Super Shan kicks Trinity to Bradby win
With yesterday’s close win. Trinity claimed their 40th Bradby Shield with an aggregate of 42-38, after a similar and exiting win of 17-16 in the first leg played a fortnight ago at the Royal College Sports Complex in Colombo.
Injured captain Anuhas Kodituwakku and stand-in skipper Thisanga Dissanayake hold aloft the Bradby Shield with their jubilant team mates - Pix courtesy Sports Avenue
Flyhalf Althaf accounted for 20 out of the total of 25 points recorded by Trinity, who completed a famous win with a tally of a converted try and six penalties. Royal, who exhibited a strategic approach from the word go, even stunning an unsuspecting Trinity defence with an opening minute try, as they completed with a tally of two converted tries and three penalties. Royal even enjoyed a comfortable buffer of seven points after gaining a 20-13 lead at halftime, yet they were equally indiscipline.
But the visitors were all up for a possible win, or a draw on aggregate when the game was almost over and with a one point advantage with the scores reading 23-22 in favour of Royal. That could have easily forced a possible draw, the third in the series of 78 outings, but Royal conceded a penalty when time was almost up on Trinity’s own yard.
With the kicking range being a staggering distance of 53 metres, Royal would have sensed of sniffing a win that would lay their hands on the Bradby Shield for the seventh successive year, but it was the 17-year-old Althaf who opted to take the gamble. From a challenging range with a slight angle, all he had was courage and the mental grit, which cleared not only the angle, but also the distance as Trinity claimed the coveted shield after a lapse of 10 years.
It was the exact end that was experienced two weeks ago in Colombo, with Althaf doing wonders with his kicking, and then it was a crucial drop goal that gave Trinity a slender 17-16 win. Yesterday, however, Royal countered every move dished out by Trinity, even introducing a nemesis to Althaf in their flyhalf Idris Farouk, who is similar in every possible way including the age.
But Trinity eventually played the game with better composure than Royal, who were overly exposed by their own mistakes. Trinity had to sweat to contain Royal with 77 tackles, and were brought down 39 times by their opponents. Royal conceded as much as 12 penalties against Trinity’s seven. But Trinity were more successful in lineouts, claiming 10 out of the total of 18.
Trinity were more decent than Royal with handling errors. They caused only five against Royal’s eight errors, but the visitors were aggressive in turnovers, claiming as much as three to Trinity’s solitary successful attempt.
Royal charged into action trailing with a deficit of one point, while Trinity looked too comfortable from the moment Australian referee Braydon Hudson blew the first whistle. Fullback Yuwan Pathirana, upon spotting a relaxed Trinity defence, took the gamble with an up-and-under to recollect neatly and brace a try within the second minute. With centre Nabeel Yahiya’s conversion Royal led 7-0, and gained a six-point advantage to worry the whole Trinity camp.
Trinity looked more composed, while raking in possible points from two penalties that came in their favour in the seventh and 22nd minutes to close in as Royal held on to a slender 7-6 lead. Royal expanded their lead to 10-6 with a successful penalty kick by flyhalf Farouk in the 25th minute, only to be stunned the next minute by a spectacular try from winger Minula Yaddehige, who just returned after serving 10 minutes in the sin bin. With Althaf’s conversion Trinity took the lead for the first time.
But Royal made sure they stick to their plans, and forced Trinity to commit an unforced error, giving Yahiya the opportunity to comfortably put over a penalty in the 29th minute and equalise 13-all. They gradually took grip of the game and gained possession most of the remaining time up until the halftime, as they forced Trinity to commit another error on their own yard.
Earning a scrum, Royal were comfortably within the range of invading for a try through their trademark rolling maul with the halftime up. Camouflaging a rolling maul, flanker Ayyash Shyam broke loose to run through the Trinity defence and stun the entire stadium with a well-planned try, which gave Farouk an easy range and angle to make a successful conversion. With that Royal led 20-13 at halftime.
What occurred after the turnaround was totally the opposite from the imaginary. It was Trinity who had the control of the game despite Royal enjoying possession of the ball much of the time. Royal’s 20 points stayed up until the 69th minute, as Althaf took the opportunity to add points through three successful penalties in the 43rd, 58th and 65th minutes.
Trinity were back in the leady by 22-20 by the 66th minute, but Royal were determined to pull off the game, after Yahiya took the onus to put over a penalty in the 69th minute and put his team back with a slender 23-22 lead with just a minute away from the long whistle. But Althaf’s heroic, following three failed drop goal attempts during the game, to take the gamble of taking a kick from 53 metres away to put over the crucial penalty, turned the tables on Royal and sealed Trinity’s fortune of claiming the shield after a decade. The last time Trinity won the Bradby was in 2014, when Tarinda Ratwatte led the side.