4 September 2006
Graham Croker
Sydney University survived a nerve-wracking 18-phase assault from Randwick after the final whistle to cling to a 16-10 lead and retain the Tooheys New Cup in the grand final of the premier Sydney grade rugby union competition played at Aussie Stadium on Saturday.
The Students led 13-nil after a hard-fought first half, but found themselves with their backs to the wall for much of the second half as Randwick dominated possession and position.
With the final whistle sounded, the Wicks kept the ball in play metres from the University line for 18 phases – interspersed by a penalty in front of the posts – as the Students tackled themselves to a standstill. When Wicks prop Sean Baker hit a small hole in the defensive line under the posts the match might have turned with a converted try. But he knocked on and the Students survived. It was that close.
While 16-10 will go in the records as the official score, the more telling statistic was: Sydney University 307 tackles, Randwick 103 tackles.
The match ebbed and flowed with kicks for the first 15 minutes before Sydney University forwards took matters in hand with a 30-metre rolling maul that was pulled down and earned them a penalty which fullback Julian Huxley slotted for a three-nil lead.
The Students made a mess of the restart and almost paid for it when Randwick five-eighth Brent Kelly linked with winger Paul Hannify and outside-centre Morgan Turinui on a blind-side foray that ended near the corner. Huxley relieved the situation with a monstrous touch-finder, one of many he was to unleash during the match.
A dropped ball in the Randwick midfield, courtesy of a Tom Carter tackle, allowed five-eighth Daniel Halangahu room to toe the ball ahead and claim Randwick fullback Tim Wright in the tackle in front of the posts. A penalty ensued and Huxley pushed the score to six-nil with another three-pointer.
With the penalty count going against the Students and hooker Digby Beaumont spending 10 minutes in the sin-bin, they found themselves defending for long periods. Three lineout snares by Al Campbell and Will Caldwell off Randwick throws provided some much-needed possession.
As the clock ticked down on half-time, the Students launched another rolling maul which resulted in Baker being sin-binned for tripping number eight David Lyons, who was guiding the moving man-mountain from the rear. The Students opted to kick for the corner and instead of attempting another rolling maul off the lineout, the ball was quickly shifted to Halangahu, who dummied and sliced between Kelly and inside-centre Matt Carraro to score under the posts. What looked effortless was indeed a wonderful piece of elusive running in a tight-marking grand final. Huxley converted and the Students went to oranges leading 13-nil with thoughts that the job might not be complete.
And those thoughts were right. Randwick winger Mark Sweeny, the leading pointscorer for the season, posted a penalty three minutes after the restart to launch Randwick’s comeback.
The Students replied with a three-phase assault that saw halfback Nick Hayden and Huxley combine to send winger Michael Griffin on a run down the left flank that ended one metre from the line. Randwick defended another eight-phase assault that included a big run from skipper Tim Davidson. But a turnover in the Randwick quarter saw fullback Tim Wright and Turinui promote play down the left touchline with an interchange of passes. The Students regrouped for some nervous defensive fare and to make matters worse, outside-centre Luke Inman, one of the better defenders on the ground, was given 10 minutes in the sin-bin. The Wicks dominated possession and territory. They were let down by drift running, bad handling and some hefty University defence.
With Inman off, the Wicks shifted the ball from one extremity to the other to stretch the defensive line and a pass from skipper Chris Houston found flanker Sam Ratabua, who sent Carraro in for a well-earned try. Sweeney landed a pressure conversion from near touch and the Wicks were back in the hunt at 13-10 with 11 minutes remaining.
A crucial turnover six minutes from time saw Halangahu take play to the Randwick quarter where the Students earned a penalty and Huxley calmly extended the lead to 16-10.
The final four minutes will go down in the annals, as Randwick regrouped, earned a penalty to push play to the University quarter and camped there for phase after phase. When the hooter sounded, they continued the assault as every man in the Students defensive line – including Inman, who returned for the final minute – tackled valiantly to put paid to the minor premiers.
Halangahu was named man-of-the-match for a cool-headed performance throughout, but he wasn’t far ahead of 29 other troopers.
In the wash-up, the young University props Jeremy Tilse and Laurie Weeks and hooker Beaumont can hold their heads high for helping maintain parity at the scrum. After some early hiccups, the University lineout, through Campbell and Caldwell, took the honours, though both teams surrendered crucial throws in the red zone. Lyons was the most damaging forward with the ball in hand and also figured prominently in defence.
Given the amount of ball they had in the second half, the Randwick backline only threatened occasionally, thanks to some wonderful midfield defence from Carter and Inman, who often covered two attackers as Myrtle Greens drifted wide. Old Wickonians might wonder what Mark Ella, Lloyd Walker or David Knox might have engineered with all of that possession.
Having defeated Randwick in 20 minutes of extra time in the final two weeks earlier, and then held their line for most of the second half in the grand final, fitness and the ability to maintain a defensive structure won the day for the University.
Only one question remains after this epic tussle. If club rugby is the supposed fourth tier of Australian rugby, how could these 30 players improve on their intensity or commitment in a third tier competition?
The First Grade squad: Jeremy Tilse, Digby Beaumont, Laurie Weeks, Al Campbell, Will Caldwell, Tim Davidson, David Haydon, David Lyons, Nick Haydon, Daniel Halangahu, Michael Griffin, Tom Carter, Luke Inman, Nigel Staniforth, Julian Huxley, Josh Hately, Dan Farrell (Colt), Dean Mumm and David Haigh. Coaches: Billy Millard, Damien Hill and Mal Nutt.