Sydney University have claimed their fifth straight premiership after defeating Randwick 24-19 in the Tooheys New Shute Shield Grand Final at the Sydney Football Stadium.

Tom Carter was named Mirvac Man of the Match after causing havoc in the midfield in both attack and defence, forming a lethal combination with Perth-bound centre Mitch Inman who scored the decisive try of the match.

Grand Final Week’s worst kept secret was revealed shortly before kick-off with Adam Freier’s inclusion at openside flanker for Randwick, lining up directly against HSBC Waratahs teammate Phil Waugh.

A break by Carter in the fourth minute set up the first scoring chance for Sydney University however Nathan Charles knocked the ball on over the line from the ensuing phase.

The Students didn’t have to wait much longer to bother the scorers, Charles eventually touching down in the eighth minute following a good break by his Australian Under 20s teammate Peter Betham. Halangahu converted from 15m in from the left touchline for a 7-0 lead.

A turning point came in the 25th minute when Freier left the field clutching a hamstring, and Randwick were forced into uncontested scrums when a mouth cut to Atonio Halangahu saw him enter the blood bin.

Marshall Milroy got Randwick on the board via two penalties, before Nick Edwards shot down the left side to take the Uni lead back out to eight.

Randwick finally turned territory into points when Bernie Orbell broke the line before getting a perfect ball between defenders to send Drew Mitchell over in the corner. Milroy missed the conversion leaving Uni with a 14-11 advantage at half-time.

The Galloping Greens hit the lead early into the second half when Francis Fainifo put Milroy over in the right corner, however Uni hit straight back with Mitch Inman scoring a great centres try after ploughing through the defence.

Halangahu’s conversion restored a five-point lead, and he extended that in the 53rd minute with a well-timed drop goal to open up a 24-16 break.

Milroy closed the margin to within a try with his third penalty of the game, but despite repeated opportunities in the University quarter, the Wicks couldn’t break the defending premiers’ line sending the Shute Shield back to campus.

Other injury concerns saw HSBC Waratahs prop Sekope Kepu leave the field during the second half with an ankle injury, while NSW skipper Phil Waugh also came off in the closing stages.

The victory marks Sydney University’s fifth straight premiership, following on from yesterday’s win in the top two grades of Colts. The Students also won the 2009 Gregor George Cup (Club Championship), ES Marks Shield (First Grade Minor Premiers), Sir Roden Cutler Shield (Home Game Champions – 11 defences) and the Eric Spilsted Memorial Shield (Colts Club Championship).Sydney University 24 (Nathan Charles, Nick Edwards, Mitch Inman tries; Daniel Halangahu 2 cons, drop) d Randwick 19 (Drew Mitchell, Marshall Milroy tries; Marshall Milroy 3 pens) at Sydney Football Stadium. Referee: Stuart Dickinson. HT: Sydney University 14-11

Colin Caird Shield Grand Final (2nd Grade)

EASTERN SUBURBS V GORDON

Eastern Suburbs scored an upset victory over minor premiers Sydney University to qualify for the Colin Caird Shield Grand Final and went on with the job to claim the title with a 32-29 victory over Gordon.

Each side scored four tries, however Easts had established their winning break well before the final margin ended at just three points.

The game took on a typically combative Grand Final feel in the opening half, however a surge of points to both teams in the final ten minutes saw the sides locked at 15-all at half-time.

Eastern Suburbs then put the foot down, scoring the next two tries through James Rowles and Sam Windsor to establish a 32-15 lead.

Gordon scored a try with ten minutes to go to keep their hopes alive, however the Beasts were able to control enough possession so not even a consolation try in the dying stages could deny an Easts premiership.

Eastern Suburbs 32 (Joe Azar, Ben Hopkins, James Rowles, Sam Windsor tries; Warwick Percival 3 cons, 2 pens) d Gordon 29 (Luke Duncan, Greg Wade, Dustin McGregor, Josh Whittaker tries; Donny Nepia 3 cons, pen) at Sydney Football Stadium. Referee: James Leckie. HT: 15-all.

JR Henderson Shield Grand Final (3rd Grade)

GORDON V SYDNEY UNIVERSITY

Gordon has turned the 2009 minor premiership into Grand Final victory with a 6-3 result over Sydney University to claim the JR Henderson Shield for the second straight year.

Defence and tactical kicking dominated the clash with any attacking opportunities snuffed out well by both teams.

Dan Nieass kicked two from five penalty goals for the Highlanders, while Hayden Bushell scored the only points for the Students.

Gordon 6 (Dan Nieass 2 pens) d Sydney University 3 (Hayden Bushell pen) at Sydney Football Stadium. Referee: Callan O’Neill. HT:  Gordon 6-0

JR Henderson Cup Grand Final (4th Grade)

RANDWICK V WEST HARBOUR

Randwick scored a try in the second last minute of play to claim the 2009 Henderson Cup in a one-point thriller against West Harbour.

After the defending champions and minor premiers crossed early through giant centre Iosua Leasusu, West Harbour hit back with three tries to take a 19-8 lead into the break.

Midway through the second half Randwick scored their second try to get within four points of the lead, however it took until the 59th minute for the crucial score to come when Tim Satiu ploughed over in the left corner.

Randwick 20 (Iosua Leasusa, Maraki Toa, Tim Satiu tries; Dale Lindsay con, pen) d West Harbour 19 (Luke Schafer, Mana Vi, Taani Kaliti tries; Luke Schafer 2 cons) at Sydney Football Stadium. Referee: Guy Grinham. HT: West Harbour 19-8.

While Eastwood were in far better form than that when they showed when they went down by 74 points to the Students a fortnight ago, they were no match for the defending champions and minor premiers who built the victory on the back of a great defensive effort. Both sides enjoyed similar amounts of possession and territory, however Uni were able to make the most of their opportunities in the five tries to two victory.

The ball went back and forward between the two sides in the opening exchanges, and while Daniel Halangahu missed a penalty attempt early on he made up for it with a converted try from close range in the 15th minute.

The HSBC Waratahs flyhalf added another two penalties to open up a 13-0 lead which they looked like taking to the break after sustaining an extended period of Eastwood attack on the Uni line.

However just when it looked like they had cleared their territory to hold onto the margin half-time, a quick tap from 40m out inside the last minute saw Damien Fitzpatrick streak away for a try in the left corner.

James Foote’s conversion attempt hit the upright – the third kick to hit the woodwork after two earlier unsuccessful penalty attempts by Halangahu – leaving the minor premiers with a 13-5 lead.

Eastwood opened the scoring in the second half with a penalty to Foote, however the Students piled on the pressure with some great phase play soon after and eventually Halangahu turned an inside ball back to his captain Tim Davidson to score untouched. Halangahu then added the extras for a 20-8 lead.

The Woodies threatened to hit back throughout the middle stages of the half, however Uni’s goal line defence proved in penetrable, and when they had their next opportunity in attacking position a huge overlap saw Perth-bound centre Mitch Inman cross for the Students’ third try to all but seal the win.

Eastwood didn’t give in, but after another attack on the Uni line the Students again brought the ball down the other end of the field where Ben McCalman scored.

Uni crossed again through Tom Carter, before a consolation try to Lachlan McCaffrey on the bell saw the Students take out the Preliminary Final 37-13.

The Students will now face the winner of tomorrow’s Preliminary Final between Randwick and Gordon in next Sunday’s Tooheys New Shute Shield Grand Final.

First Preliminary Final
Sydney University 30 (Daniel Halangahu, Tim Davidson, Mitch Inman, Ben McCalman tries; Daniel Halangahu 2 cons, 2 pens) d Eastwood 8 (Damien Fitzpatrick try; James Foote pen) at Concord Oval. Referee: Steve Walsh. HT: Sydney University 13-5.

LOWER GRADES
In Second Grade, Eastern Suburbs pulled off a big upset to be the first side into the Colin Caird Shield Grand Final by defeating Sydney University 24-21. The Students had won the minor premiership by 22 points and lost just one match during the season before going down in the Preliminary Final.

Minor premiers and defending premiers both advanced to the Grand Finals in third and fourth grades, with Gordon overcoming West Harbour 8-5 in the JR Henderson Shield, while Randwick defeated the Highlanders 24-8 in the JR Henderson Cup.

At Forshaw Rugby Park Sydney University set up a triple premiership defence in Colts with all three grades victorious.

Concord Oval
Colin Caird Shield (2nd Grade): Eastern Suburbs 24 d Sydney University 21
JR Henderson Shield (3rd Grade): Gordon 8 d West Harbour 6
JR Henderson Cup (4th Grade): Randwick 24 d Gordon 8

Woollahra Oval
W.McMahon Memorial Shield (Colts I): Sydney University 41 d Eastern Suburbs 22
Shell Trophy (Colts II): Sydney University 39 d West Harbour 14
Colts III: Sydney University 50 d West Harbour 7

Uni to play the winner of Sunday's semi between Randwick and Gordon in the Grand Final on Sep 27.

Trailing by a point at the break, Eastwood scored 19 points in even time to start the second half with 2008 Australian Schoolboy teammates Tim Bennetts and Cameron Mitchell starring in the win.

Four straight losses to the Marlins and a 74-point last start defeat to Eastwood meant both sides went into the clash out of form, however it was evident from the early exchanges that recent results would count for little.

Against the run of play, Bennetts set up the opening try of the match after a break from well inside the Eastwood half before, offloading to Mitchell who scored out wide.

James Foote converted then added a penalty in the 18th minute to open up a 10-0 lead.

Two minutes later Manly centre John Payne was held up over the line, however Brian Sefanaia crossed for a converted try shortly after to close the margin to three.

Manly continued to apply the pressure and a short range try near the posts to Eddie Aholelei saw the Marlins take the lead, with Adam D’Arcy’s second successful conversion opening up a four-point break.

The Marlins looked to be well on top and were looking to apply another score before the break, however in the dying stages Tom Alexander broke from inside his own half and an infringement at the ensuing breakdown allowed Foote to reduce the margin to one.

The match broke open in the opening 15 minutes of the second half with Eastwood crossing three times in the defining period of the match.

First, quick hands through the backline put Mitchell across in the left corner for a double, before Bennetts was untouched over more than 50m to score a runaway try.

When Sione Piukala stepped through traffic from short range to score, Foote’s conversion took Eastwood to a 32-14 lead.

Manly looked to start a comeback, and when Chilean international Cristobal Westenenk crossed for a converted try, the Marlins still had a chance going into the last ten minutes.

However Eastwood were able to control enough of the ball and were more accurate in their kicking game to close out the match and earn a Preliminary Final berth against Sydney University at Concord Oval next Saturday.

Next Sunday’s Preliminary Final will see Randwick face Gordon after the Highlanders defeated Warringah 27-10 yesterday at Pittwater Rugby Park.

Second Elimination Semi-Final
Eastwood 32 (Cameron Mitchell 2, Tim Bennetts, Sione Piukala tries; James Foote 3 cons, 2 pens) d Manly 21 (Brian Sefanaia, Eddie Aholelei, Cristobal Westenenk tries; Adam D’Arcy 3 cons) at Forshaw Rugby Park. Referee: Nathan Pearce. HT: Manly 14-13.

LOWER GRADES

Forshaw Rugby Park
Colin Caird Shield (2nd Grade): Eastern Suburbs 48 d Manly 29
JR Henderson Shield (3rd Grade): West Harbour 14 d Manly 13
JR Henderson Cup (4th Grade): Gordon 44 d Manly 22

Woollahra Oval
W.McMahon Memorial Shield (Colts I): Eastern Suburbs 39 d Gordon 10
Shell Trophy (Colts II): West Harbour 31 d Eastwood 8
Colts III: West Harbour 28 d Randwick 13

After going into half-time with scores tied, Gordon was able to make the better going of the strong north-easterly wind to run in four second half tries – including a double to Matt McDougall – and move into next weekend’s preliminary final.

Warringah took the lead through a long range penalty in just the second minute of play after a sideline fracas which escalated when Ofa Fainga’anuku ran 15m to get involved.

The Rats could not capitalise on the first half tail wind however, and despite extended periods of inside the Gordon quarter, the Highlanders were able to repeatedly turn over to ball to kill off tryscoring opportunities.

Warringah co-captain Sam Harris was penalised for a high tackle in the 28th minute, and Dave Harvey capitalised with a three-pointer.

With Gordon fullback Dane Haylett-Petty dangerous with every attacking opportunity, the Highlanders also continued to show fantastic defence in the run to the bell to leave the scores tied at the break.

Gordon started the on the front foot after the resumption and it was clear running with the wind was going to be a big advantage as both sides tired.

After sustained pressure and good retention of phase play, the Highlanders eventually crossed for the opening try of the match when Mark Preston offloaded in the tackle to Josh Keil who delivered a quick ball to Harvey to score under the posts.

Six minutes later the Highlanders were in again when replacement wing Dave Feltscheer tried to keep the ball alive only to pass straight into the hands of Mark Preston who raced 55m to score and Gordon had opened up a twelve-point advantage with 20 minutes to play.

With elimination looming the Rats needed to try their hand, and off a quick tap the ball went wide to Luke Holmes who beat five defenders to score Warringah’s first try in the 64th minute. Sheehan’s conversion took the score to 15-10 and the game was back on.

However Gordon restored their two-try buffer when Matt McDougall crossed following two kicks from Harvey and one of his own before outpacing Pat McCabe in the run to the line.

Trailing by ten with five minutes left on the clock, Warringah continued to chance their arm however an errant pass ended in the hands of McDougall who intercepted to score under the posts. Harvey’s conversion took the score to 27-10.

The match finished similarly to how it started with a melee on the eastern touchline, however neither side added to the scores.

While today’s result spells an end to Warringah’s season, Gordon progress to face Randwick at Woollahra Oval on Sunday 20 September in a rematch of last year’s Preliminary Final.

Tomorrow’s Elimination Semi-Final between Manly and Eastwood at Forshaw Rugby Park will determine who faces minor premiers Sydney University in the Preliminary Final next Saturday at Concord Oval.

First Elimination Semi-Final
Gordon 27 (Matt McDougall 2, Dave Harvey, Mark Preston tries; Dave Harvey 2 cons, pen) d Warringah 10 (Luke Holmes try; Brett Sheehan con, pen) at Pittwater Rugby Park. Referee: Steve Walsh. HT: 3-all.

LOWER GRADES

Pittwater Rugby Park
Colin Caird Shield (2nd Grade): Randwick 47 d Eastwood 17
JR Henderson Shield (3rd Grade): Warringah 11 d Eastern Suburbs 6
JR Henderson Cup (4th Grade): Sydney University 28 d Warringah 15

Woollahra Oval
W.McMahon Memorial Shield (Colts I): Southern Districts 48 d Northern Suburbs 25
Shell Trophy (Colts II): Gordon 27 d Manly 17
Colts III: Gordon 59 d Manly 12

Sydney University have strengthened the premiership defence with a comprehensive 81-7 victory over Eastwood at University Oval No.1.
 
The Students scored six tries in each half in a dominant display which was only dampened by the number of injuries to both teams.
 
The hosts opened the scoring early when Tom Carter offloaded in traffic to Pat McCutcheon who crossed near the left touchline, and while Eastwood followed up with two strong opportunities, Uni were able to counter quickly and in the 12th minute Nathan Trist was over in the left corner.
 
Before the restart play was held up for around five minutes when Matt Dunning refused to leave the field under instruction from referee Stu Dickinson. Dunning was recovering from a heavy knock, and despite the referee’s request, the international prop won the argument and remained on the field.
 
Eastwood missed an opportunity to close the margin with a penalty, and Halangahu compounded the miss with a three-pointer of his own to extend to a 15-0 lead.
 
From that point players started leaving the field in droves. The two Uni tryscorers – McCutcheon and Trist – both succumbed to leg injuries, Eastwood fullback Ray Isara then twisted his ankle before Dunning was eventually replaced.
 
In the first scrum after Dunning’s departure, the University pack was edging towards a pushover however when the visitors’ scrum collapsed, Dickinson awarded a penalty try and the Students led 22-0.
 
The defending champions continued to hold out every Eastwood raid, and another counterattack resulted in the bonus point try before half-time. The Students failed to find touch from a free kick inside their 22, however Nick Edwards put in a huge chase a toed through before passing to Tom Carter who scored in his 100th first grade game.
 
Things continued to get worse for Eastwood when Western Force half Chris O’Young became the fifth casualty of the opening forty, followed by Edwards and Peter Betham both scoring in the last three minutes to open up a 41-0 lead at the break.
 
HSBC Waratahs hooker Damien Fitzpatrick was next to fall victim to the University Oval surface, and the momentum stayed with the Students with converted tries to NSW forwards Dave Dennis and Phil Waugh.
 
Edwards became the first player to cross for a double, his try in the 60th minute bringing up 60 points for the minor premiers. Carter then lined up for a brace of his own following a Jacob Taylor burst, with the winger successfully taking over the kicking duties.
 
Eastwood finally appeared on the scoresheet when a James Foote intercept was directed to John Grant to streak away for a try.
 
Uni drove the nail into the coffin with tries to replacements Matt Schwager and Sam Carter, before Tom Carter celebrated his century of top grade appearances with a conversion after full-time to bring up the 81-7 victory.
 
Eastwood’s loss sees them drop to fifth place on the competition ladder, and they will now meet Manly next weekend in a sudden death semi-final.
 
Sydney University have a week off before a Preliminary Final clash on Saturday 19 September against the lowest-ranked winner of the Elimination Semi-Finals.
 
Sydney University 81 (Nick Edwards 2, Tom Carter 2, Pat McCutcheon, Nathan Trist, Peter Betham, Dave Dennis, Phil Waugh, Matt Schwager, Sam Carter tries; Penalty Try; Daniel Halangahu 6 cons, pen, Jacob Taylor con, Scott Stumbles, Tom Carter con) d Eastwood 7 (John Grant try; James Foote con) at University Oval No.1. Referee: Nathan Pearce. HT: Sydney University 41-0.
 
Eastern Suburbs v Manly at Woollahra Oval

Eastern Suburbs have fallen agonisingly short of a semi-final appearance following their 38-15 victory over Manly at Woollahra Oval.
 
The Beasties trailed by a point at the break but were the beneficiaries of a one-man advantage following the red card handed to Tyrone Smith after just 25 minutes.
 
From that point the home side wore down the Marlins, scoring three unanswered tries in the second half to finish the season on a high but with mixed emotions. The Beasties were relying on a Souths victory at Forshaw to deliver them a place in the finals, however they finish the season just one point out of the top six.
 
The loss moves Manly down to fourth where they will play another side coming off a loss, Eastwood. The early pace-setters of the competition, Manly will have to arrest a four-match losing streak if they are to appear in a Grand Final qualifier.

Eastern Suburbs 38 (Gavin Debartolo 2, Matt Hodgson, Anton LaVin, Lloyd Jones tries; Matt Toomua 5 cons, pen) d Manly 15 (Leon Bott, Tyrone Smith tries; Ben Seymour con, pen) at Woollahra Oval. Referee: Nathan Pearce. HT: Manly 15-14.
 
Gordon v Penrith at Chatswood Oval

Dave Harvey has scored a competition record 57 points as Gordon dismantled Penrith 97-24 at Chatswood Oval.
 
Harvey scored seven tries and kicked eleven conversions to easily eclipse the previous record of 42 set by Randwick’s Gareth Smith in 2003.
 
The red-letter day for Harvey also saw him pass Marshall Milroy (Randwick) and Adam D’Arcy (Manly) to become the competition’s highest pointscorer. Last season Harvey finished one point behind Ben Martin (West Harbour), however today’s effort takes him to 308 points in 2009, 83 more than Martin scored last year.
 
In an extraordinary day at Chatswood, the Emus earned a bonus point despite conceding almost a century of points, with retiring prop Nick Barber icing his career with a late conversion.
 
Gordon’s big win, courtesy of losses to Manly and Eastwood, sees the Highlanders jump to third on the ladder and they will now meet Warringah in an Elimination Semi-Final next Saturday at Pittwater Rugby Park in the ABC TV Game of the Day.
 
Another club record was broken earlier in the day when Gordon’s pocket rocket Greg Wade scored ten tries in the Colin Caird Shield.
 
Gordon 97 (Dave Harvey 7, Matt McDougall 2, Mark Preston 2, Marty Plokstys, Dane Haylett-Petty, Chris Alcock, Lachlan Mitchell tries; Dave Harvey 11 cons) d Penrith 24 (Liam Winton, David Reopoamo, Alex Pinson, Nua Alone tries; Solomona Fainifo, Nick Richardson, Nick Barber cons) at Chatswood Oval. Referee: James Leckie. HT: Gordon 48-12.
 
Randwick v Parramatta at Coogee Oval

Randwick lived up to their nickname as the Galloping Greens, running in 16 tries at Coogee Oval to bring up a 100-0 victory over Parramatta.
 
With a rest in week one of the playoffs already assured, Randwick could have been forgiven for some complacency in their last match of the season, however the home side were anything but.
 
Eleven players made it onto the scoresheet for Randwick with Matt Nethery crossing for five tries, while Henry Vanderglas and Bernie Orbell each scored doubles. Tim Walsh took over the goal-kicking duties this week and contributed 20 points from ten conversions.
 
Randwick will watch the first week of the semi-finals with interest, with a Preliminary Final to play on Sunday 20 September against the highest-ranked winner from the Elimination Semi-Finals.

Randwick 100 (Matt Nethery 5, Henry Vanderglas 2, Bernie Orbell 2, Sekope Kepu, Steve Brennan, Seilala Lam, Stephen Hoiles, Patrick Phibbs, Francis Fainifo, Shaun Foley tries; Tim Walsh 10 cons) d Parramatta 0 at Coogee Oval. Referee: Ian Smith. HT: Randwick 64-0.

Northern Suburbs v West Harbour at North Sydney Oval

Northern Suburbs have finished the season on a high with a 46-26 victory over West Harbour at North Sydney Oval.
 
Buoyed by the return of Wallaby and HSBC Waratahs prop Al Baxter, the Shoremen overcame a two-point half-time deficit to record their third straight win for the first time in 2009, averaging more than 50 points per game in that period.
 
While big centre Chris Moore bagged a double for Norths, the forwards stepped up and scored the other four tries for the home side, while Chris Burnett had a good day with the boot contributing 16 points.
 
The Pirates were positive as always in their attack, with all four tries coming through their exciting backline.

Northern Suburbs 46 (Chris Moore 2, Nick Lah, Will Hunt, James Fitzgerald, Matt Lamont tries; Chris Burnett 5 cons, 2 pens) d West Harbour 26 (Steve Massey, Henry Seavula, Tito Mua, John Sinisa tries; Nick Reily 3 cons) at North Sydney Oval. Referee: Andrew Lees. HT: West Harbour 19-17.
 
Southern Districts v Warringah at Forshaw Rugby Park

Southern Districts came within moments of kicking Warringah out of the 2009 premiership race in a 26-all draw at Forshaw Rugby Park.
 
The Rebels scored four tries to two, however it was a last gasp penalty from Brett Sheehan which locked the scores up and edged Warringah into the finals.
 
Had the Rats not squared up the match, they would have finished equal on competition points with Eastern Suburbs, however the Beasties would have progressed having won more matches during the season.
 
Despite finishing sixth, Warringah will now play next Saturday’s Elimination Semi-Final at Pittwater Rugby Park against third-placed Gordon.

Southern Districts 26 (Brackin Henry 2, Daniel Bray, John Ulugia tries; Nathan Sievert 3 cons) drew with Warringah 26 (Luke Holmes, Dylan Smouha tries; Brett Sheehan 4 pens, 2 cons) at Forshaw Rugby Park. Referee: Steve Walsh. HT: Warringah 16-14.

Gordon has scored an important victory over Eastwood at T.G. Millner Field in the final match of round 21 today.
 
The Highlanders scored five tries to four, the most important of which came with less than five minutes left on the clock with the conversion delivering Gordon a two-point lead which they held until the full-time bell.

Eastwood earned two bonus points to retain fourth position on the ladder, just one point behind Manly.
 
The victory lifts Gordon into fifth place, and if both sides retain their positions next weekend they will face off again in the opening week of the Tooheys New Shute Shield Finals Series.
 
The result now leaves Eastern Suburbs four points adrift of the top six and must defeat third-placed Manly in the final round if they are to have any chance of appearing in the playoffs.
 
Gordon 34 (Terry Preston, Dave Harvey, Dane Haylett-Petty, Greg Wade, Siketi Vunipola tries; Dave Harvey 3 cons, pen) d Eastwood 32 (Hugh Perrett 2, John Grant, Ray Isara tries; James Foote 3 cons, 2 pens) at T.G. Millner. Referee: James Leckie.

Warringah v Eastern Suburbs at Pittwater Rugby Park

Warringah have stamped themselves as title contenders with a 58-14 thrashing of Eastern Suburbs at Pittwater Rugby Park.
 
The Beasts went into this match confident having pushed Sydney University to the wire in their last match, however the Rats were too strong leading from start to finish.
 
Warringah’s nine tries to two win was all the more impressive given Eastern Suburbs went into the match with the second best defensive record.
 
With one of the strongest line-ups in the competition many were wondering if today would be the day the Rats fired, and they started on the front foot with an early penalty to Brett Sheehan.
 
The Rats had the first extended period of possession in opposition territory and after some good recycled ball down the short side Sam Harris crossed in the 21st minute.
 
The home side was in again shortly after when they spread the ball wide from a lineout and after Pat McCabe broke the defensive line he offloaded to an unmarked Dylan Smouha who scored his 18th try for the season. Sheehan’s second sideline conversion attempt again went wide in the breezy conditions leaving the Rats with a 13-0 lead.
 
It was clear the bounce of the ball was going Warringah’s way when Sam Harris put in a cross-field kick from inside his own half in the 38th minute. While Gavin Debartolo looked to have it covered, the ball sprung in the opposite direction and Jordon Macey was able to react quickest to regather and score under the posts.
 
Sheehan converted giving Warringah a 20-0 lead at the break.
 
The Rats started the second half with the same momentum and after another McCabe midfield break, Warringah retained possession over the phases before Haig Sare off-loaded in traffic to Smouha who was in for his second. Sheehan’s third attempt from out wide hit the upright and bounced away.
 
The wave rolled on in the 46th minute when Josh Holmes intercepted inside his own half and after beating the fullback, two offloads saw Brent Murphy over for the Rats fifth try. Sheehan converted for a 32-0 advantage.
 
Easts looked like being next to score, however when a Luke Irwin offload went to ground five metres out the Rats counterattacked. After a series of passes Holmes made another mid-field break and when Smouha committed the last defenders he shifted to Haig Sare who finished off the play.
 
The juggernaut rolled on straight after the kick-off when new replacement Dave Feltscheer pressured Huia Edmonds into spilling the clearance kick. Harris retrieved and the Warringah support play continued long enough over 65 metres for Feltscheer to back up and score. Sheehan converted from wide out and Warringah led 44-0 after 53 minutes.
 
Easts finally crossed for a converted try through captain Tom Egan after the forwards took control through the phases from a 15m lineout, but the onslaught wasn’t over.
 
An innocuous looking touch-finder from Harris stayed millimetres in from the sideline enabling Feltscheer to toe through and Luke Holmes collected to score. Sheehan’s conversion brought up the half-century for the home side.
 
Matt Toomua showed a glimpse of his talent when he targeted the forwards in the Warringah backline to score the Beasts second try in the right corner, then converted from just inside touch.
 
However, fittingly, Warringah completed the scoring with their ninth try in the closing stages to replacement forward Paul MacGugan; Sam Harris converting for a 44-point victory.
 
The result moves Warringah into the top six, however both sides will need to win in the final round to guarantee a place in the 2009 finals series.

Warringah 58 (Dylan Smouha 2, Sam Harris, Jordon Macey, Brent Murphy, Haig Sare, Dave Feltscheer, Luke Holmes, Paul MacGugan tries; Brett Sheehan 4 cons, pen, Sam Harris con) d Eastern Suburbs 14 (Tom Egan, Matt Toomua tries; Matt Toomua 2 cons) at Pittwater Rugby Park. Referee: Steve Walsh. HT: Team Warringah 20-0.
 
Manly v Sydney University at Manly Oval

The boot of Daniel Halangahu has kicked Sydney University to a 30-25 victory over Manly in a hard-fought encounter at Manly Oval.
 
The Marlins led by a point at the break, however the Students showed their competition-winning mettle to run out five-point winners.
 
The victory ensures Sydney University will again claim the ES Marks Shield as 2009 minor premiers, while Manly’s bonus point secures a position in the semi-finals.

Sydney University 30 (Tom Carter, Mitch Inman, Nathan Trist tries; Daniel Halangahu 3 cons, 3 pens) d Manly 25 (Luke Johnson, John Payne, Adam D’Arcy tries; Adam D’Arcy 2 cons, 2 pens) at Manly Oval. Referee: Stuart Dickinson. HT: Manly 18-17.
 
Penrith v Randwick at Nepean Rugby Park

Randwick overcame a disastrous first half to record a 52-10 victory over Penrith at Nepean Rugby Park and secure a second place finish to the regular season.
 
Penrith led 10-7 late in the first half before a late try saw Randwick take a two-point lead into the break, and from that point the Galloping Greens lived up to their nickname.
 
The visitors scored six unanswered tries in the second half with Matt Nethery and Shaun Foley each crossing twice to ensure Randwick will enjoy a week off in the first week of the finals series.

Randwick 52 (Matt Nethery 2, Shaun Foley 2, Francis Fainifo, Bernie Orbell, Patrick Phibbs, Toby Browne tries; Marshall Milroy 5 cons, Tim Walsh con) d Penrith 10 (Dave Coventry, Campbell Sione tries) at Nepean Rugby Park. Referee: James Scholtens. HT: Randwick 12-10.
 
Parramatta v Northern Suburbs at Granville Park

In a match which saw defence take a back seat, Northern Suburbs survived a second half comeback to defeat Parramatta 52-39 at Granville Park.
 
The Shoremen leapt away to a 33-5 lead at half-time, however Parramatta piled on six second half tries to put some respectability back into the scoreline.
 
Australian Under 20s flyer Corey Brown scored a hat-trick for the visitors, while flyhalf Chris Burnett contributed 17 points from a try and six conversions. Richie Williams crossed twice for Parramatta.

Northern Suburbs 52 (Corey Brown 3, Tim Archibald, Chris Burnett, Cam Crawford, Chris Moore, Kurtley Beale tries; Chris Burnett 6 cons) d Parramatta 39 (Richie Williams 2, Lui Sakarai, Aaron Mattin, Piripi Ranga, Junior Kolikata, Ben Borg tries; Aaron Mattin 2 cons) at Granville Park. Referee: Daniel Cheever. HT: Northern Suburbs 33-5.
 
West Harbour v Southern Districts at Concord Oval

West Harbour can still finish seventh in 2009 after defeating Southern Districts 52-29 at Concord Oval.
 
With next week’s Tri Nations referee Wayne Barnes in control of the fixture, the Pirates scored five second half tries to take control of the match with captain Isaiah Pine collecting a hat-trick.
 
Souths now need to upset Warringah in the final round of the Tooheys New Shute Shield to ensure they stay ahead of the bottom three this season.

West Harbour 47 (Isaiah Pine 3, John Sinisa, Tito Mua, Mark Porpiglia, Sione Tau tries; Nick Reily 6 cons) d Southern Districts 29 (Mick Kauter, Zac Mullane, Guy Shepherdson tries; Penalty try; Nathan Sievert 3 cons, pen) at Concord Oval. Referee: Wayne Barnes (ENG). HT: West Harbour 19-17.
 
Sunday 30 August 2009 – Eastwood v Gordon at T.G. Millner Field

A wayward penalty attempt in the dying stages saw Randwick hold on to a two-point advantage in the ABC TV Game of the Day, defeating Eastwood 31-29 at Coogee Oval.

In the only remaining round 20 match of the Tooheys New Shute Shield, James Foote had the opportunity to kick the visitors to victory in the 79th minute however the 40m attempt went wide.

The boot of Marshall Millroy again proved important for the Galloping Greens who move into second place despite Eastwood scoring four tries to three.

In what was undoubtedly one of the matches of the year, Randwick opened the scoring through a Millroy penalty, before Eastwood crossed for the first try of the match when former New Zealand Schoolboy Ray Isara – who only arrived in Australia on Tuesday – was on the end of a good backline movement.

Randwick hit back soon after with a converted try in the right corner to Brumbies wing Francis Fainifo, with Millroy adding another penalty soon after to open up a 13-5 advantage.

The home side copped a big injury blow when powerhouse wing Ratu Nasiganiyavi left the field after failing to recover from a heavy knock in contact, but Randwick still had the next opportunity to score when Barry Fa’amuasili was shown a yellow card for infringing close to the Eastwood line.

The one-man advantage in close proved crucial and Sekope Kepu crashed over next to the upright however the television match official ruled a knock on. Brumbies skipper Stephen Hoiles was then held up soon after, but when the forwards finally gave the backs some ball Fainifo was over for his second.

Millroy missed the conversion from wide out leaving Randwick with an 18-5 lead which they took into half-time.

Still a man down, Eastwood hit back in the opening stages of the second half when Chris O’Young plucked an intercept on halfway and streaked 50m to the line to score. James Foote’s conversion closed the margin to six points.

Millroy and Foote traded penalties before Locky McCaffrey broke through a tackle 25m out and scored under the posts.

Foote’s conversion swung the lead back Eastwood’s way 22-21 with 25 minutes to play, however Millroy piloted his fourth penalty soon after to take Randwick back to a two-point advantage.

Eastwood enjoyed a period of pressure but could not translate it into points, however when Randwick came downfield they turned phase play into a try to HSBC Waratahs prop Sekope Kepu who is making a habit of crossing in the north-east corner of Coogee Oval.

Millroy converted for a handy nine-point advantage with ten minutes to play.

Eastwood refused to say die however, and when skipper Hugh Perrett crossed with five minutes to play a grandstand finish was in the pipeline. Foote converted to close the gap to two points going into the closing stages.

Randwick looked to have defused one of the final raids of the match, however when captain Atonio Halangahu kicked the ball away when in touch, referee Nathan Pearce called a penalty 15m in and 40m out.

Foote’s attempt to win the game shaved past the right upright, and Randwick were able to hold on as the clock wound down to score a 31-29 victory which takes them to second place on the Tooheys New Shute Shield ladder.

Randwick 31 (Francis Fainifo 2, Sekope Kepu tries; Marshall Millroy 4 pens, 2 cons) d Eastwood 29 (Ray Isara, Chris O’Young, Locky McCaffrey, Hugh Perrett tries;) at Coogee Oval. Referee: Nathan Pearce. HT: Team 0-0.

Eastern Suburbs v Sydney University at Woollahra Oval

Sydney University have scored their 13th straight win with a 16-12 victory over Eastern Suburbs at Woollahra Oval.

The Students scored just one try, however Daniel Halangahu’s kicking was the difference between the two sides with the defending champions scoring 13 unanswered points in the second half to snatch victory.

Easts had the best opportunities early on but it was the Students who posted first points through a Halangahu penalty.

The home side continued to weather the Uni storm and were rewarded in the 32nd minute when Pat Dellit crossed next to the posts. Australian U20 flyhalf Matt Toomua targeted the forwards when he put Rob Mickman through a gap 30m out, with the hulking prop turning the ball back to Dellit to score the opening try of the game.

Three minutes later Ryan Cross was over two phases after a Gavin Debartolo chip behind the Uni line, sending Easts went to the break with a 12-3 lead.

Sydney University came out firing in the second half and dominated field position through the opening exchanges. It was not long before Jacob Taylor fractured the defensive line and linked with David Haigh who crossed 15m in from touch.

Halangahu’s conversion closed the margin to two and a penalty in the 59th minute delivered the defending champions the lead for the first time in the match.

Debartolo twice went close with chip kicks midway through the half and Easts started to gain momentum, however Uni were again next to score through Halangahu’s third penalty, taking the competition front-runners to a 16-12 lead.

Easts had their opportunities to score in the closing stages, however the Students’ title defence was boosted further by repelling every second half raid in an impressive come-from-behind victory.

Sydney University 16 (David Haigh try; Daniel Halangahu 3 pens, con) d Eastern Suburbs 12 (Pat Dellit, Ryan Cross tries; Gavin Debartolo con) at Woollahra Oval. Referee: Ian Smith. HT: Eastern Suburbs 12-3.

Northern Suburbs v Penrith at North Sydney Oval

Northern Suburbs have scored their sixth win for 2009 with a 57-19 dismantling of Penrith at North Sydney Oval.

New Wallaby squad member Kurtley Beale was one of seven tryscorers for the Shoremen, with Dan Watson-Wood crossing for a double.

Chris Burnett scored a try, seven conversions and a penalty goal for personal haul of 22-points taking his season tally to 130. Penrith lock Mosese Makasini scored a double despite being on the losing side.

Northern Suburbs 57 (Dan Watson-Wood 2, Matt Lamont, Steve Evans, Andrew Smith, Corey Brown, Kurtley Beale tries; Chris Burnett 7 cons, pen) d Penrith 19 (Mosese Makasini 2, Campbell Sione tries; Zeb Filise con, Liam Winton con) at North Sydney Oval. Referee: Andrew Lees. HT: Northern Suburbs 31-7.

Southern Districts v Parramatta at Forshaw Rugby Park

Southern Districts continued their impressive home record with a 47-12 victory over Parramatta at Forshaw Rugby Park.

The Rebels have only lost one match at home in the back half of the competition and never looked like losing against the Two Blues.

Souths scored seven tries to two, including a penalty try, to maintain a healthy nine-point buffer over tenth-placed West Harbour.

Southern Districts 47 (Dan Palmer, Tim McGann, Darren Kapene, Brackin Henry, Zac Mullane, Matt Raftrey tries; Penalty Try; Nathan Sievert 6 cons) d Parramatta 12 (Tor Killman, Junior Kolikata tries; Aaron Mattin con) at Forshaw Rugby Park. Referee: Steve Walsh. HT: Southern Districts 21-5.

Warringah v West Harbour at Pittwater Rugby Park

Warringah have moved closer to a semi-final berth with a 23-16 victory over West Harbour at Pittwater Rugby Park.

In front of an impressive Narrabeen crowd keen to see Lote Tuqiri’s football comeback, Warringah scored three tries to one to slip into the top six.

The loss virtually ends West Harbour’s playoffs campaign who, while still a mathematical chance of making the finals, would need a miracle to finish ahead of Warringah and Gordon.

The Rats scored the only try of the opening forty to go to the break leading 11-6, then scored two tries to one in the second half to cement the victory.

Warringah 23 (Hugh Pyle, Dylan Smouha, Jordon Macey tries; Brett Sheehan 2 pens, con) d West Harbour 16 (Salesi Ma’afu try; Nick Riley 3 pens, con) at Pittwater Rugby Park. Referee: James Leckie. HT: Warringah 11-6.

Gordon v Manly at Chatswood Oval (Sunday 16 August)

After being edged out of the top six yesterday, Gordon have leapfrogged back into playoff position with a 32-23 victory over Manly at Chatswood Oval.

The Marlins jumped out to a 20-13 lead at the break, however the Highlanders hit back hard in the second half, scoring a bonus point win to grab a share of fifth place.

Adam D’Arcy scored all 23 points for Manly, however it was not enough to keep Gordon at bay as they came home with three second half tries to nil.

The Marlins remain in second position despite the loss with Randwick still to play Eastwood next week in a match which will conclude round 20.

The result however ends West Harbour’s finals hopes, with the Pirates ten points outside the top six with just two matches remaining.

Gordon 32 (Craig Thomas, Matt McDougall, Siketi Vunipola, Terry Preston tries; Dave Harvey 3 cons, 2 pens) d Manly 23 (Adam D’Arcy 2 tries; Adam D’Arcy 3 pens, 2 cons) at Chatswood Oval. Referee: Steve Hardy. HT: Manly 20-13.

Saturday 22 August 2009 – Randwick v Eastwood at Coogee Oval

After losing by 33 points to first-placed Sydney University last weekend, Randwick have hit back with a 28-point victory over second placed Manly to score a 41-13 win at Coogee Oval in the ABC TV Game of the Day.

The damage was done in the first half with Randwick scoring four tries to two, fullback Marshall Milroy scoring a double on his way to 19 points, taking his season tally to 225.

Milroy scored the opening points of the game in just the fifth minute when he was put through a hole by inside centre Toby Browne, and was in for his second in the 21st minute after an initial bust by Ratu Nasiganiyavi.

Milroy converted both tries to open up a 14-0 lead after the opening quarter of the match.

Leon Bott was sin-binned in the 30th minute for crunching Dave Dillon as the Randwick winger waited under a high ball, however despite being a man down the Marlins crossed through Australian Sevens rep Brian Sefanaia for their only points of the first half.

The momentum swung back to Randwick when the home side scored an unlikely long range try. Manly failed to cleanly take a high-ball in mid-field which sent flanker Tim Maxwell on a 30m run downfield. He then off-loaded to HSBC Waratahs prop Sekope Kepu who showed some fancy footwork before touching down close to the right touchline.

Then on the stroke of half-time Kepu was in for his second following a good burst by Tim Walsh. Milroy’s third conversion sent Randwick to the break at 26-5, however they were forced to play the second half without NSW backrower Ben Mowen who failed to return after a suffering a knee injury.

Manly earned first points after the resumption through an Adam D’Arcy penalty, and closed the gap further when Ryan Melrose plucked a kick out of the air and shifted to Sefanaia who streaked away for his second try.

Milroy kicked a penalty in the 60th minute to take the score to 29-13 and the extra breathing space took the home side to another gear.

After drawing the Manly forwards in through some good mauling, Randwick moved the ball right and when Milroy straightened to commit more defenders, Bernie Orbell looped again on the outside to score.

Nasiganiyavi scored in the dying stages and then converted his own try to take Randwick out to a 41-13 victory.

Randwick 41 (Marshall Milroy 2, Sekope Kepu 2, Bernie Orbell, Ratu Nasiganiyavi tries; Marshall Milroy 3 cons, pen, Ratu Nasiganiyavi con) d Manly 13 (Brian Sefanaia 2 tries; Adam D’Arcy pen) at Coogee Oval. Referee: Stuart Dickinson. HT: Randwick 26-5.

Eastwood v Northern Suburbs at T.G. Millner Field

Eastwood have maintained fourth place on the Tooheys New Shute Shield ladder with a comprehensive 49-24 victory over Northern Suburbs at T.G. Millner Field.

The Woods victory was set up in the opening half when they streaked away to a 28-3 lead on the back of four converted tries.

Each side scored three converted tries in the second forty, however the Eastwood horse had well and truly bolted.

Exciting back John Grant scored a hat-trick to take his season total to 15, while Ben Batger scored 15 points from a try and five conversions.

Eastwood 49 (John Grant 3, Gareth Palamo, James Foote, Tim Bennetts, Ben Batger tries; Ben Batger 5 cons, James Foote con, Mick Snowden con) d Northern Suburbs 24 (Brian Doyle, Chris Moore, Cam Crawford tries; Chris Burnett 3 cons, pen) at T.G. Millner Field. Referee: Steve Walsh. HT: Eastwood 28-3.

Southern Districts v Penrith at Forshaw Rugby Park

Southern Districts scored their sixth victory of 2009 with a 27-12 win over Penrith at Forshaw Rugby Park.

The Rebels scored five tries to two, with only an unsuccessful day with the boot keeping the margin to just 15 points.

Souths scored three tries to one in the first half and added another two in the second, with four of their five tries scored through the backs.

Southern Districts 27 (Tim McGann, Nathan Sievert, Zac Mullane, Brackin Henry, Chris Kerr tries; Nathan Sievert con) d Penrith 12 (Nua Alone, Jonathon Reopoamo tries; Alex Pinson con) at Forshaw Rugby Park. Referee: Ian Smith. HT: Southern Districts 15-5.

Parramatta v Warringah at Granville Park

Warringah continue to apply top six pressure and took another step towards the finals with a 43-16 victory over Parramatta at Granville Park.

The Rats led by less than a try in the closing stages of the first half, bringing back memories of Parramatta’s five-point win over Warringah in round eight. However a try on the stroke of half-time extended the Rats’ advantage and kick-started a four-try second half.

Rookie wing Dylan Smouha scored a hat-trick and now has 16 tries for the season, just three behind competition leaders Adam D’Arcy (Manly) and Nathan Trist (Sydney University).

Warringah 43 (Dylan Smouha 3, Trevor Richardson, John Kennedy, Haig Sare tries; Sam Harris 5 cons, pen) d Parramatta 16 (Sam Evalu, Winney Paulo tries; Aaron Mattin 2 pens) at Granville Park. Referee: Daniel Cheever. HT: Warringah 15-6.

West Harbour v Eastern Suburbs at Concord Oval

Eastern Suburbs have scored an important five-point victory over West Harbour at Concord Oval which looks to have ended the Pirates’ ambitious finals campaign.

The Beasts scored four tries to three, with Gavin Debartolo grabbing a double on the way to 17 points, while Wallaby Ryan Cross also scored.

The Pirates trailed by just two points at the break, however Easts’ class enabled the Beasties to hang on and remain four points inside the top six.

Eastern Suburbs 27 (Gavin Debartolo 2, Tom Azar, Ryan Cross tries; Gavin Debartolo 2 cons, pen) d West Harbour 22 (Isaiah Pine, Steve Massey, John Sinisa tries; Nick Riley con, pen, Henry Seavula con) at Concord Oval. Referee: Andrew Lees. HT: Eastern Suburbs 12-10.

Sydney University v Gordon at University Oval No.1

The Sydney University juggernaut keeps rolling on with the Students recording a 31-19 victory over Gordon at University Oval No.1.

It was the Students 41st straight win at home, retaining the Sir Roden Cutler Shield, and their 11th straight win this season, losing their last match in round eight against the Highlanders.

The home side scored two tries in the first half, however the boot of Dave Harvey kept Gordon in touch and the match was locked at 12-all at the break.

However like they did last week, the Students powered home in the second half to record an impressive win and extend their lead at the top of the table to seven points.

Sydney University 31 (Dave Dennis, Jono Jenkins, Scott Stumbles, Daniel Halangahu tries; Daniel Halangahu 3 cons) d Gordon 19 (Craig Thomas try; Dave Harvey 4 pens, con) at University Oval No.1. Referee: James Leckie. HT: 12-all.