Sydney University
Vs
West Harbour
5 April 2025
By Bruce China Lin
If you were fortunate enough to enter the dressing room at Concord Oval last Saturday you could not miss a rather prodigious blue & gold banner draped along a wall. The words Anyone but Uni used over the years by opposition club supporters to express their * cacodemonomania towards the Students will instead be a catalyst to drive University to make the semi finals this season.
With a swag of new players across the club the foundations have been laid for a significant elevation in their standing with a good 59-26 victory over the always unpredictable West Harbour Pirates.
The match was barely four minutes old when a series of ferocious rucks culminated in new Capitano Nathaniel Panozzo crashing over for a converted try. The game plan of hard straight running continued soon after when a fierce rush was made towards the goalposts by forwards Waratah breakaway Leafi Talataina, his Waratah brother in arms prop Brad Amituanai and then University’s hooker with a name straight from the Welsh valleys Bryn Edwards. Edwards was stopped centimetres from the line. A ruck was formed and halfback Austin Bell burrowed over for another converted try. 14-0 after twelve minutes and there was no reason to complain. University was looking strong and had not even used their full repertoire of skills.
The try fest continued with a pushover try, more pick and drives and excellent leadup by replacement centre young Tom Watts. Sporting a rather trendy teal coloured headgear as his preferred colour of lavender had sold out, Watts did all the lead up with a weaving run for outside centre Shaun Anderson’s first Shute Shield five pointer. The accurate boot of fullback James Kane saw University finish the first half with a 35-0 lead.
But the wounded Pirates were not about to walk the gang plank like Captain Hook. With the aid of the Parramatta Road wind they scored two quick converted tries. However University regrouped and further tries came through incessant continuity always recycling and keeping the ball alive.
Replacement five eighth Sam Bignold was having a grand time shuffling the ball to the flanks. Reminiscent of his father Tony in the last century, Sam Bignold executed slick cut outs for tries by Watts and the thunderbolt winger Benjy Joseland. James Kane University’s fullback blessed with a superb boot and an auburn hair hue more natural than the leader of the orange people Donald J Trump, kept the scoreboard activated with his accurate conversions.
West Harbour persisted in their gallant efforts and scored a bonus point fourth try at the very end of the half . However, the damage was done in the first half and University came away with a bonus point victory. The signs were good but at such an early stage of the season a tune up is still required in areas of play to reach the finals in 2025.
Next week University have their first home game for 2025 against old foes Randwick with the match being played at SUFG 2.
*Cacodemonomania – The pathological belief that one is inhabited by an evil spirit.