2013 Shute Shield Winners: Sydney University – Photo: seiserphotography.com

by Brendan Bradford –

In the end, Sydney University were a class above. That’s what happens when a squad of Super Rugby players take on a team of amateurs.

The final 51-6 score-line was an ugly and undeserved end to an otherwise successful Eastwood season, but take nothing away from Sydney University – despite their embarrassment of riches, there was still a game to be won, and they won it. Convincingly. It‘s the first time a side has scored 50-points in a club Grand Final and it is the biggest winning margin in Grand Final history.

Leading the game from the first minute, the Students – motivated by the impending retirements of Tim Davidson and Tom Carter and boosted by the inclusion of Bernard Foley – earned a seven-tries-to-one victory to claim their eighth title in nine years. For Foley, whose only other Grand Final experience was the 2011 loss, it was the perfect revenge.

“It’s pretty sweet to come back here and get a bit of revenge, but it’s even more special for the guys who have been here all year and all the hard work the whole squad has been doing since October and November,” Foley said.

“I only trained with the guys last night, but I’ve really enjoyed coming back. The coaches have been awesome to work with and it’s been incredible for myself and the Sydney Uni club.”

Tim Davidson ended his career with another Grand Final success – Photo: seiserphotography.com

Eastwood captain Hugh Perrett was obviously dejected after the game, but said the disappointing loss shouldn’t taint what was a successful year for the club. After topping the regular season table with just two losses and getting all four grades to the Grand Final, to lose in such comprehensive fashion seemed desperately unfair.

“I wouldn’t say we played our worst game, but against a team like Uni any mistake they pounce on and you get opened up pretty quickly, so it was disappointing to end it like that,” the Ken Catchpole winner said after the game.

“We’re a tight bunch and we’ll celebrate everything we’ve achieved this year – the threes got up which is huge for the club, but one’s and two’s were a bit disappointing.”

On a slippery pitch from overnight rain, the Students started fast and took the lead with a Foley penalty before Eastwood had touched the ball. The flyhalf set up the Students’ first try too just minutes later when he spotted an overlap on the right and Eastwood winger Nick Batger just didn’t have the pace to smother the pass as Lachlan Mitchell went in to score.

Uni lock Liam Winton went off with a head-knock shortly after, but the Students lost nothing with big Will Skelton coming on as replacement.

The Woodies struggled for go-forward in the opening stages but Uni soon had troubles of their own when openside flanker Dave Hickey needed treatment for a knee injury.

Uni dominated the scrum from the get-go but were let down by a wayward lineout. While the scrum allowed them to pile on the pressure deep in Woodies territory, the lineout quickly eased any danger.

Ben Batger missed his first attempt at goal before landing two easier penalties as Perrett, Locky McCaffrey and Benn Robinson got into their work and Jimmy Hilgendorf started finding gaps around the ruck.

Paddy Ryan was a damaging runner for Uni and Foley was a class above, but an attempted first-half drop goal was a moment the Waratahs flyhalf would like to have over again. Tom Kingston, an electrifying standout for Uni all year stepped his way through some weak defence late in the half to extend Uni’s lead to 17-6 at the break.

“We felt in the coaching box that 10-6 at halftime would have been fair,” said Eastwood coach John Manenti.

“Then Kingston scored just before halftime and we started chasing the game. In fairness they (Uni) probably should have had more pay with what they were doing in the first half, so we were fortunate to keep it close at halftime, but that might have sapped us too.”

Tom Kingston dives over for his second to seal Uni’s win – Photo: seiserphotography.com

The normally reliable Batger missed two penalties in the first ten minutes after the break as the Woodies used a strong breeze to pin Uni in their own territory.

“Luckily for us they missed a couple of kicks at goal which gave us a bit of a buffer to really go after it in the second half,” said Uni head coach Chris Malone.

Perhaps a reflection of their lack of field position, Uni took the points from a 30-meter penalty after 55-minutes. Foley made no mistakes from the kicking tee.

When Michael McDougall knocked on in midfield and a clearance kick from their own half went dead in goal at the other end of the pitch with 20-minutes still to play, you got the feeling it wasn’t going to be Eastwood’s day. Uni speedster Greg Jeloudev scythed through a gap off a short Kingston pass and at 27-6, the game was all but over with a quarter still to play.

Hooker Tolu Latu scored on the right wing after a great step and Tom English finished off a great counter-attacking move in the other corner. Foley converted the second try for a 39-6 lead.

English was again on hand to finish off a length of the field effort before Kingston nabbed another after neat hands from Tom Carter for the final 51-6 score-line.

For all the vitriol that surrounds Sydney Uni, they’ve played some attractive football this season – especially in the second half of the final.

“I was glad we played the game the way we have all year, that was the really pleasing thing for me,” said Malone.

“We were determined to do that and some of the tries and handling in the second half was really pleasing. I think we’ve got an obligation to play attractive rugby, because we need people to watch the game and I wanted to get away from the perception of the way we’ve played for a long time.”

Sydney University 51 (Tom Kingston 2, Tom English 2, Lachie Mitchell, Tolu Latu, Greg Jeloudev tries; Bernard Foley 5 cons, 2 pens) d Eastwood 6 (Ben Batger 2 pens)