CHRIS DHAMBARAGE
COLOMBO – Royal College will start favourites when they confront traditional rivals Trinity College in the 77th annual Bradby Shield first leg rugby encounter at the Pallekele Stadium in Kandy on Saturday. The kick-off is at 4.15 p.m. after the junior matches.
The lads from Reid Avenue will take the field brimming with confidence following some superb all-round rugby this season where they have recorded four successive victories to top the Inter-Schools Under-19 League Tournament points table.
In fact, this will be Royal’s final first-round match of the league tournament and they would like to collect the maximum points ahead of the important Super Round segment.
In addition, Royal are on the threshold of creating history and are looking to retain the Bradby Shield for the fifth successive year following their success in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022.
Royal are the holders of the Bradby Shield since 2015 and in the following year the match ended in a tie while Trinity last won the Bradby Shield outright way back in 2014 under the captaincy of Tarinda Ratwatte.
Therefore, with the odds heavily against them, Trinity will need a huge turnaround of events and change of fortunes to pull off this game and to bring an end to Royal’s dominance in the series.
However, the Trinitians are just beginning to settle down to play their brand of rugby after having suffered a shock 15-17 defeat at the hands of hometown rivals Dharmaraja College in their opening game of the league tournament at the Bogambara Stadium.
But last week, Trinity produced their best performance for the current season when they ran down eight tries during their comprehensive 55-10 win over Science College on their home grounds.
In fact, Trinity will hold the home advantage once again and last year too, they put up a spirited performance to win the second leg 26-21 at Pallekele despite conceding the Bradby Shield to their opponents 26-50 on aggregate.
Royal Squad:
Thineth Gamage, Imthisal Nazeer, Hadiq Hussein, Binuda Malalagama, Yehan Rajasinghe, Randul Senanayake (Captain), Yasiru Senevirathne, Thanvir Hassen, Simak Shafeek, Thivain Perera, Charuka Senevirathne, T. P. Samarakoon, Philio Calyaneratne, Disas Pathirana, Nabel Yahiya, Afeef Akram, Rushen John, Yehaan Weerasooriya, Yovindu Ethugala, Amika
Samarasinghe, Mohamed Hussein, Nakeeb Mohomod, Duljaya Gamanayake.
Trinity Squad:
Thenuk Fernando, Dehan Watagoda, Senula Alexander, Ravin Illangaratne, Venuka Kumarage, Chamendra Dhanapal, Harith Samaraweera, Thisanga Dissanayake, Rushen Bandaranayake, Shan Althaf, Sachindu Wansekara, Anuhas Kodithuwakku, Lakindhu Herath, Ataab Manzil (Captain), Abidh Jameel, Senitha Karavita, Yasiru Ariyawansha, Jayageeth Basnayake, Jeywin Samarakoon, Nisith Kumarasinghe, Hamdan Faizal, Usmaan Safraz, Chamod Dehigama.
