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Message: <blockquote data-quote="rasthiyadukaraya" data-source="post: 14168321" data-attributes="member: 365325"><a href="http://www.cyln.net/2012/10/the-holy-grail-of-trinity-rugby.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WZKxV728tG4/UEeyuKDpC7I/AAAAAAAAAAg/SCMADRSX_d8/s320/tck1.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></a>The  legendary Lt. Col. Berti Dias of trinity once remarked that Trinity  produces an unbeaten team roughly every 10 years.  He should know he  coached Trinity rugby's bespoke original, fabled to the lore, D.N  Frank's boys of '56, the team that set the bar, bolts and all.  Since  then we have pretty much stuck to strip and produced an unbeaten side  approximately every 10 years.  Next were Ajith abeyrathna's all  conquering side of 1967, followed by Ravi Balasuriya's heroes of 1977  and arguably the grandest of all Tyrell Rajapaksa's few of 1987.  But as  the class of '87 descend from all corners for their 25th year reunion,  Trinity's 10 year schedule would appear to have come marginally unstuck  as 1987 sadly still remain Trinity's last unbeaten team.  D.N Frank's originals to a generation still remain the team. The played  joyous, flowing, chivalrous and almost mythical brand of rugby.  This  magnificent stable produced an incredible nine Ceylon caps and two of  these imperishable luminaries Nimal Maralanda and Mike De Alwis went on  to captain it.  Not only did this team comprising the likes of  Weerasinghe, Jacob, Balthazaar, Raji and Sena De Silva, De Joodt,  Ettipola, Boteju, Dias Desinghe, Odayar, Rathnayake and S.P. De Silva  not let their defense be breached by any school but took on the might of  Kandy SC, Uva, Dickoya, CR and Havelocks stocked with Europeans and  summarily dispatched them as well.     Next to go unbeaten wastage boys of 1967, a team that put down a  permanent mark for uncompromising power, discipline and dash with likes  of Iswan Omar, Balsuriya, Udugama, Alex Lazarus, Sundaralingam, Gogi  Tilakarathne, Siriwardana, Talawatte, Attif, Warbe, Dasanayake, Nayagam,  Nandaraja and the man who redefined the art of running full back Shafi  Jainudeeb.  Nobody ever conjured up a daredevil dart or a delicious  swerve quite as 'Jainudeen'.  This side which had 5 Ceylon caps was  captained by the most totemic fellow, the great Ajith Abeyrathne.  <a href="http://www.cyln.net/2012/10/the-holy-grail-of-trinity-rugby.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zj-GrvF2bbg/UEeyvBECgzI/AAAAAAAAAAo/SBjfcElbD7k/s320/trinity.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></a>  During the decade of the 70's, Trinity produced a raft of fine teams and  amongst them were C.Y Ching's once-beaten boy of '74 who played an all  embracing. over whelming brand of rugby that it inspired even the  occasional followers of the general scene.  Perfection this decade was  delivered by Ravi Balasuriya's chargers of 1977, a year of smiles and  gallantry.  Led by on of Trinity rugby's grandest monarchs, I recall  watching Ravi Bala's boys with found amazement.    The memories still stirs the spirit for this was a team of men boys  clothing and included the likes of Richardson, Rahiman, Congreve, Ravi  Rathnayeke, Ellepola, Kiridena, Y. Wong, Jan and Michel Tissera,  Sourjah, Kemal Deen, Bibile, Gunasekara, A Saheedeen, Vethanayagam,  Allegarathnam, Raghawan, Rodrigo and Omar.  Trinity that year became the  first school in Sri Lanka rugby history to be invited to participate in  what subsequently became known as the Pan Pacific Schools rugby  championships.    Next, the team that turned art from into a full scale opera, Tyrell  Rajapakse's boys of 87 coached by Alex Lazarus, played its rugby with a  zip and zap revolutionary panache.  Trinity  87 shipped a staggering 300  points that season and 12 teams collectively managed 1 try and 7  penalties against them.  This team of wit and wonder had Rugby Lions  Lohan Ratwatte, Dasarath Kiridena and a quartet that multiple  generations would have struggled to muster, '86 catain Senani Gunaratne,  Rajiv 'Gal' Bandaranayake, the shinning chevalier Shah Doole and the  irresistible counter attacker of nerve, verve and bonny bravado lmthie  Marikkar.  Joining them were the intrepid hoofers Nilantha Rathnayake,  Upul Gunarathne, Prasad Dissanayeke,  N. Abeysinghe, Janinda Dunuville,  further Lions Thakshila Hettiarachchi, and '90 rugby captain Rohan  Ranaraja.  This was surely a team of utter grandeur and arguably the  best produced by Trinity as observed by national coach Ajith Abeyratne  in 1987.    <a href="http://www.cyln.net/2012/10/the-holy-grail-of-trinity-rugby.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DFKHVx8XPkc/UEeysVTHEzI/AAAAAAAAAAU/aXiAMrWNKT4/s320/TCK-Rugby.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></a>  However, for all the heroics of trinity's cherished collective paragons  of '56, '67, '77 and '87, it is our flamboyant display of pedigree in  between that makes Trinity the celebrated rugby institution, the  venerable home of this sport and sacred of its flame.  The '57 side of  Ken de joodt, Eric Roles' boys of '60, Shafi Jainudeen's team of '69  come to mind from the early years.  In the 70s and 80s Trinity's cup did  runneth over.  That some of them didn't win the cherished shield is  more a testament to those  who stood in the way in large navy and gold  hoops in our confraternal dust-up the occasional intrepid Thomian  raiding party and / or a certain Isipathana should not distract from  what the boys of Sam Samarasekara's 1970 achieved, or Ping's '71 lot who  also had the rare honour of producing 2 Sri Lanka rugby captains in  Irvin Howie and Tikiri Marambe accomplished, nor Janaka Kiridena's  gallant warriors of 78.  The 80s had Ravi Bandaranayaka's boys of '81  which included that imperishable show stopper Ravi Ponnambalam, the team  of '82, and '83 captained by 2 of TCK history's most resplendent  captains, the mighty, 'Lord' Byron and the venerable Ashan Ratwatte, the  '84 side of Wijesinghe and Ranaraja's '89 garnished the legend.    In the 90s, Ayaz Deen's boys of 91, Himesh Goonatilleke's talented few  of 92, the talismanic Haris Omar's and deputy Pradeep Bandaranayaka's  boys of '95 who added a complete verse and chapter in gold lettering to  Trinity rugby fabled ledger by being the 3rd due from a single team to  captain the country not to be forgotten also N. Fernando's team of '96.   This was followed on by B.N.R Fernando's '05, Maddumapatabadi's '06,  Milinda Gunawardana's '08, Murad Ramzeen's powerful lot of '11 and Kanil  Senavirathne's Outstanding group of 2012.    Young warriors obsessively girding them selves pre season in preparation  for the season ahead with narrowed eyes and even narrower focus repeat  in their sleep 'win the Bradby' -school rugby's most primeval and   treasured trophy.  To borrow from John Hopkins this "cross between a  medieval crusade and pre school outing' is Trinity preeminent priority.   Every facts, fad, fact, and fancy to Trinity rugby revolves  compellingly around this annual jamboree.  To win the shield was, is and  will always remain the singular most sacred measure that each Trinity  rugby captain and his chargers are measured by.  Win that Bradby son and  you can rest secure in the knowledge that your team and your name will  always be emblazoned in Trinity rugby lore for all time. This than  remains the Holy Grail of Trinity rugby, all else, merely details. <a href="http://www.cyln.net/2012/10/the-holy-grail-of-trinity-rugby.html" target="_blank">http://www.cyln.net/2012/10/the-holy-grail-of-trinity-rugby.html</a> </blockquote>

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