Michael Hodge shows a clean pair of heels to Parramatta’s Josh Kaifa
Photo: Paul Seiser Photography

by Paul Cook –

It was far from perfect – you wouldn’t expect or want that in round one of a new season anyway – but seven tries in a 44-21 win at Death Valley against a newly respected Parramatta, was about as good as Sydney University could have hoped for before a ball was kicked.

Taking early control, they ran in four tries in the opening half hour as their pace, precision and execution proved too much for the Two Blues to contain but the home side still had their moments and a try on the half time bell kept them in the hunt. However, two quick tries after the break for the visitors effectively ended the game as a contest, although Parra may have some questions about a disallowed try for Jesse Leota before the hour that may have been a momentum shifter.

Uni’s new head coach Chris Malone was pleased to get the first one out of the way against a side he was wary of, but saw plenty of room for improvement. “We didn’t really know what to expect to be honest as Parra had made some new signings but we knew they’d be dangerous for the whole game so to come out here and get five points, we go away somewhat satisfied but knowing there’s a lot of work to do. We were probably guilty of clocking off after fifty minutes and you can’t do that in first grade, we do that next week against Eastwood and they’ll put us away.”

His opposite number, Glen Christini, felt Parramatta could have taken more from the game and despite ruing the points conceded, came away with a lot of positives for the season ahead. “I can’t help but feel we maybe let one slip out there, we did enough up front, it was just our ball security at times that was disappointing and some of the little things but it’s close and it’ll come. We knew they’d come out first twenty and execute and play at a hundred miles an hour and we just had to hang tough, we probably didn’t quite hang tough enough and with a try less than they got, we would have been right in there, we just let it get away too much.”

Parra’s Evan Olmstead battles with Uni’s Benn Melrose
Photo: Paul Seiser Photography

In what may be his swansong season, Uni captain Tim Davidson set the 2013 ball rolling with a try in the opening two minutes, after some patient phase play had stretched the Parramatta defence. Fly-half Jock Merriman converted and increased the advantage with a penalty a few minutes later.

The Students settled early with good ball retention and support play testing their opponents’ ruck defence and creating space on the flanks for the pace of Michael Hodge and newcomer Fetuli Talanaoa to exploit and it was somewhat against the run of play when the Two Blues hit back in the 16th minute. A couple of neat offloads put big no.8 Josh Kaifa through a gap and he found his predatory skipper Andrew Cox with a short ball and the line in sight.

The try encouraged Parra, who began to settle and warm to the task in front of them and while they continued to invite pressure inside their 22, they started to gain some parity at the breakdown and effect some crucial turnovers to thwart Uni’s advances. However, you can’t keep a good team down for long and the Students – blessed with Super Rugby experience in the shape of Davidson, Tom Carter and Nathan Trist – turned the screw in a blistering seven minute spell.

The first blow was struck by Hodge as the second quarter ticked over, breaking from halfway and exchanging passes with Trist before a swivel of the hips confused the Parra defence enough for him to angle a path to the line.

Five minutes later and it was his wing partner, Talanoa, who got in on the act, dancing his way inside the 22 and jinking past the last man to go under the posts. When he then found himself on the end of a visionary crossfield kick from the influential Merriman to make it 29-7, it looked like a long way back for the home side.

However, Christini has fostered an outfit that brings as much spirit and heart to the table as it now does with talent and with Uni perhaps guilty of having one foot in the sheds as half-time rapidly approached, they pounced, hooker Myles Hunkin powering over from 5 metres.

Tom Woods converted and Parra had a foothold at the break, trailing 29-14 but they failed to switch on at the start of the second stanza and it cost them. First Carter and then Merriman went over to build a dominant 25pt advantage, although there was a suspiciously forward pass in the build up to Merriman’s try that went unseen.

Uni centre Tom Carter was back to his rambunctious best at Merrylands RSL Oval
Photo: Paul Seiser Photography

Controversy reigned towards the end of the third quarter when Jesse Leota went over in the corner for the hosts but play was called back for an earlier infringement and the try disallowed. Whether that would have altered the state of play dramatically, we’ll never know but Parra’s tails were certainly up and momentum is a funny old thing in sport.

Uni could be accused of switching off to a degree for the last half hour but that would denigrate Parramatta’s commendable efforts in continuing to front up physically and in playing the full eighty and their potency was certainly increased somewhat by the introduction of one of their star’s of 2012 – Adam Coleman, who was unable to play from the start at the behest of the National Academy.

The bruising second rower stoked the fire in the Two Blues’ bellies from the moment he entered the fray and they got the reward their graft deserved when skipper Cox went under the posts off a short ball for his second but unfortunately for the Merrylands RSL faithful, it was too little, too late.

Uni had the last say when giant new Waratahs recruit, Will Skelton, swatted aside a couple of defenders to find the chalk in the last minute but after an entertaining game and ten tries, you feel both sides can come away with a fair amount of positives from this one.

Next up for the Students is a heavyweight clash with Eastwood at Uni Oval No.1 while the Two Blues travel to Coogee Oval to take on Randwick in front of the ABC cameras.

Sydney University 44 (Fetuli Talanoa 2, Tim Davidson, Michael Hodge, Tom Carter, Jock Merriman, Will Skelton tries; Jock Merriman 3 cons, pen) bt Parramatta 21 (Andrew Cox 2, Myles Hunkin tries, Tom Woods 3 cons) at Merrylands RSL Club Rugby Park. Referee William Houston