By Jonathan B Geddes

SYDNEY University coach John Manenti described Saturday’s 48-26 victory over defending premiers Warringah at Rat Park as his side’s most complete performance of the season as the Students gave notice that they are a genuine Shute Shield premiership threat.

In a win based around the work of their tight five and committed defence, the result makes the upcoming finals series even more intriguing as Uni cemented a top six spot.

“It was enjoyable, this is a pretty tough place to come and win,” Manenti, a contender for the vacant Waratahs’ head coaching job, told Rugby News after the game.

“The first part of the goal for us was to make the finals and mathematically now we can’t miss out. Now we can start setting sail on how high the ladder we can go with two rounds left.”      

Uni have come a long way since their 45-7 loss to the Rats at the start of the season.

“Obviously in the first round, which was 15 weeks ago, they pulled out pants down,” Manenti said. “And we were pretty keen to see where we stood now and what the improvement was.

“When you put effort into areas, and it comes off, that is great.

“They (Warringah) ask a lot of questions, and I was pretty happy with our defence for the most part.”

A SET PIECE OF THE ACTION  

MANENTI said while it was the team’s most complete display so far, there was still plenty of work to do.

“It was probably around a 60-minute or 65-minute performance, which we hadn’t done (previously),” he said. “That was probably our longest stretch being able to concentrate.”

He said his team had a focus on the set piece in the lead-up to the Rats’ game.

“And we got some pay out of scrum and lineout,” he said. “They have a really good backrow that is so hard on the ball. I won’t say we dominated them, but we did a decent job nullifying them a bit.”

As disappointing as the result was for Warringah, it was overshadowed by an injury to their star hooker and Ken Catchpole Medal winner Wes Thomas. He left the field on a stretcher and was taken to hospital by ambulance.

A spate of injuries and overseas departures have made Warringah’s task even harder at the business end of the season. 

A WELCOME MATT        

AFTER a tough Super Rugby campaign as skipper of NSW, lock Matt Phillip said he was really enjoying pulling on the University jumper again.

“It’s a bit of a fresh start for me after what was a disappointing Waratahs’ season, to put that behind me now and focus with the Students and try to get some success here,” he said.

 “It is a club that helped me at the start of my career to go on and be a professional. 

“It’s always awesome to come back and try to play some good footy and help out the younger guys. They are also keeping me young.”

Phillip said his team was building momentum at the right time of the season.

“Some young players are starting to find their feet and play some really good footy,” Phillip said.

“We are not counting our chickens, we have Easts next week – we have a tough run home – Easts and Eastwood.

“We are cognisant of the fact we have to keep improving each week.”

THE DANCING MAN

ADDING sizzle to the Uni steak is fullback James McGregor, who scored a sensational second-half solo try with a run that started 30m out from his tryline.

Manenti knows what McGregor is capable of from their time together as coach and player in the Aussie Sevens.     

“He can dance, can’t he?” Manenti said. “When he got that ball I thought he was running into traffic and I was saying ‘dance Jimmy, dance’,” he said.

The coach singled out the performance of No.10 Henry James, who was called into the team on Thursday night after the withdrawal of Waratah Joey Fowler. He hadn’t been in first grade since round one.

“How he stepped today, I thought, was good,” he said.

And Manenti said No.8 Oliver Harvey has been consistently good.