JR HENDERSON CUP WINNERS: Sydney University

by Paul Cook –

Sydney University have gone back-to-back in 4th Grade, lifting the JR Henderson Cup for the second year in a row after a stout defensive effort held out Minor Premiers Eastwood for a 20-8 victory.

Eastwood will be wondering how they came away from this one with a 12pt deficit, such was their dominance in both possession and territory. But a failure to capitalise when in the ascendancy came back to haunt them as Uni soaked up the pressure before romping home with a late flurry to triumph once more.

Uni head coach James Cameron conceded that his team hadn’t exactly had it easy on the day. “They say that games are won on the back of strong defence and the boys proved that out there,” he told Rugby News. “I think that Eastwood would have to count themselves unlucky and be disappointed that they managed to control the game for such a long period of time but couldn’t actually put enough points on the board.

Uni’s Nick Lyall in action
Photo: karenwatsonphotography.com.au

“We’ve prided ourselves on our defence all year and I think throughout the regular season, we came away with half a dozen games at least by seven points or less, so we kind of got used to holding on and winning the close ones.”

“They were Minor Premiers and we came in expecting the toughest game of the season and it certainly was,” he continued. “It’s all about taking your opportunities, we didn’t have that many but the ones that we did have we made sure that when we came into their 22 we left with points on the board and fortunately that was enough for us in the end.”

A repeat of last years’ s final, the opening was a story of Eastwood’s ability to mount concerted pressure, pinning the Students inside their own 22 for much of the half. But a penalty from Gerard McTaggart was their only reward until they made the numbers count five minutes before the break, flyhalf Dave Sutton  striding over in the corner.

Uni grabbed a vital score before the break with a well worked try off the back of one of their first forays into enemy territory. Fullback, Kodie Drury-Hawkins breaking the line off a pop pass before assessing his options and putting his inside centre, Rhys Griffiths away from 15 metres over.

A terrific sideline conversion from Will Macklin took Uni to the sheds only a point down at 8-7 and having being under the pump for so long, it must have been a scoreline to take heart from as they went to the sheds.

Blunt Edge: Eastwood dominated possession
and territory but couldn’t convert it into points
Photo: karenwatsonphotography.com.au

Uni skipper Thomas Wilson admitted the timing of the score was pivotal. “It was very important for our momentum. They’d had the ball the whole half and to come away only a point behind was a credit to us and definitely helped us build into the second forty,” he said.

Another penalty from Macklin two minutes after the restart put the Students in the lead and you wondered if Eastwood had already run their race. But they weren’t Minor Premiers for nothing and as the half progressed, the game returned to a story of Woodies’ dominance and Uni’s stout defence.

With an increasingly dominant scrum milking penalties and the forwards muscling up and making ground slowly, it seemed like Eastwood were in a position to turn the screw. But every time they got within sight of the line or in range of a kickable penalty, they pushed slightly too hard and a knock-on or turnover ball was a result.

With frustrations creeping in, the game turned into a spite fest as they entered the closing quarter, plenty of off the ball afters to keep the officials busy. Time and again, Eastwood looked likely but a combination of poor decisions and execution combined with a fearsome rear guard action from Uni, held them out.

When they finally did a get an opportunity to post points for an offside, McTaggart missed his chance to be a hero as his kick floated past the tallest uprights in the Southern Hemisphere.

It proved to be their final fling as Uni pounced on a dropped bomb from Eastwood fullback Xavier Chigwidden to kick ahead and force a 5 metre lineout. When the ball was swung infield, a high shot allowed Macklin to make it 13-8.

Uni put the icing on the cake in the final minute when the forwards trucked them up to the line and a couple of passes wide sent winger Fadi Saad over to leave the Students on top and Eastwood wondering where they let this one drop.

Game Over: Uni winger Fadi Saad slides in to seal it for the Students
Photo: karenwatsonphotography.com.au

“It was a tough match and Eastwood put us to the test for the whole sixty minutes,” said Thomas Wilson. “We probably only had about 15% possession so it wasn’t how we planned to play the game but it came off in the end, which is nice. It was about our processes, we train consistently and we’re very competitive and I think that’s what got us over the line in the end, just being able to take ourselves up another gear.”

Eastwood captain Coren Shore was magnanimous in defeat and predicted a rosy future ahead for this side. “It was typical Sydney Uni, they always keep coming at you. Every week, they always show up, it doesn’t matter where they play or what game in the year, trials or a Grand Final, they show up, they play smart footy and they defend well.

“We’ll come out bigger and better next year,” he promised. “We were Minor Premiers, we had the best defence in the comp and I couldn’t ask for more from all the boys. We’ve been mates since we were kids and it’s still fun.”

Sydney University 20 (Rhys Griffiths, Fadi Saad tries; Will Macklin 2 cons, 2 pens) defeated Eastwood 8 (Dave Sutton try; Gerard McTaggart pen)