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Sports

Bradby at stake?
By Aubrey Kuruppu and Shamseer Jaleel
It’s Bradby time once again. The talk of the town this year is, the lads from Reid Avenue are bound to lose custody of the coveted Trophy which they held for four years in-a-row. However though the run of play in a particular season has suggested certain outcomes, the results of the Bradby Shield have not always been the same. Most of the time the underdogs have risen from the ashes to spellbind the spectators with a different story at the end of this two legged duel. Such is the magic of this encounter which is to unfold from next week-end for the 61st time at the Bogambara Stadium and in Colombo subsequently.

For some time now Trinity rugby was ailing and was pushed to the extent of being relegated to the bottom division this year whilst also surrendering the Bradby to the Blue and Gold jerseys. It was then that the Trinity rugby surgeons took the patient in hand, diagnosed the ailment and helped resuscitation to the extent that so far they have lost only one match and that too by only a single digit. On the other hand, Royal after basking in glory for three long years are facing the customary circle of fortunes this year. The majority of the stalwarts who brought them glory last year decamped at the end of the season and this year they have come out with a team that averages only fifteen plus.

Royal’s forte is among their forwards but moot point here is can they ride out the ninety minutes of sustained pressure to which they will be subjected to as they are a young bunch. However, if the game is going to be conducted in the soggy conditions underfoot, the Royal forwards are bound to give their opponents some food for thought. Besides this, skipper and centre Varun Wijewardena in spite of his ligament injury has been a source of inspiration to the rest of the clan. However, for this game Varun has opted to move in as the link man at fly half so that he could keep a better eye on both the forwards and the back division. His booming up and unders and kicks to touch have always given some territorial advantages which they have been unable to translate into points.

The other draw back in the Royal camp is the void of a reliable place kicker. At present it’s Chamika Sandaruwan who is burdened with this responsibility, but the number of fluffs by him far exceeds the number of conversions.

Indeed Royal have been playing better quality rugby during the latter part of the season especially against Ananda and Isipatana. Had they had a reliable place kicker the results of both these encounters may have ended up differently.

Trinity in their resurgence, have come up with one of the best three-quarter lines they have produced over the years. Some even say that this three-quarter line could stand along with the same line which played under Tyrell Rajapakse in 1987.

The Kandy school’s find of the season is second-row forward Shaun Wanigasekera Jnr. whose father in fact played along with Tyrell Rajapakse in 1986. In spite of being the baby of the team at just fifteen he has been in the thick of things exploiting whatever chances that comes the forwards way. However when it comes to the role of the playmaker Trinity turn to their fly half Suranga Pushpakumara who has been an inspiring feeder point to their wily three-quarter line.

The line up for the games are:
Under12 3.00 pm
Under14 3.30 pm
Under16 4.00 pm
Under18 4.30 pm
Under 20 5.15 pm

The under 18 game will be played for the Sumithrarachchi Trophy and the first XV game will be battled out for the Bradby Shield.

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