By MARK CASHMAN

If you had asked Warringah coach Mike Ruthven at the start of the Shute Shield season if he would be happy with four wins from their five games and third spot on the competition table logic suggests that he say thank you very much in a flash.

The Rats have also banked their bye but they will get a real indication about where they are at when they travel to Sydney Uni to take on the Students in the match of the round on Saturday.

“Yeah for sure I would have been more than happy to take that,” Ruthven told Rugby News.

“As a playing group and a coaching group we are very happy about where we’re at and pleased with the way that we are improving.

“But we are under no illusions about the next month of footy and what it will tell us.”

What Ruthven is referring to is the fact that after Saturday’s titanic struggle at Sydney Uni Football Ground, the Rats take on defending premiers Gordon, then the big Battle of the Beaches derby against Manly and then Northern Suburbs.

Now that’s a schedule that would test the best of combinations and the 50th anniversary of the Battle of the Beaches on June 5 will be an emotionally and physically draining experience.

But more about what lies ahead on Saturday.

“Uni have set the bench mark for the competition as they have for much of the past couple of decades,” Ruthven added.

“We’re obviously looking forward to the challenge that this sort of game brings to the table.

“Discipline is always important when you play Uni – you can’t give them easy opportunities to play in your part of the field.

“They are very strong at maul and if we give them too many easy penalties they can force you into

some of the dark places.

“Our lineout has got to be on song (to compete against uni) – ‘Tree’ (assistant coach Cameron Treloar) has put in a lot of work into that since the win over Eastwood where it didn’t function the way that it should.”

There are some hurdles to work through, with loose head prop Rory O’Connor missing because of a head knock and Harry Anderson-Brown not back until next week with a quad strain.

The Rats are a different side with O’Connor on the field and his experience with the Waratahs has been invaluable to his mana on and off the field.

“In hindsight he (O’Connor) should still be playing Super Rugby but Harrison Courtney is a competent scrummager and is a Kiwi with experience in Scotland with Glasgow,” Ruthven said.

The backrow is an area where Warringah can feel confident going into this game with Rory Suttor, Charlie McKill and Max Girdler combining.

“Yeah it’s a strength for us but at the same time Uni are strong there,” Ruthven said.

Uni coach Rob Taylor has brought Hugh Bokenham, fresh from the Australian Under 20s camp last weekend, into the starting side with the abrasive Nick Champion De Crespigny moving to No.8 to accomodate his inclusion.

The other constant in the Students’ backrow has been their skipper Jack McCalman at No.7 and if you have watched any of Uni’s game on Stan Sport you could get the impression that not much is doing there.

But the stats say something else with McCalman right up there in the tackle counts and turnovers won as well as metres after contact. 

Uni have also brought back flyhalf Ben Hughes to run their show and Henry Robertson has got the start at No.9. Mr Dependable Henry Clunies-Ross is there again in the centres.

The home side’s kicking game has been pretty well flawless in the first six rounds of the competition and the box kick to win the field position battle will be on show early.

Those kicks though will have to be spot on as any loose kicks will be seized upon by Ben Marr at fullback.

Marr didn’t look too happy, my Rat Park sources tell me, when he was given an early mark against Penrith last weekend and that manic way and multiple involvements will be on show.

Discipline on both sides of the ball will be vital for both sides and the team that does that best will finish the best.

IMAGE: KAREN WATSON