BY MARK CASHMAN

EASTERN SUBURBS V SOUTHERN DISTRICTS at Woollahra Oval

Like a lot of the Shute Shield community this correspondent was monitoring events in the eastern suburbs of Sydney on the Fusesport app on Saturday afternoon.

It’s a weekend staple as you are taking in all the action at the rugby to check in on the scores from around the grounds.

I was at Rawson Oval for the Norths v Hunter Wildfires arm wrestle and one of the colleagues I was standing with showed me his mobile phone with the app open and he said: “Things are looking pretty ugly at Woollahra.”

What he was referring to was 54-0 halftime scoreline in the Easts v Souths match.

That did turn into a 101-5 win to the Beasties which would have given their for and against percentage a huge boost but at the same it underlined the haves and the have nots in the Shute Shield.

In all Easts scored 16 tries to one in a game that at times looked like a semi opposed training run.

I rang Souths coach Scott Fava mid morning on Monday and he was gutsy enough to pick up the phone and address what the weekend performance means.

“It’s not a feeling that any of those players have felt before,” Fava told Rugby News.

“It’s a unique situation to be beaten by that sort of margin. Geez to be beaten by 100, that’s hard to get your head around.

“A lot of comments out there and from our supporters probably fall into two camps – (we were) a group that gave up or a group that was simply outclassed.

“That said teams like Easts and Uni continue to get stronger while teams like West Harbour and Souths struggle to keep pace.

“That’s certainly not an excuse for our performance. Not at all, but I’m not going to sit here and say “poor us”.

“We’ve got to be better and be genuinely excited about playing top line players if we feel like we are individually and as a club part of that pathway to higher level rugby.

“I want these guys to have the chance to live the dream like I did.”

Fava added: “This week is about not letting that game define us. There’s a lot of this competition to go.”

Better times are ahead I hope.

MANLY V RANDWICK at Manly Oval

Bernie Bergelin and Jeff Sayle knew the value of the “third half” in the eco-system of the Shute Shield.

Both are now looking on from higher places but the trophy named in their honour was played for on Saturday at the Village Green but it was a burst in the second half that would be crucial to the distribution of the silverware.

Randwick would win this one 31-21 in the end with tries to Jack Barrett (he did score another earlier) and Matias Jensen giving the visitors an edge.

The Marlins would storm back into the game with tries to Billy Dickens (a handy pick up from Gordon in the off season) and Ben Chapman after the break, but the surge from the Galloping Greens would mean that the Bergelin-Sayle trophy would head back over the bridge.

The Cup has bounced around a bit of late with Marlins insiders telling me they won in Round 8 last year with the Wicks getting revenge in Round 17.

A by-product of the result is that the middle regions of the Shute Shield competition table has become even more congested.

With that win Randwick now sit in fifth spot on 26 points just ahead of the Wildfires because of a better for and against average.

The Marlins have stuttered a little bit on 20 points and like a number off teams need to start putting together wins and some bonus points.

Lots of good performers for the visitors in this one with Onita Fina, Barrett, Mitch Short and Max Moore my best.

Felix Turinui played his first Shute Shield game in the No.10 jersey and after missing his first two shots at goal finished the game well.

Once again Billie Dickens was the best for the Marlins while fullback Meli Dreu was a weapon in open field situations.

One thing is certain there is lots more to play out in the season of both these teams.

EASTWOOD V SYDNEY UNI at TG Millner Field

What is it about close finishes, TG Millner Field and the against-all-odds Woodies?

Watching on from afar it’s hard not to come to the conclusion that this Eastwood side can not only make the playoffs but be a very difficult side to get past come August.

It’s not just the speed on the edges with skipper Isaac Crowe, Lachlan Shelley and Dylan Nelson, it’s their resolve when they are deep in red zone.

Coach Anthony Griffin is still coming to terms with many of the vagaries of the XV-man game but he does know what works and his side is doing that stuff well.

Take the try scored by Nelson to ice the game in the final minutes.

He’d had a relatively quiet game by his standards but when the opportunity arose he was ready and turned the Uni defence inside out and outside in to score in the corner.

Then from there Tane Edmed kicked the conversion from the sideline to give the final 42-39 scoreline.

For much of the afternoon it looked like Uni would rumble on to victory but that’s not the way that things roll at TG.

Every jab and right cross that the Students threw Eastwood’s way
was countered effectively.

The win sees the Woods secure in the top four with an eight point break to fifth with Uni back in seventh in what is a congested middle of the competition table.

Uni coach John Manenti would have come to TG Millner with high hopes but he left with lots to ponder and the knowledge that there aren’t too many slip-ups left in their season.

WEST HARBOUR V GORDON at Concord Oval

West Harbour have been building towards something special these last few weeks and at halftime of their game against Gordon on Saturday there was the sniff of an upset.

Wests had burst out of the blocks and with the steady hand of Jack Debreczeni running the shop in the No.10 jersey had put on two tries and were very much in the contest.

The score was 14-13 to the Highlanders at the break but in the twinkling of an eye and a few off those Gordon bounces the tables turned.

Gordon put on six tries in the second 40 minutes with the spine of their side in Lachie Albert, Harry Snook, Milan Basson and Conor Hickey stepping up.

There aren’t too many better sides than can go toe to toe with the Highlanders when they are in this sort of mood with their points coming from all points on the field.

Left edge, right edge, chip and regather as well as good old defensive pressure was all on show and the ease in which they gathered their points hid some good work from the home team.

I hope Debreczeni gets more game time with the Pirates this season as his experience and calmness will add to their game.

Hunter Hannaford was good at the back for Wests too and his slotting into first receiver gave them momentum at different times that led to points.

But it was hard to suppress the Highlanders on Saturday, they were good and are getting better.

WS TWO BLUES V WARRINGAH at Eric Tweedale Stadium

The journey to “The Eric” for the Noddy Sawtell Cup has always been a difficult one for Warringah.

Heading west from the northern beaches puts doubts in young Rats minds with the fear of a good old ambush always on the cards.

That fear however was well and truly wiped in the first 40 minutes of Warringah’s impressive 64-29 win over the Two Blues.

The Rats were back to their free-wheeling best with five nicely constructed tries giving the visitors a 31-0 lead at the break.

Mind you there was plenty of contest in this game, it’s just that the visitors made the most of the opportunities presented.

Take for instance the first try to Ben Woollett where he fielded a kick from a penalty from his flyhalf Byron Smith.

In Round 7 this was ruled illegal denying the Rats a bonus point but it was all okee dokee on Saturday.

There was a wealth of talent on the Two Blues side of the team sheet with Fiji international Manasa Mataele and Angus Scott Young bolstering an already talented group.

Matalele would go on to score two tries with the Samoan international Latrell Ah Kiong crossing for a hat-trick.

The Rats are now top of the competition table with the Two Blues negotiating the tightrope to the playoffs in eighth spot.

There is no room for hiccups like Saturday.

NORTHERN SUBURBS v HUNTER WILDFIRES at Rawson Oval

There is still plenty of work to do but Northern Suburbs’ playoff dream is still alive in the wake of their 22-19 win over the Hunter Wildfires on Saturday.

A Max Burey penalty goal with a couple of minutes left on the clock was the difference between the two sides in a game that was messy at times but none the less gripping throughout.

The visitors led 14-5 at the break making the most of the chaos that they brought to the game and the dock yard brawl that was the breakdown.

The Wildfires were able to knock the Shoremen out of their systems through some good work from young Australian Under 20s opensider TJ Talaileva, with his head to head with Marshall Le Maitre worthy of a close watch.

The old and the bold on the sideline thought the addition of Burey would be the magic wand Norths have needed of late but as is the case with Super Rugby players coming back it just takes time.

Mind you Burey was a handful, but the east-west stuff needs to be tempered with teammates carrying it hard north-south.

It will come I am sure and with the towering lock Angus Blythe looking on from the sidelines Norths are going to be a tough nut to crack for the rest of the season.

The Wildfires certainly had their chances but couldn’t put scores together in any meaningful manner.

Still they sit in sixth spot only a couple of hearty wins away from the top three with lots of footy to play.

There are some huge humans in their ranks and the noise of skipper John Porch will be crucial.