Uni speedster Greg Jeloudev pins back the ears – Photo: seiserphotography.com

by Brendan Bradford –

Sydney University winger Greg Jeloudev offers an ominous response when asked about the constant booing and vicious heckling his side receives at grounds and grandstands across Sydney.

“It just motivates you to go looking for the ball,” he says.

And when Jeloudev goes looking for the ball, defences are in trouble. The speedster scored 20 regular season tries in 2013 – enough to earn a spot in the Rugby News Team of the Year and a top ten spot in the Ken Catchpole medal standings.

“The individual achievements are good, but I put a lot of that to the guys around me and the hard work and culture we’ve got going at the club,” he continues.

That culture is one forged in the pain of tortuous year-round training sessions at University Oval and tested at the club rugby coalface every weekend. The perceived advantages Sydney Uni players receive certainly don’t come free.

Tom Kingston has been one of Uni’s best this season. Photo: seiserphotography.com

“It’s just hard work, simple,” says coach Chris Malone.

“I look back now over the last 12-months and the amount of work put in by these guys is phenomenal – more than anyone else – and I hope more of them get contracted, because they deserve it.”

Similarly, merely having a squad stacked with Super Rugby talent doesn’t automatically lead to a win. Player availability – or lack thereof – means Uni haven’t had a consistent starting side all season. Without this stability, club culture becomes even more critical, as Tom Kingston explains: “The most important thing is that the guys who come back really have bought into the way we want to play. It can really disrupt teams when guys come back and want to do their own thing, but it’s just not something we have to worry about here because everyone has bought into that mantra,” he says.

In addition to Malone and his coaching staff, two people stand at the forefront of creating and harnessing club culture. Two players define what it means to represent Sydney University.

“What can’t go understated is the influence of Tim Davidson and Tom Carter – those two guys are the lifeblood of this group – and without them, our success wouldn’t be as great,” Kingston stresses.

So it’s no great irony that much of the vitriol is directed towards Carter, a player so heavily invested in what Rugby News’ Paul Cook describes as “shaping the ethos, identity and legacy” of the club. But he’s another who seems spurred on by the spite.

“Tommy’s one of those players who thrives in the contest and if guys are giving it to him, it lifts his game if anything,” Jeloudev warns, with Kingston adding: “the risky thing for anyone throwing those words out from the hill is that it can bite you back – and it might bite you back two-fold.”

Tom Carter is inspirational for Sydney University. Photo: seiserphotography.com

Too often the bigger picture – rugby – is shaded by angst in club-land but as the best sides in the competition get set to square off in Grand Finals in all four grades, here’s hoping the rugby takes precedence.

“There’s 11 clubs gunning for us – as there has been all year – but there’s only one we’re looking to knock off now,” says Kingston.

“Eastwood has been the form side all year and are the Minor Premiers so we just want to go out there and show the fans – whether they’re with us or against us – what club rugby is all about and what it has to offer. If we can go out and put on a great show, that’s really great for rugby in New South Wales generally.”

With intriguing match-ups across the park, it promises to be an exhibition. Uni’s Super Rugby laden team will have to contend with a well-oiled Eastwood outfit that have played alongside each other for most of the season. The platform will be laid up front, but with Nick Phipps facing James Stannard, Bernard Foley opposite James Hilgendorf and Kingston battling Ben Batger in the backline, there’s sure to be some fireworks.

It’s anyone’s guess where the game will be won, but Malone has a specific plan to deal with the hecklers and claim his first Shute Shield as a coach.

“It’s easy for the players to see and hear all that stuff – they don’t need me to shove it down their throats,” he explains.

“For me it’s just about the detail of the game and it’ll be won on patience. Eastwood force you into making errors then capitalise quickly – they’ve scored seven intercepts in the last couple of games – so we’ve gotta be patient, execute our gameplan and play for the full 80-minutes.”