket volunteered immediately. The others who knew Sargo could not reconcile this and when they stared at him in surprise Sargo asked from his teammates “Yakko Duwande neda!”
Year 1958. It’s called the Obolensky try. Named after the “flying Russian Prince”, it fashioned what is still regarded as one of the best ever tries scored for England when Alexander Obolensky played seventy four years ago —-in 1936—against the All Blacks in Twickenham. From base of scrum the ball goes down the three quarters line, and Alexander Obolensky with an extraordinary diagonal right to left turn-in and a double swerve joins the line at a blistering speed and beats some 8 or 9 defenders and scores.
The Bradby had its own Obolensky moment in 1958 when Royal carried away the shield after seven years. Trinity, playing at Longden Place, started to lose possession when Royal’s Ken Balendra got the better of Mike de Alwis in the scrums. The lines out also began going Royal’s way.
The first try for Royal came in the first half from a movement working down the left wing—from Pothuhera to Maurice Anghie, to Tony Rankine, and then to Samaratunga, to Lal Senaratne who was heading for a bunch of Trinity defenders and was eventually brought down. But the try was scored by right winger Lorensz Pereira! He saw what was about to happen and in a flash sped right across the field, joined the line as an extra.
The Bradby also brings out grit. M.U. Odayar the Trinity Full back was the darling of frenetic rugby fans in Kandy. He was about the only ruggerite in those days that wore soccer boots and took conversions at goal with an unconventional in-step. As his straight-combed hair used to impede his vision, he sought protection by wearing a hairnet. He missed a tackle and earned the wrath of strict disciplinarian Major Theodore de Siva, who with characteristic invective, said: “Zay Odayar, don’t play like a Modaya!” The affable Odayar took it in good spirit and in the return Bradby brought out the best of this gutty ruggerite: he fractured his collar bone in the first half, but as substitution was not allowed then, Odayar continued to play. And what is more, at one stage of play, he fielded the ball with his injured arm and dealt a ward-off with the other!
In 1968, fifty years ago to this day, Bishop Lakshman Wickremasinghe aptly summed up his emotions:”Rugger is and always will be to me the ‘Queen’ of games. A good rugger match is a thing of beauty, a satisfying aesthetic experience, an exhibition of skill, vitality and controlled power, which fine physical specimens of manhood can display. It’s a great game. I have not played the game since I left school and the only match I get a chance of seeing is the annual Trinity-Royal match in Kandy. It brings back memories of happy days gone by. It also leaves me in a quandary. My old school is Royal and nothing can break the ties that bind me to my alma mater.
But Trinity for many reasons has become my ‘adopted school’ with which I have intimate ties. And I must admit that Trinitians, especially when they dominate play, have a quality which is uniquely their own. So much so, that when I watch the annual match, like St. Paul, ‘I am torn two ways’ unable to decide which side I would like to see win the match”
The Bradby is also full of challenges whether in victory or defeat. In 1971, only one leg was played due to civil unrest. Royal had won the first leg. Trinity had possession of the Shield having won it in the previous year. There was a contention that the Shield could be shared or retained by Trinity, as the series was inconclusive. At a special Royal general Assembly Trinity Principal Lionel Fernando showed up and carrying the Bradby Shield said “I speak with the voice of the valley of defeat to the mountain of Triumph. You out-played us in every department of Rugby and unleashed a sound trashing. I give you the shield today. But don’t lock it in the cupboard or screw it to the desk, because next year I will take it back!