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University Wins Qld Premiership
Sun, September 5, 2010 at 19:20 University maintained their 2010 Queensland Premier Rugby supremacy through to the end as they defeated finals debutants Sunshine Coast 19-11 in the grand final at Ballymore.
University always had the measure of the Stingrays, whose only try right on fulltime was the most threatening they had looked all afternoon.
University had led the field all season and it was inevitable that they would prevail against a Stingrays side that had punched above their weight throughout the finals series.
Heavily outgunned and battling to get more than scraps of possession, the Stingrays could thank their own dogged defence along with the wet and humid weather for keeping the notoriously try hungry University attack under control for most of the match.
University opened the scoring early when quick hands put fullback Will Tuffley across in the corner. He missed the conversion but made amends with a penalty before the Stingrays struck back with a three pointer of their own.
Uni wing David Burns was next to score after a slick ball from inside centre Herman Porter put him in the clear. This time Tuffley's conversion bounced off the posts to leave the score at 13-3 to Uni at halftime.
University coach Mick Heenan said getting that early lead was the key in the wet and slippery conditions.
"It was always going to be hard to peg back a lead," Heenan said.
"Rain's always a leveller, I suppose, but I knew that our scrum was pretty solid so the more mistakes, the more scrums really and I knew that was going to be an advantage for us.
"It was just great to get the job done today."
Stingrays Coach Toutai Kefu was proud of the resolve shown by his side.
"The boys' will to win was there, and that's all that matters. There's nothing wrong with losing to a better team.
"I don't think any team would have held them (University) the way they played in the first 20. They threw everything at us. And we knew that (was coming)... we just had to hold on.
"They (University) scored two really, really good tries, but I thought that first 20 minutes our boys defended really well. Mate, they (University) were just the better team."
Second half penalties to Tuffley kept the Red Heavies out of reach, but the Stingrays never stopped trying to restore hope for the large contingent of their blue shirted supporters in the Ballymore crowd of 3,957.
Their determination was rewarded when they finally got an overlap in the dying seconds and wing Tom Cox crossed to add respect to the score.
A Stingrays favourite, replacement hooker Franky Bourke was given the honour of taking the final kick at goal, which ended predictably, shanking off the side of his boot.
University flanker Mitchell Wade won the Tony Shaw Medal as player of the Grand Final.
University 19 (D Burns, W Tuffley tries, W Tuffley 3 pens) d Sunshine Coast 11 (T Cox try, M Stone pen, A Millington pen) at Ballymore. Crowd 3,957.
