by Paul Cook – (Click here for match highlights)

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THE WARM-UP:

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With two rounds remaining, the top six finals places seemed to be pretty much wrapped up, the only thing to be decided was the order in which the half-dozen title protagonists will finish. To that end, Randwick were looking to take something from what was their final home game of the year, whilst also laying down a marker against the reigning champions and rebounding from a below par performance at Souths the previous week.

Eastwood meanwhile, came in off the back of a 46-15 win over Easts that somewhat flattered them, given their second half performance in particular. Their two remaining games then, were a chance to fine tune the insides of their typically well-oiled machine and get it purring again before the intense challenge of finals footy kicks-off in a fortnight.

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THE BREAKDOWN:

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As it eventuated, Eastwood are seemingly still in need of a bit more time under the bonnet as one of the season’s boilovers ensued on what was a wet and wild afternoon in Coogee. A dogged and determined Randwick side outsmarted and outplayed their lofty opponents in the first half before defending as if their lives depended on it – and through the handicap of two yellow cards – to see out a well-deserved victory, 20-13.

It was a yellow card for Eastwood that kick-started the Galloping Greens’ assault, John Grant clumsy more than malicious in taking David Horwitz in the air in the first 10 minutes. And it was Horwitz who duly dusted himself off to slice through the Woodies line and create the opening try for the ubiquitous Andrew Kellaway.

Another sublime piece of opportunism from Horwitz released Sam Figg on the half hour and the flanker’s inch-perfect wide pass sent Jack Pennington scurrying into the corner for a 17-3 half-time lead. But the Woodies regrouped after the break and used an increasingly dominant forward platform to try and eke their way back into proceedings. However, 25 minutes of huff and puff only brought a yellow for Stephen Hoiles and a Ben Batger penalty, such was the home side’s defensive desire and application.

The dam did eventually burst with 15 to go, no.8 George Kent over from a metre for the Woods after a one-sided scrum, and when livewire openside Mark Baldwin was sent to the sideline, it looked like the visitors might just get out of jail. But the myrtle green wall held firm and an Andrew Deegan penalty with four minutes remaining ensured a memorable win.

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THE WASH-UP:

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Having disappointed in defeat at Souths last weekend, this result was the perfect tonic for the Galloping Greens as they set their sights on the finals. A delighted Randwick coach, Shannon Fraser, reflected at full-time on whether this was his side’s best result of the season.

“Maybe not from a performance perspective but certainly from an application and intent perspective,” he told Rugby News. “It’s been a fairly honest and confronting week from our performance last week where we really felt we let ourselves down and to turn it around like they did today takes a lot. It’s a young group and it takes a lot of maturity and a lot of collective belief and I think that’s the most pleasing thing.

“We have been inconsistent in the back half of this year and we’ve kind of just settled for some performances that have got us a few points but we’re definitely very pleased with our intent today. There’s some things we need to work on clearly but I thought under the conditions and against the opposition we had today that our application was outstanding.”

Inside centre and captain, David Horwitz, felt that the victory was a vital one given the quality of opposition.

“We had a good win here against Sydney Uni but, especially with the finals coming up, knowing that we can match it with the defending Premiers and a top two side, gives us a lot of confidence,” he said. “They have a very big forward pack and a big backline too, so our goal was to try and turn them around, get them a bit tired and keep them in their own end and I think we executed that today.

“I think we wanted it more, obviously, because our place in the finals wasn’t cemented, we really needed to be enthusiastic and needed to get the win today to secure that spot,” he continued. “In the wet conditions, where sometimes it can be hard to get motivated, I thought our energy was right up there.”

While Horwitz’s invention and craft helped unlock the Woods at one end of the field, it was the backs-to-the-wall effort of all 23 men at the other in the second half, that got them home in the end. It was a shift that drew well justified praise from the skipper.

“In times like that, when they’re on your line for 10-15 minutes with the ball, it’s hard not to see them coming away with points,” said Horwitz. “But if we build our line, keep chopping them around the corner, then we know we’re going to get that turnover eventually and be able to exit. It was a really good lesson for us, it shows that we can go an extended period of time on our own line and not concede points.

“It also showed a bit of ticker that perhaps, Randwick sides of the recent past have lacked. I think a lot of sides in recent years would have been happy with that half-time score and wouldn’t have gone on with it, so I was really proud of the way the boys defended our tryline and hung in there. That’s a bit of mental toughness that we’ll need to take into the finals.”

The mercurial David Horwitz sets Andrew Kellaway through to the chalk for the Wicks’ opener – Photo: Ric McLallen

For opposing captain, Hugh Perrett, it was more a case of frustration at one that got away, despite commending Randwick’s undoubtedly admirable performance.

“The effort was there but I think our execution today and just our management of the conditions probably wasn’t the greatest and they put a lot of pressure on us too, when we had the ball,” he reflected. “I think we adjusted for the second half but the damage had probably been done by then.

“We knew they were a young team that were really enthusiastic and we wanted to go out there and match that enthusiasm today. Did we do that? I’m not sure but obviously, we lost. They played really well, created two good scoring opportunities in the first half under the conditions and took them.

“We could have won, there were plenty of opportunities in the second half but they dug deep, they were playing for their lives right on their line and I think they got plenty of support off the home crowd. It just wasn’t to be today, luckily, it’s not a knockout final.”

Coming off the back of the self-confessed lacklustre effort against Easts in round 16, Perrett rejected the notion that the seeds of defeat against Randwick had been sown in the game seven days prior.

“Last week was a bit of a step back but I thought we could rectify that today,” he said. “The effort was there, our set-piece wasn’t too bad, our scrum was really good and got better as the game went on and our lineout was pretty good under the conditions so I think today’s performance was a lot better but ultimately, not good enough. It’s a good wake-up call I guess.”

One man having an absolute ball in the driving rain and in the heat of battle was Stephen Hoiles. Cut ‘Hoilesy’ and he’ll bleed myrtle green and there are few players in the history of the club who have taken more pleasure from returning to their old stomping ground for a chance to Gallop in Green once again.

“It’s been a while,” he conceded. “I got to play a couple of games last year and this is my first time this year after a couple of weeks off at the end of the Super Rugby season and I loved it, it’s awesome to be back down here.”

Randwick winger Jack Pennington gleefully dives home for his side’s second – Photo: Ric McLallen

The chance to come back to where it all started with his local team, as well as impart some valuable experience and knowledge from his time in Super Rugby and as a Wallaby onto this next generation of Wicks – as Adam Freier and Patrick Phibbs have also done recently – is something Hoiles clearly enjoys. But he feels it is very much a two-way street.

“The fundamentals of the game don’t ever really change whatever level of footy you’re playing – physicality; defence; working off the ground and just that little battle you play against yourself each week, how hard you can work and get back into the line,” he said. “You could see the guys feeding off each other at the end there, they were really enjoying the fact that they were getting stuck in and getting off the line, and that’s going to be good for their confidence.

“We do have a young group and I suppose, if we can add any little bit of advice along the way, that’s helpful but we try not to come back and change too much at all to be honest. Its more a case of ‘If you’ve got a question to ask, come and have a chat with us’ but it’s just good to play with them. I feed of the energy of these blokes, I still love the game and seeing these guys at the start of their careers is a great thing to be a part of.”

It goes without saying that the presence of Hoiles is a positive boon for Fraser and his coaching team, both in terms of the obvious abilities he brings to the table as a player and for the fundamentals they’re trying to nurture among their fledgling squad.

“You don’t underestimate the value of a Stephen Hoiles coming back into the team and I think that showed a little bit in the performance too,” Fraser observed. “It makes a massive difference. We have a philosophy here that if you’re good enough, you’re old enough and I think that’s allowed us to bring a lot of young, talented players through but you don’t get that experience overnight and you can’t fudge that so, to have the capacity to bring someone in like that at this time of the year is immeasurable. Outside of all that, I thought Stephen played really well today as well.”

Of course, the veteran loose forward did also see yellow in the second half – “a strategic rest” quipped Hoiles – and the rear-guard action mounted by the home side in the period without him was undoubtedly pivotal.

“We had two yellows today, which doesn’t help, and both in our backrow, guys who are critical to our breakdown and our defensive organisation, especially around the ruck so, that did test us but it’s just another dimension of the game where the guys stepped up,” said a proud Fraser.

“When we talked about showing our attitude, showing our intent and working hard together, the easiest way to do that is in defence. The attack we leave for confidence, belief and a bit of flair and individual creativity, we’re certainly not stifling that out of the guys at all but it is the defence where we collectively work hard and where our attitude is tested. The challenge this week was to stand united, to step up for everything we do and make some good choices and I thought we did that.”

Eastwood’s John Grant runs into a myrtle green wall as the deluge sets in – Photo: Ric McLallen

If Eastwood HAD broken through in those 10 minutes, with the momentum they were building and with the bonus of a man advantage, it could have opened the door for the visitors to turn their fortunes around in a big way.

“Yeah, that was a key point of the game” agreed Hugh Perrett. “We had a 5 metre scrum, they’d already had two penalties against them but the scrum just tilted a bit and we knocked it on at the base to give them the turnover and they went up the other end. Key moments in the game like that do affect the outcome and whoever takes their chances under those circumstances, they’re the teams that generally prevail.

“I’m not too upset but you never like to lose,” he admitted. “Obviously, we’ve lost first place to Manly today but first or second, you still get the home advantage in the semi and we’ve been consistent enough across the season to earn that.

“Going into the finals, you want momentum and it only takes one week to turn that around. We’d really like to finish strongly next week and we’ve got a big game at home against the Rats so all is not lost. Hopefully, we can apply ourselves and be a bit sharper and smarter and make amends for today.”

The next test of Randwick’s title mettle is the small matter of a trip to Manly Oval to face the re-established ladder leaders. A win for the Marlins will ensure a repeat fixture in week one of the finals but no matter whom they come up against, Shannon Fraser and co. are not here to merely make up the numbers.

“We know where we are at the moment and we’re controlling our destiny so we’re not looking at anyone else,” he said. “We know that come semi-final time we’re going to play 1 or 2, that’s how I think it’s going to fall, so we’ll play Eastwood or Manly as we see it.

“I was asked a couple of months ago about the draw and how it was a bit harsh that we were finishing with Souths, Eastwood and Manly but I’ve held my thoughts the whole time that it’s a good thing. We need to be playing these sides and competing and beating them going into the semis, otherwise we’re only going to be prolonging our season by a week when we get there, and we’re certainly not here to do that, we’re here to give the finals a good shake.”

RANDWICK 20 (Andrew Kellaway, Jack Pennington tries; Andrew Deegan 2 cons, 2 pens) EASTWOOD 13 (George Kent try, Ben Batger con, 2 pens)