Its Bradby weekend! Pallakele is the venue, and only five points separate the two teams. It’s all to play for. Is it going to be Royal keeping hold of what was so convincingly won last year, or will Trinity manage to bring their ‘A’ game to upset the form books?
The lead up to the second leg has been far from ideal for the Trinity camp. The big news over the last week was the alleged axing of Coach Eric Miller. Some rather ridiculous accounts were being shared by some as to the reasons. One such was that that his preferred attire of shorts and flip flops did not sit well with the management of the school. If the former British & Irish Lion had been dismissed owing to a poor run of results that would have been far more comprehensible. 
However, the word I received from trusted sources within the Trinity camp was that Miller had tendered in his resignation on his own accord. So there you have it, not that it matters much in the greater scheme of things.
However, truth be told, I thought Trinity were extremely poor in that first leg loss, and can count themselves lucky not be to chasing a greater deficit of points. They were chasing the game virtually off the first few seconds with some shoddy passing, which led to an intercept try. Possessing a far superior three-quarter line, I felt they should be able to claw their way back. 
But they were found guilty of running across far too much, which helped Royal negate the threat. Thishila Perera led the side in the absence of the suspended Rahul Karunathilake. Built more like a front-row forward, Thishila moves well for a big man, especially considering all the strapping on his knees. What’s more, he’s got quite a good boot on him. However, in attack I think he’s caught wanting as the ball doesn’t quite move fast enough through to the centres. This is probably the reason he was taken off early in the second half. The boy who took his place – Lashane Wijesuriya, I feel he’s a much better fit. There was far better fluidity once Wijesuriya got on. I’m told that Lashane is the son of former Kandy SC player Lasantha Wijesuriya. If he can pull out a performance like his dad often used to for Kandy in his day, things will look good for the Lions. Trinity have some great speedsters on the wing, so if they can just commit the numbers in midfield and give their wider runners the ball with some space out wide, they will score.
I was also very disappointed with the Trinity forwards. The lineout work in attack, and defense was very poor. There were no prizes for guessing that Royal were going to resort to the rolling maul at every given opportunity. Besides staying off and having Royal penalized for a ‘flying wedge’, you can either attempt to ‘sack’ the ball carrier, or you disrupt the attempted maul, no sooner the jumper gets to ground.
I concede that all options are far easier said than done. But Trinity were too passive in their approach. They gave Royal too much time to settle down. By that time, it’s far too late, and more often than not, Royal will walk away with a score. Then, when it was their own throw, they persisted with a call to throw ‘long’ to number 6. This was despite a torrential downpour, and never seemed to learn, losing all, if not a majority of them. They were slicker than their counterparts with ball in hand, but like their ‘threes’ found themselves gradually drifting across field, and away from their support.
Sean Wijesinghe has now been elevated to interim head coach. He is quite an astute tactician, and is fresh from a successful first term in charge of Kandy SC. He also has Saliya Kumara by his side, who will handle the ‘threes’. I believe Sean can still do the job. He is young, an old Trinitian, and will probably be better poised to relate to the boys. They now play at home, on a ground they practice on. Playing badly, they lost by only five points in the first leg. So, this tie is by no means over. They will also be boosted by the return of their Skipper Karunathilake. I believe they will be a different proposition with him in the team. He is their talisman and leader. I expect Trinity to test the Royal Full Back with a few ‘up and unders’, and then as the game wears on, to set their backline in motion. I’m sure one message Sean will be drilling into his charges is discipline. It’s vitally important that they keep all fifteen players on the field throughout, and to avoid giving away cheap penalties. Royal will be more than happy to kick into the corner, and then, surprise surprise…
Nikhila Gunadeera will know that the job is only half done. He will know that a hostile reception awaits his side when they get on that field. The superior class of 2015 under Bhanuka Gamage only managed to scrap to a two pint win in last year’s corresponding fixture. But I’m sure he’ll be quietly confident. As I’ve stated previously, Royal are the best exponents of the maul in the country. In fact, I think our national team should learn a thing or two from them. Having that weapon in your arsenal is a huge bonus for a team. They very easily could’ve been unbeaten at this stage, had they not failed to secure possession in the dying stages against S.Thomas’. Their biggest worry will be their backline, particularly in defense. They are much improved, but whether they’ll be able to cope with the pressures of the day, is another matter. Full Back Askey will be hoping to find his range early to keep the scoreboard ticking. You would imagine that on present form, the Royal forwards will force a few penalties, which they will look to translate into points.
Sanath Martis and Dushanth Lewke have tasted victory before. They will no doubt be looking to have a say in the schools league, by beating all in front of them come the second round of the league. But I don’t think either of them are looking beyond Saturday.
For both these two great establishments, the success or failure of a season is generally judged on outcome of the Bradby. Everything plays second fiddle. A titanic battle is on the cards. I only hope the weather holds up, and we see the best that both these sides are capable of dishing out. I would have to side by the ‘school where my father, learned the way…’, but don’t right off Trinity from unleashing something special. As they say, beware of the wounded beast.
