Sydney University
Vs
Manly Marlins
3 May 2026
By Bruce China Lin
The setting was perfect last Saturday at Camperdown. Sunshine, not too chilly and a nice crowd bolstered with the colour of Ladies Day. Just one thing was missing- a win against a Manly fifteen that defended stoutly resulting in a loss of 21-15.
The majority of the first half will hardly go down etched in the history of the game. For just under thirty minutes both teams failed to score a point. When University were awarded a penalty in front of the posts the call went out for five eighth Tom Curtis to kick for goal and awaken everyone from the early onset of mild sleep apnea.
3-0 was the halftime score. University were their own worst enemies with dropped ball and poor options stifling their play.
The second half started positively when after three minutes a five metre lineout saw the Students rolling maul applied. The Marlins had no answer to the rolling mass and University hooker Declan Moore slammed the ball down in the Parramatta Road corner.
University were ahead 8-0 but it did not last long as a University turnover saw Manly counter with some broken field play. The insertion deep into University territory saw their halfback dart through a gap off a ruck for a converted try. The deficit had closed and University were just ahead 8-7.
This initial try was the catalyst for Manly to reinvigorate their play and soon after some simple tries were scored by them spreading the ball wide. University were back pedalling allowing gaps bigger than Donald J. Trump’s proposed ballroom and soon the Marlins were ahead 21-8.
University continued pursuing the Marlins but promising attacking phases would fail to gel. Replacement centre Boston Fakafanua did make a deep run inside the Manly quarter which saw the Manly fullback yellow carded for off side play. The advantage saw the Students pick and drive towards the tryline. Eventually secondrower Ben Grant scored adjacent to the posts. The Curtis conversion now had University trailing 21-15 with less than a handful of minutes left in the game.
Today was not a day showcasing the best of University. With a conceded penalty for not releasing the ball, Manly kicked into touch for that 21-15 victory.
University can use this game as a template on how to avoid snatching from the jaws of victory. Penalties, mistakes, turnovers the trifecta of issues that sends coaches to a stress therapist.
Head coach John Manenti and his team will no doubt during the week apply *cleek and remove those kinks which stop University from playing to their full potential.
Nest week it is the annual M1 road trip to Newcastle against the Hunter Mariners. A game against a bunch of big bruising Novocastrians.
*Cleek – Big hook.
