Sydney University were undefeated when the competition was cancelled after 10 rounds last year. But new coach Sean Hedger has lost 12 players from last year’s first grade side to overseas opportunities.

If any club can rebuild over summer and compete for another premiership, it’s Sydney Uni.

Only time will tell if this crop of Students can replicate the success of Sydney Uni teams before them.

Overview with Sean Hedger: 

“We’re all really looking forward to round one. I would have liked to have had a bit more of a consistent run with training over the last few weeks, but I think every club has been impacted by the weather and Covid,” Hedger told Rugby News. 

“You always feel like you could be more prepared but we’ve had some really good hitouts in the trials. We’re doing some things well and other things not so well, which is pretty typical at this time of the season.

“Through the trials, we probably learned what we shouldn’t be doing, rather than what we should be doing. Against Eastwood on the weekend, we had a few big learnings because if we try to play that sort of style all year, we’re not going to be very successful. 

“It was good for the guys to work that out ahead of round one though. 

“This club has a great ability to build from within. Even though we lost 12 first graders from last year, the club was confident that we’d be able to promote players from colts and lower grades, rather than recruit from outside. 

“The guys that will step up this year definteitly have the talent and the skills, what they don’t have is the experience. The number of Shute Shield first grade caps that have left the club is quite immense, which makes it hard because you can’t coach experience, it’s got to just happen. 

“The older leaders in the group have been fantastic. Connor O’Shea, Jack McCalman, Henries Clunies-Ross. They’re the ones who are really leading the discussion and setting the example at training. 

“They are telling the guys that we need to train like this, because that is what it’s going to look like on the weekend. 

“They’ve been fantastic and have really driven things through the preseason.”

2021 positions (after 10 rounds): 1st – 9 wins from 9 matches

Ins: Simon Kennewell (Aussie 7s), Mitch Ryan (New Zealand)

Outs: Tom Osborne (Oxford University), Chris Talakai (Bayonne), Declan Moore (Ireland), Matt Sandell (Darwin), Luke Porter (Japan), Nick Champion de Crespigny (Castres Olympique), Rohan O’Regan (MLR), Theo Strang (Bristol), Tas Smith (MLR), Ben Hughes (Japan), Matt Hood (MLR), Eddie King (USA), Nathaniel Tamwoy (Cairns), Tim Clements (Aussie 7s), Ofa Manuofetoa (Manly)

Key areas of improvement: 

“I’d like to see our players play smart rugby this year. They are a very studious bunch but we’ve just got to get the balance right between youthful endeavour and playing clever rugby. 

“They are a highly skilled bunch so they think they can have a crack from anywhere but playing Shute Shield first grade is very different to playing colts. 

“There are a handful of boys that have come up from first grade colts last year and of how ever many games they played, they only had one close game, which they lost against Gordon. 

“They were winning other games by 50-60 each week. So for them, rugby at Sydney Uni is about getting the ball, backing yourself and scoring more often than not. 

“But, Shute Shield first grade is vastly different to an unbalanced 1st Colts competition. 

“Getting the balance right between all out attack and playing smart, clever rugby will be really important for us.”

Player(s) to watch:

“I think Eddie Poolman is a pretty exciting player. He’s previously played 13 but we’ve moved him to No.12 this year and I think he’s really benefitting from getting a little closer to the action and getting his hands on the ball a little more often. 

“He’s got a really good balance between his running and passing game. 

“I also think Simon Kennewell and Henry Clunies Ross will be pretty exciting out wide. 

“In the forwards, Pappy (Papillon Sevele), once he gets some consistent minutes in first grade then I think he’ll make a big impact on the competition.”

Bold prediction for the season ahead:

“The expectation is that we’re in the mix every year and despite our youth, I think we’ll be up there at the pointy end of the season. 

“I think Eastwood and Norths will be the frontrunners and I expect the Wildfires to be the big improvers.”