by Paul Cook –

Three rounds in and with one loss apiece, this clash shaped up as an important marker in the sand for both clubs as they sought to keep pace with unbeaten Randwick at the top of the Intrust Shute Shield ladder. It was the Wicks who had dampened Uni’s early season spirits with an impressive win at Uni Oval No.2 the previous week, while the Marlins came into this one off the back of two wins over Parramatta and Gordon that were comprehensive on the scoreboard, but flattered to deceive in terms of performance.

Perhaps mindful of the pace and intensity Uni have brought to the table in their opening games, Manly came out of the sheds intent on fighting fire with fire, and it took only 90 seconds for them to set their stall out for the afternoon. Patient phase play was rewarded by a barnstorming run from Mitch Lewis to get them in the red zone, and after a Sam Lane dummy edged them closer, a switch of direction and a lovely wide ball from fullback BJ Hartmann, put Ethan Uili over in the opposite corner.

Lane couldn’t add the extras out wide and despite the early setback, Uni soon regrouped, and with Angus Roberts asking questions of the opposition defence, they quickly got themselves into enemy territory. When Dennis Pili-Gaitau knocked on in front of his own posts, the Students put their foot to the floor at the ensuing scrum to win a penalty and Roberts reduced the arrears.

When Manly were pinged for offside a few minutes later, and Roberts dissected the posts once again to give the visitors a one-point lead, those early Manly flames had been seemingly doused. But just as they seemed to be stuck on the backfoot, the Marlins copped a break, Paddy Ryan spilling the ball in contact – he claimed it was a deliberate knockdown – and the loose pill scooped up by a grateful Hartmann, who ran home unattended.

However, Ryan made immediate amends, powering over off a short ball from Jake Gordon after his fellow forwards had done the hard yards, and Roberts edged them in front once again off the boot.

Manly’s task wasn’t made any easier by the unfortunate loss of Hartmann at the end of the first quarter, the enthusiastic fullback badly injuring his knee running into a double-team tackle from Tom Carter and Will Skelton. But it was the Marlins who scored next, Pili-Gaitau catching Uni napping with a quick lineout straight into the arms of Josh Turner, and the young Kiwi speedster had more than enough gas to streak away and give Lane an easy conversion.

If their lead was a touch fortuitous given the balance of play, Manly soon found a way to accede to their opponents. A defence that was conceding an average of 26pts per match before kick-off was undone once again, quick lineout ball from Uni sent down the backline for centre Jack Redden to slice through an all-too large gap and put points-machine Roberts away near the corner flag.

The former Melbourne Rebels utility couldn’t cross the black dot from out wide on this occasion, and after a few more minutes of tit-for-tat stuff mostly played in the middle-third, the half was brought to a close – four minutes prematurely according to my watch – with the home side still holding a one point advantage.

That they returned from the sheds leading a game they were yet to fully engage in, was perhaps the beacon that ignited their all-out assault after the restart. Adopting a more direct and confrontational approach, they set about pegging the Students back in their own half with some powerful drives from the forwards, and some well placed kicks in behind from the backs. And when one such surge gave Sam Lane the time to pick his options, the talented flyhalf produced a superb chip over the top off the outside of his left foot, and big no.8 Junior Palau ran through to scoop up and find the base of a post.

A Lane penalty on 48 minutes when Uni were pinged for not releasing, increased the Marlins lead to 29-18, and when Saia Tanginoa was sent to the bin for tackling a man in the air off the restart, the Students appeared to be facing an uphill battle just to stay in the game.

But stay in it they did, and while this new-look Uni team play with a pace, verve and adventure rarely seen in days of old, it was their historical raison d’être, the set-piece, that was the olive branch they clung to in order to hang tough and make a seemingly unlikely comeback.

Their scrum had had the better of the Marlins pack all afternoon but it was as the game ticked over the hour mark that they really hammered home their advantage, utilising all the nous, experience and talent of Messrs Ryan, Tilse and Skelton to provide the necessary platform for the young tyros behind them to do their thing.

A scrum penalty on 56 minutes – the 4th conceded by the Marlins – gave Uni the option only 10 metres out, and skipper Tom Carter backed in his piggies. After they’d done the hard yakka again to almost drive over and earn a penalty advantage, no.8 Jake Wainwright fed his scrumhalf and Gordon’s pace was enough to see him dart over a fractured Manly line.

The Marlins thought they were in again on 64 minutes, the effervescent Turner put away down the left flank before arcing in towards the posts, only to be called back for a foot in touch. And Uni pounced, sending lineout ball to the opposite wing and into the hands of Angus Roberts, the fullback tapping to himself around the last man before grubbering again, getting the bounce and diving home for a terrific individual score.

When he then dusted himself off to add the extras from out wide, his side were back in front, 30-29, with just under 15 to play. But the tide had turned and momentum had shifted, the Students growing in belief with every carry, helped in no small way by the introduction of Waratahs squad member Jim Stewart, who got them over the gainline with almost every touch and was seemingly harder to put down than a good book.

Another penalty advantage in the 71st minute was a case of déjà vu, Wainwright again feeding Gordon and the elusive halfback jinked his way under the posts, although a couple of Manly tacklers could perhaps have done more.

A high shot on Wainwright in the 74th minute – played on but soon followed by another penalty for not releasing – was the final nail in Manly’s coffin. Roberts took the visitors out to a two score advantage at 40-29, before rubber stamping the result with another 3pts on the siren, off the back of penalty number seven from the scrum.

All in all, a terrific game of footy from two sides who can expect to be heavily in the mix at season’s end. But while both backlines showed plenty of intent and endeavour with ball in hand, the match was ultimately decided up front. Some things never change.

Sydney University 43 (Angus Roberts 2, Jake Gordon 2, Paddy Ryan tries; Angus Roberts 3 cons, 4 pens) defeated Manly 29 (Ethan Uili, BJ Hartmann, Josh Turner, Junior Palau tries; Sam Lane 3 cons, pen) HT 19-18