By Tom Wald
September 21st 2008 @ 9:54pm
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Students score easy grand final win over ‘Wicks
Sydney University trailed for only one minute of a lopsided Shute Shield grand final before running out 45-20 victors over Randwick at Concord Oval.
The Students scored six tries to three, with man of the match Daniel Halangahu a standout as he drove the champions around the park and collected 15 points with the boot.
Randwick maintained possession in the opening stages with Tim Walsh drawing first blood through a seventh minute penalty, however it was to be the only time the Galloping Greens led for the entire match.
The Students hit back immediately after the restart, when Jerry Yanuyanutawa charged down Randwick’s clearance kick and regathered to score in the corner.
The rampaging prop looked to be over for his second try in the 15th minute, charging towards the line from a Randwick turnover, however a last gasp effort from Bernie Orbell saw the ball jolt free and a try went begging.
But the Students didn’t have to wait long for their next opportunity to come when they developed an overlap from a close-range scrum to send Nathan Trist over.
Halangahu’s conversion extended the lead to 12-3 after the opening quarter of the match.
Randwick battled to stay in the match, but after a period of extended possession and field possession turned down an opportunity to close the gap.
The decision soon paid off with Rodney Voullaire muscling his way over in the right corner.
Walsh missed an opportunity to reduce the margin to one point in the 35th minute when a penalty attempt from right in front missed to the right.
Then two minutes later the miss was compounded when fullback Matt Nethery failed to ground a Phil Waugh grubber kick as he was shadowing it over the touch-in-goal line, and Trist pounced to score his second.
The second half started exactly how the first finished with captain Tim Davidson scoring in just the second minute back on the field.
Halangahu converted and soon after added a penalty to take the score to 27-8.
Randwick’s best attacking foray of the second half finished with the ball going through the hands of Ratu Nasiganiyavi with the tryline beckoning and again the Galloping Greens were made to pay soon after when Halangahu piloted a drop goal to take the margin outside three converted tries.
The floodgates were well and truly open in the 65th minute when replacement back Nick Edwards crossed for the Students’ fifth try, soon after Trist split the defence before sending Nathan Charles over.
Consolation tries to Nasiganiyavi and Morgan Turinui in the final five minutes put some respectability back in the scoreline.
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number3 said | September 21st 2008 @ 10:56pm | Report comment
I was pleased that Uni not only smashed Randwick but also they won all three colts GF’s.
Therefore there can be no papering over the issue. The player value points system ,which might help to even up club rugby, cannot come soon enough. While it is not Uni’s fault ( you use what you have) they have the ability to entice the quality of the players they do, it is simply not an equal playing field.
The equalising points system may also mean that Uni start to develop a REAL junior ( u6 to u18) playing base.
OR if the current system stays,
Give them the Shute Shield at the beginning of each year Uni can then head off and play in the University Games each year. The rest can play a reasonably even comp for second place.
mudskipper said | September 22nd 2008 @ 2:15pm | Report comment
I couldn’t understand why the Wicks coach didn’t start with Brumbies winger Francis Fainifo. I watched thinking gee that Wicks 14 must be good and have something to offer but nothing came. He just made a number of poor judgements and gave up the ball. He didn’t play with those around him. I wondered if he was trying to impress those of influence in the stands. Fainifo would have strengthened right side of the field.
This match was really lost though poor coaching the Randwick team on paper looked strong. With this line up the Wicks shouldn’t have been beaten by that margin. I felt sorry for guys like Chisholm, Hoiles and Frieir who all did their jobs only for others to waste the ball. Or give up silly tries like the Wicks 15 not clearing the ball in goal.
Hello Randwick you need new coaches…and a flyhalf for next season…and unite your team…
True Tah said | September 22nd 2008 @ 3:14pm | Report comment
mudskipper.
for mine, the most disappointing bit was hearing how the likes of Turinui, Ratu Nasi and Sekope Kepu didn’t stand up. Turinui was Australia A captain this year, Ratu has been touted as a future star and Sekope really could have sent out a message he wants to be Wallaby prop.
With Deans watching, I would have thought these guys would want to stand up and be counted, especially Kepu, I guess my thoughts of him being the solution to Australia’s front row ills were wildly off target.