By Brian Thomas
The prestigious Blue Ribbon of Schools Rugby the Bradby Shield is done and dusted for the year 2024 , with Trinity enjoying the Silverware back in their wardrobe after ten long years.
Royal hoped to retain the shield whilst under Trinity were desperate to regain it after a never-ending vigil.
Over optimistic and with a much stronger outfit than Trinity, Royal, despite their mishap , trailing from a one point deficit in their own backyard, had its toll on the Reid Avenue boys.
Royal was far superior than Trinity during the league stage . Tears, fears , have now all subsided in both camps , hence a look at IF’s and but’s, will bring insight to Rugby lovers who will share the win or the loss , over the next few days , I hope my views will help.
Over Optimism combined with self-belief and ego can be dangerous because the opposition can enter your gates like a thief and steal your happiness whilst you slumber by being too optimistic, which can lead a team to make forced and unforced errors that can steal the teams natural ability. Hence, on the day at the park your performance that matters us like jigsaw with the pieces out of place period.
Royal were the victims of the above self-created ego , which cost the tag “retained the Bradby for eleven years in a row.”
Royal led 13 points to 8 at half time, and the 6 points they conceded in the first half weren’t through forced errors but through complacency of having crossed the white wash once and dominating the game with 80% possession.
In the second half, Trinity College took advantage of a overcooked Royal outfit, made the Colombo lads give birth to unforced errors, they let the underdogs cross the white wash , and became victims of the golden boot of Shan Altaf, the Trinity fly half who registered a 100 % conversion rate with his supremacy in direction and distance, that created the stronger and superior Royal jigsaw and the pieces to fall out of place.
Finally, a schoolboy is just 17 years of age getting an opportunity to convert a 53-yard penalty with 56 seconds left on the clock for the long whistle, will light up anyone’s senses like a night in a forest.
The crowds that were cheering and extremely vocal became hush at the blink of an eye lid. A pin drop silence was observed, as Shan Altaf lined up the only opportunity to kick at goal from a distance similar to an international game.
The Trinity motto must have gone through his mind “Respice Finem” , look to the end as he moves up and thumps , alma mater to a historic Bradby win after a long vigil of 10 years.
Trinity had reversed the final fortunes to 25-22.
I was tongue tied , I shed a tear bringing back youthful memories, when I was wearing a younger man’s clothes, cheering my Alma Mater in the golden era of our Rugby.
The old Rugby song we sang at Trinity came right back to me, as I tearfully sang the last verse of that song with my tenor voice “The Shadows are falling around me I hear a great roar like the sea and in the Pavilion theyre cheering your winning well played Trinity “
Presenter, Commentator Par Excellence
BRIAN THOMAS BATS FOR GO FOR GOLD
Brian Thomas, Sports Presenter, commentator and compere, Doyen of the electronic media in bringing everything about the gamut to sports lovers, is back with a bang batting for GO FOR GOLD.
Brian, who cut a swathe in undisputedly becoming the No.1 personality in the business to viewers when he served at MTV for his cut above sharp, crisp and booming voice packed with the knowhow that made hm an instant hit, has started his new innings with an insight of the Royal-Trinity Bradby Shield this year.
It is only the start….Brian will be playing a long innings in a comeback to sating the pulse of modern viewers once again here at GO FOR GOLD as both writer and of course, Our top Podcast Personality.