Extract from Rugby News; May 1, 1971

Eastern Suburbs v Randwick was the drawcard match of the day and a big crowd attended, but it was not much greater than that which jammed Manly Oval for the first match between the Blues and their neighbour Warringah, newly admitted to the first division. 

This was like a meeting of old friends, for there are many ex-Manly players in the Warringah side. 

Those who saw the game say it was the best match of the season at Manly because of the tension and excitement created. 

The roar of the cheering Warringah and Manly spectators when each side was a couple of points ahead was such that it is said to have drowned the din created by the band at a nearby hotel. 

It certainly was a match in which Warringah pulled out all the stops, had Manly bottled up for a long time, and only lost because it lacked the ability to close up its play and hang on grimly when the Blues, in desperation, threw everything they had into those last few minutes. 

The battle in the first half was so even that Manly led 9 points (a try by Demusey Joy, and two penalty goals by Bob Herring) to 8 (a try, goal and penalty goal by winger Col McDougall). 

Great Second Half

There were spills aplenty in the second half. Both sets of forwards locked horns like angry bulls as they battled for the ball, and Warringah was the first to score, when the hard-working lock, Drake, got over to give Warringah 11-9.

Now Manly showed the value of experience and steadiness, and slowly Warringah was forced backwards until, in a great heap of players, a Warringah man was penalised and Manly fullback, Herring, landed the penalty goal to give Manly 12-11.

This made Warringah equally as determined as Manly, and for five minutes the Blues had to repulse attack after attack. 

Twice Herring made fine “saves”, each under pressure, and cleared his line. 

But Warringah would not be driven back, though it could not break the defence which was being strengthened by pulling fast breakaway, Paul Tocchini, out of the pack to watch for probes by the Warringah centres, Standing and Nolan, who were dangerous, but, nevertheless, were contained by Knight and Black. 

Warringah, however, got the lead again when winger Booth kicked a field goal and it went ahead when front-rower Watson was credited with a try, a rather scrambly one, as he appeared to have been brought down short of the line. 

This took Warringah 17-12, and there were but 10 minutes left. The Blues knew the seriousness of the position and stood steady. 

Suddenly Warringah was to feel the pressure. 

The Warringah line was stormed from anywhere on the field as the Manly forwards dragged the ball from scrums and rucks to give the backs a chance. 

Slowly Warringah wilted, as Knight produced match-winning form, timed to a nicety when his rivals were feeling the strain.

Then came Manly tries by Eastes and Black, the latter from a break by Knight, after which lock Lumsdaine scored. 

Those few minutes had brought Warringah to its knees, but it had made a tremendous issue of the match and had Manly extended all the time . . . the fact that Manly scored four tries and Warringah three shows the closeness of the game. 

It was a grand battle between the big men of the packs and spectators saw a fine centre duel between Manly’s Night and Black and the Warringah pair, Nolan and Standing. 

Stephen Knight was the turning factor, but Nolan caught the eye of the judge in the Fairfax Cup Competition and got the major points because of his fine all-round play. 

After a close match with Parramatta the previous week and this tight one, Manly, still unbeaten, will take stock of its strength for the game against Sydney University on Manly Oval. 

This is another of those games that draw the crowds because both teams seem to enjoy playing each other yet give nothing away as they produce a bright, fast game.