Sydney University
Vs
West Harbour
By Bruce ‘China’ Lin
20 July 2024
The sun was shining, the ground was dry but there was a prodigious breeze with an icy feel coming from the west enveloping the ground. University still managed a strong 48-0 victory riot over the West Harbour Pirates last Saturday at University.
The game was less than a minute and a half old when a ruck penalty gave University the opportunity to look for field position with a touch finder. The lineout was set and the ball was channeled along the backline. Openside breakaway Sam Allsopp took the ball up and made a dart towards the goal line to score an easy converted try.
The 7-0 scoreline increased in ten minutes when club favourite Western Force hooker Tom Horton remerged. The ball was being recycled rapidly inside the Pirates quarter. Phases were being built until the ball reached National Trust treasure outside centre Henry Clunies-Ross. Clunies-Ross clapped on the overdrive to split the defence draw the last line of defence to pass back inside to his support Horton who skipped over for a lead of 14-0. From then on University just continued piling on the points relentlessly. With the aid of the stiff breeze the Students did not allow West Harbour any respite.
Thirty three minutes into the half and University were ahead 26-0 after big tight head prop Brad Amituanai scored. You could lip read big Brad singing Nancy Sinatra’s 1966 hit These boots are made for walkin as he trampled and stepped through a phalanx of West Harbour defenders for his try. This ended the first half with an emphatic 31-0 lead. Albeit the lead was assisted by the prodigious breeze which University would now face in the second half.
The second half did not start like the first but University slowly but surely commenced to apply pressure on the Pirates. Allsopp recorded a hatrick of tries and once again Henry Clunies-Ross made his presence felt. University were recycling and the ball was offloaded to Clunies-Ross on the blind side. It was not a moment of malapropism * but the mystical aura surrounding this man with the hyphen. Almost like Moses parting the Red Sea in the Ten Commandment’s as soon as the ball reached Clunies-Ross West Harbour players looked in awe of him as he dived over.
But the Students revue continued till full time after the bell. Although well and truly defeated West Harbour continued attacking inside their quarter. But a dropped ball was regathered by University and you guessed it that man about town Clunies-Ross scored the final try for the 48-0 victory.
Head coach Todd Louden was satisfied that one aspect of the team’s play is forming. “I’m just glad that we kept Wests to a zero scoreline. That shows our defensive systems are starting to really work.”
First grade half back Jack Davis in his run on debut was happy but exhausted at the end of the day.”It was very fast and aggressive. It’s just great playing alongside your mates at such a high level.”
Next week we venture down to Bellevue Hill for an almighty clash with Eastern Suburbs.
*Malaproprism- A comical confusion of words