Sydney University
vs
Gordon.
5 August 2023
By Bruce ‘China’ Lin
The mission to make the 2023 semi finals was too much for University to accomplish last Saturday. Before Gordon’s home crowd at Chatswood Oval University had a diabolical day losing 36-7.
Gordon started the day with an early penalty. But slowly but surely some relatively soft tries to them compounded University’s hard day at the office despite University showing long periods of defensive fortitude. University finished the first half down 17-0.
But the second half was a sequel to Nightmare on Elm Street. This time Freddie Kruger was in the form of fifteen Tartan jerseys.
Literally nothing went to plan. The coach’s worst nightmare of dropped balls, missed tackles and not finding touch came to haunt University. Gordon was just relentless to grind University into the Chatswood Oval turf. Repeating in detail every Gordon try or points would be akin to the American military practice of water boarding. It was hard to watch as this was not the true Students we are accustomed to.
Only during the last five minutes did University produce a rolling maul try for a final scoreline of 36-7.
Despite the bitter loss University can use this painful episode to be *sagacious. The rest of the competition has really got their acts together and no longer teams of yesteryear fall by the wayside. Australia’s oldest club will learn and be for the better next year.
A disappointing ending for the players but a valuable lesson for the future. The coaches, medical and support staff should be commended for their perseverance throughout 2023.
In the meantime the lower grades and colts are still in the hunt for the 2023 premiership race in their finals campaign. Club supporters should set themselves a mission to lend their support to these teams.
- Sagacious – showing wisdom in one’s understanding and judgement of things