Yesterday, was the much awaited "Blue Ribbon" as you would call it of School's Rugby. I found my self with my GF, a few friends getting up their by 3pm to catch a good spot, and ofcourse "Park the Car". Yes, this year I found my self financially incapable of reserving tickets at the "Grand Stand", 600 bucks a piece they go for. I say that is way too much. What was more horrifying was to find the "Pathana" match tickets priced at 350 bucks. I say you, it would have been understandable if it were the "Thora" match. Which means I can anticipate how much that encounter is going to cost. So the "Tiers" are comfy enough, till I find a better job, that makes me feel 600 bucks is like toffee's.
Over to the match. Being the Royalist I am, I was expecting a defeat. Yes, yes, seeing the way our lad's performed against "True pressure" (@ the Pathana Match) I knew when "Push comes to shove", there's little we could do. But by golly's our chaps put up some Good Moves, surprised the Trinitians and registered the first points. We had more of the ball in our hands, and the forwards kept driving, but kept getting tackled, the line was under-fed me thinks, but then again both the opportunities they got, they fumbled and that mind you was like 25yards into the Goal Line.
All in all I was unhappy seeing the way our guys fluffing opportunities right at the end. It would have been understandable, if Trinity just dominated the game, (like the Last year) but this was really saddening. To add salt to the wounds, we saw a few gutsy moves and runaway points scored by the Trinitians, when I felt our blokes were too tired or unorganized or both to stop them. I wouldn't have minded a 4 point lead going into the 2nd Leg, but 11 points is too much of a dampener. That means we have to make our own fun. he he..
Atmosphere was well alive, with buggers bringing down the "Roof Down". I mean literally, the make shift tents on the tiers weren't fastened enough for a ravaging mob of Royalist's of all breeds, some potent from the "Nectar of God's", shaking and slamming the sheets, just to see them drop one by one onto their very own heads.
Well that's a Rugger Match for you. Over and out.
Here's more on the Bradby (Experts opinion over mine) :
1.
Sunday Observer2. Sunday Times ??
3. Sunday Island ??
?? So much for freaking Free Availability of News in Sri Lanka. All those sites require Registration. Ba-humbug!!
UPDATE
Found this new Paper in town to have a nice web site.
1. The NationAnd for those of you who don't know what the Bradby is, well you can't be living in Sri Lanka, if so "Shame on you". It is a
Rugger match played between
Royal College and
Trinity College Kandy, in two stages (or
Legs as we like to call it) one in Colombo and one in Kandy, hosted by the respective schools. The name "Bradby" came about after Mr. E. L. Bradby (then Principal of Royal College) awarded a shield for the match played in 1945, which turned into a two match series and the Winners being declared on the aggregate of the points in both the matches. Prior to the awarding of the Shield both schools have been playing each other since 1920.
Where did I get all this? Well it's common knowledge to any member of the two schools, in addition I had the privilege of Editing one such Bradby Souvenir back in the day.
* Pathana - Isipathana Vidyalaya
* Thora -
St. Thomas' College
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