Halangahu steals Grand Final show
Sat, 20 Sep 2008 17:14
Sydney University trailed for only one minute of a lopsided Shute Shield Grand Final, running out 45-20 victors over Randwick at the Concord Oval on Saturday.
The Students scored six tries to three, with Man of the Match Daniel Halangahu a standout as he drove the champions around the park and collected 15 points with the boot.
Sydney University took the lead in the eighth minute of the Shute Shield Grand Final, never looking back as they ran away with the competition decider.
Randwick maintained possession in the opening stages with Tim Walsh drawing first blood through a seventh minute penalty, however it was to be the only time the Galloping Greens led in the entire match.
The Students hit back immediately after the restart, when Jerry Yanuyanutawa charged down Randwick's clearance kick and regathered to score in the corner.
The rampaging prop looked to be over for his second try in the 15th minute, charging towards the line from a Randwick turnover, however a last gasp effort from Bernie Orbell saw the ball jolt free and a try went begging.
But the Students didn't have to wait long for their next opportunity to come when they developed an overlap from a close-range scrum to send Nathan Trist over.
Halangahu's conversion extended the lead to 12-3 after the opening quarter of the match.
Randwick battled to stay in the match, but after a period of extended possession and field possession turned down an opportunity to close the gap. The decision soon paid off with Rodney Voullaire muscling his way over in the right corner.
Walsh missed an opportunity to reduce the margin to one point in the 35th minute when a penalty attempt from right in front missed to the right.
Then two minutes later the miss was compounded when fullback Matt Nethery failed to ground a Phil Waugh grubber kick as he was shadowing it over the touch-in-goal line, and Trist pounded to score his second.
The second half began exactly how the first finished, with captain Tim Davidson scoring in just the second minute back on the field.
Halangahu converted and soon after added a penalty to take the score to 27-8.
Randwick's best attacking foray of the second half finished with the ball going through the hands of Ratu Nasiganiyavi with the tryline beckoning, and again the Galloping Greens were made to pay soon after when Halangahu piloted a drop goal to take the margin outside three converted tries.
The floodgates were well and truly open in the 65th minute when replacement back Nick Edwards crossed for the Students' fifth try, the soon after Trist split the defence before sending Nathan Charles over.
Consolation tries to Nasiganiyavi and Morgan Turinui in the final five minutes put some respectability back in the scoreline however the Students thoroughly deserved the size of their victory.
Man of the match: Daniel Halangahu (Sydney University)
The scorers:
For Sydney University:
Tries: Trist 2, Yanuyanutawa, Davidson, Edwards, Charles
Cons: Halangahu 3
Pens: Halangahu 3
For Randwick:
Tries: Voullaire, Nasiganiyavi, Turinui
Con: Walsh
Pen: Walsh
Teams:
Sydney University: 15 Nathan Trist, 14 Ed Jenkins, 13 Mitch Inman, 12 Leo Afeaki, 11 Peter Layford, 10 Daniel Halangahu, 9 Nick Haydon, 8 Tim Davidson (captain), 7 Phil Waugh, 6 Dean Mumm, 5 Will Caldwell, 4 Al Campbell, 3 Laurie Weeks, 2 Nathan Charles, 1 Jerry Yanuyanutawa.
Replacements - from: 16 Jono Owens, 17 Nick Hensley, 18 Lachlan McCutcheon, 19 Tim Aistrope, 20 Nathan Sievert, 21 Jeremy Atkins, 22 Nick Edwards, 23 Jeremy Tilse.
Randwick: 15 Matt Nethery, 14 Bernie Orbell,
13 Morgan Turinui, 12 Dane Inman, 11 Ratu Nasiganiyavi, 10 Tim Walsh, 9 Josh Valentine, 8 Stephen Hoiles (captain), 7 Rodney Voullaire, 6 Chris Houston, 5 Mark Chisholm, 4 Steve Brennan, 3 Lotu Taukeiaho, 2 Adam Freier, 1 Sekope Kepu.
Replacements - from: 16 Peter Jorgensen, 17 Daniel Spencer, 18 Ben Mowen, 19 Ben Toleafoa, 20 Tony Luxford, 21 Atonio Halangahu, 22 Francis Fainifo, 23 Ben Bartlett.
Referee: James Leckie
Touch judges: Ian Smith, Nathan Pearce
TMO: George Ayoub
