BY MARK CASHMAN and CLAY CROSS

EASTWOOD V NORTHERN SUBURBS at TG Millner Field

The old grand stand at TG Millner hasn’t gotten any more comfortable over the years that I have been hacking around the Shute Shield but it does take you closer to the action.

That’s where I watched all the action in the Eastwood v Northern Suburbs game on Saturday and in the process got a deeper insight into what was going on on the field.

And the thing that stood out to this correspondent was the relentless nature of Norths’ defence and the call to action that the players constantly chirped.

You could hear the words “hunt, hunt, hunt” boom out when the Woods had the ball right throughout the game.

Defence is a pure effort part of the game – get the top six inches right on this front and you are well on the way to winning any contest. Talent is handy, but optional.

Eastwood play a high percentage possession game and their 65 percent of the ball on Saturday translated to Norths doing 226 tackles throughout the afternoon to the Woods 71.

In the end Norths scored eight tries to four in the 48-26 win but as Al Pacino (who played the complicated head coach Tony D’Amato) underlined in his wonderfully intense oration in the 1999 film Any Given Sunday it can be “a game of inches”.

Norths did the simple things well and discovered their creative streak when they had the ball, but it was the work at scrum and line out as well as defence that was the cornerstone to this performance.

Fullback Shane Wilcox loved the extra room that his side’s “fatties” gave him scoring the first two tries of the game and generally having an involved afternoon.

Skipper Nathan Russell was another to work well off the work up front and in the end was rewarded with Norths’ eighth try.

With those two tries to Wilcox, Norths jumped out to a 29-7 lead at the break and despite tries to Dylan Nelson and centre Immanuel Opetaia were always in control.

It’s a significant win at a tough place to play on what was Back to Eastwood day, but Woods boss Anthony Griffin would have come away impressed by the visitors’ defensive effort.

The emotional toll and effort against Gordon the week before wouldn’t have helped but they must now reset and get back on the horse.

As for Norths they are still in the “hunt” for a playoff spot with a month of high intrigue about to unfold.

RANDWICK V GORDON at Coogee Oval

Gordon winger Cole Spinks was one of the group of Eastwood players who followed coach Dave Telfer to the Highlanders at the start of the Shute Shield season.

Scrumhalf Lachie Albert and flyhalf Harry Snook were also in that group who headed over to see if the grass was greener at Chatswood and have been getting rave reviews.

Natural enough I suppose as they are the guys that handle the ball most and enact the open style of rugby that Telfer has brought to the club.

But the value that Spinks has brought to the club was underlined in Gordon’s 43-19 win over Randwick on Saturday.

His role in the intercept try early in the game was good but we should track to the 63rd minute of the match with the home side surging back into the match.

Galloping Greens centre Nick Chan had just made a break down the right edge near the cricket pitch and things were looking dire for the visitors.

He was brought down and there seemed to be support there to score but the pass from Felix Turinui went to the right and right into the hands of Spinks who went 60 plus metres to score.

It was a 14-point turnaround moment and took any hope that Randwick had of getting back into the encounter.

In the end Spinks would finish the day with 14 points to add to his burgeoning total of 134 at the end of Round 13.

The win further consolidates Gordon’s grip on third place and they are now two wins clear of fourth place while the Wicks slips into that contested area of the competition table.

Lots to do for the home side over next month or so.

WARRINGAH V EASTERN SUBURBS at Pittwater Rugby Park

We can talk about the effect that Easts stars Jack Bowen and Teddy Wilson had on the top of the table clash against Warringah on Saturday but the collective prime mover on the day was the visitors’ rolling maul.

The Beasties won 28-19 and put themselves into the box seat for the minor premiership and a good run at home (yes that fortress Woollahra Oval) through the playoffs that that honour affords.

Sure there were moments of brilliance from first Bowen in the opening minutes and then Wilson in the second half but when the game needed to be won it was the “fatties” and their rolling maul that stepped up.

Never better illustrated than in the 10 minutes that Warringah prop Sateki Latu was in the sin bin.

His yellow card came about from the pressure that the Beaties forward pack had heaped on the home side in the red zone.

The Rats it must be said were well and truly in this encounter and had managed to sneak the lead thanks to a try from winger Ilaisa Droasese, a late season recruit from the Fijian Drua.

But Easts just know what to do in these situations and they were led well right throughout the afternoon by their skipper Josh Bokser and opensider Jamie Adamson.

First up it was a try to replacement prop Nathaniel Tiitii from a rolling maul for Bowen to convert and then it was hooker Jack Nelson-Murray for Bowen to convert.

A suffocating style of play that is more than effective at this time of the year.

It’s been a bit of an arms’ race at the top end of the table with overseas types dropping in to embroider their highlights reels.

The Beasties bench provided good momentum while the Rats “bomb squad” was okay without being as dominating as they were earlier in the season.

The Barnabas brothers were good for Warringah right through the game and Sam Thomson toiled away along with Luke Reimer.

The final chapter in this sage is yet to be written – can’t wait to see where it takes us all.

SOUTHERN DISTRICTS V WEST HARBOUR at Forshaw Rugby Park

Southern Districts season of pain continued when they were beaten by fellow cellar dweller West Harbour 29-14 on Saturday.

Two tries from former Wallaby Pete Samu put some wind in the sails of the good ship Pirate in a game that was tightly contest from the first minute until the last.

I’ve got to tip my hat to Samu who has wholeheartedly embraced the club and its culture.

His face bobs up time and again on the club’s social feeds helping out and playing a role at the Pasifika night some weeks ago while his Waratahs commitments were still live.

Saturdays don’t seem to be a burden at all and first grade coach Ben Rutherford has worked him into the Pirates structure almost seamlessly.

It’s far from a one-man team though and there were major contributions at Forshaw from 50-gamer Hunter Hannaford, winger Matt Whelan and backrower Albert Alcock.

Wests led 14-7 at the break thanks to a try from lock Jack Bennett but the game was only really iced at the 74th minute mark when Hannaford put on one of his show and gos for Samu to race over under the posts.

Souths had some good flashes but they just couldn’t go with the Pirates when the pressure was on.

Isaac Kneepkens, Blaise Barnes, Landen Walker and Isi Fukofuka were the better contributors from the home side but it’s looming as a season without a W.

MANLY V WS TWO BLUES at Manly Oval

It was always going to be an interesting game for the Manly Marlins to work their way through and that’s the way that Round 13 game against the WS Two Blues turned out.

With first grade coach Sam Lane announcing that he was standing down at the end of this Shute Shield season this one could have gone either of two ways.

You know up the east hill there at Manly or down the toilet and into a world of hurt.

The Marlins would win 34-32 in the end in game that went from one end of Village Green to the other and provided some pretty solid entertainment.

But it was the visitors who got out of the blocks well making the most of the opportunities with tries to Cruise Dunster and winger Manasa Mataele.

That was supplemented with a penalty goal from Reece Seueseu and at 17-0 things were grim for the home boys.

But two tries to hooker Ben Chapman and another to No.8 Stu Taii Tualima got the Marlins back into the contest.

The lead would then bounce around in the second with the Two Blues getting an eight-point break at one stage.

But just like had happened in the first half there Masrlins would show some grit and endeavour to get back into the game.

The final act was a penalty goal from Oli Horne who was pretty handy from the tee right throughout the afternoon.

Finals footy for both these teams is still possible but a lot of things will need to go right.

SYDNEY UNI V HUNTER WILDFIRES at Sydney Uni Football Ground

Sydney Uni have jumped up into the Shute Shield top four with a gritty and at times testy 32-22 win over the Hunter Wildfires on Saturday.

The Students went into the game in fifth spot four points adrift of Eastwood but the bonus point victory and the Woods loss to Norths sees them a bit more stable in the race for the playoffs.

This game was very evenly contested throughout and it was only a couple of yellow cards that tipped things the way of the home side.

I’ve spoken a couple of times in these musings about the quality of the officiating that we have been getting in the Shute Shield this season.

Ella Goldsmith handled a sometimes feisty encounter well with her clear communication with the players from both sides adding considerably to the encounter.

Goldsmith controlled the bronze medal match at the women’s Rugby World Cup last year and is obviously a rising talent in the refereeing ranks.

Both sides gave her the respect needed and her decision making was part of the cut and thrust of the day.

The game opened brightly for the home side with the Students jumping out to a 19-5 lead from a combination of their rolling maul and the gas down the left edge of Benjy Joseland.

The Wildfires would get themselves back in the game with tries to Sitiveni Vahai and Logan Love and the score was all locked up at 19-all at the break.

The yellow cards then came in to play with opensider Jack Daly and Jon Morris handing an edge to the home side.

Lots to play out before the playoffs are set but it must be said that this Uni win will be crucial.