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2024 Shute Shield Week 1 Finals: Randwick successfully came back from behind that left Gordon hanging in the balance with the close seven-point win at Coogee Oval by 36-29

by Sports Benches

This afternoon’s one of the three Shute Shield semi games this weekend was a cracker at Coogee Oval between reigning champions Randwick and 2020 champions Gordon. Randwick may have scored the first points thanks to the penalty TRY but Gordon stole the first half show by two points at the break 12-14. 

Gordon may have extended their winning share later on but the game wasn’t over just yet when the Wicks began to make up lost time thanks to some fresh faces off the bench before a series of Gordon’s handling errors went their way & then Randwick somehow regained the lead to shut them down towards full-time 36-29.

As it stands, Eastern Suburbs (who were too good at the same time v Manly 45-17) and Randwick are through to next Saturday’s Elimination Finals day.

There’s one more semi-final game to settle tomorrow afternoon at 3.05pm with Warringah v Northern Suburbs as Manly already out of the running. If Warringah win, they will play v Randwick and Gordon won’t be out of the race just yet, but Gordon will have to face the 1st-placed Easts. But if Norths win, then Gordon will join Manly as the ones being left out as they will play v Randwick & Warringah to play v Easts. It remains to be seen if the Elimination Final games will all be played at North Sydney Oval like it was last year.

It’s just the 2024 Shute Shield Finals wording has slightly changed a bit that’s all as the highest ranked losing 1st week Finals side will get a second chance in either Gordon (4th) or Norths (5th) with Warringah already safe regardless of tomorrow’s result since they finished 2nd.

That young midfielder Matias Jensen saved the day for Randwick when he came off the bench in the 2nd half & finished off knowing his side is still in the Playoffs fight with the 36-29 win. You just couldn’t take off the eyes every time the ball comes to him who can do whatever he wants to cross the line with pace including one TRY for himself. Let’s hope his ongoing focus to help Randwick retain their Shute Shield title for 2024 will be enough for the Brumbies to give him a chance at Super Rugby level next season.

Ben Houston on the other hand at 8 for the Wicks also brilliant to watch like a firefighter to help get themselves out of trouble & that turned out to be the win he wanted following a hard-fought 2nd half shift. Those firefighter qualities he’s got reflect his natural game with unfinished business ahead. He’s so good in defense, as well as the leadership since he’s the skipper and how he helps out with a mix of pace & power in attack via the ruck, scrum/maul & on the counter – that’s all. 

And we did enjoy James Armstrong’s two-try performance on the outside No.13 for Gordon where he knows how to beat his man thanks to the depth being offered through the short side or gate. The fight was there every time Gordon attempts to play catch up with the Wicks on the counter & there’s no need for an introduction other than Armstrong thanks to his explosive running ability. It’s just a shame Gordon gave the ball away including the ill-discipline & that’s gotta hurt not just with the result but also possibly their bid to win the Shute Shield if Norths win over Warringah tomorrow afternoon. 

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Rugby

Shute Shield Week 15 of 18: Randwick’s huge 41-15 win over Warringah saw a new change for 1st on the ladder in the Eastern Suburbs 

by Sports Benches

Since we had the Wallabies v Georgia International match yesterday afternoon at Allianz Stadium in Moore Park, we had a rare Sunday afternoon match to finish off Week 15 of 18 today over in Coogee between defending champions Randwick v the high flying Warringah Rats. 

Randwick dominated the first half fair and square and although Warringah had some moments including their first quick try of their own, they were still behind by 14 points at half-time, 22-8. Now the 2nd half saw Warringah beginning to play catch up at one stage off the back of a great restart; But at the end of the day, the match still belongs to the Wicks court right in front of their strong home supporters. 

The final score was Randwick 41-15 Warringah as Warringah’s loss saw the Eastern Suburbs now leading the 2024 ladder with three regular rounds to go followed by another three weeks of Finals.

Well done to Waratahs winger Triston Reilly who scored a tremendous hat-trick (2 x 1st 40 and 1 x late 2nd 40) that sets up a decent lead for Randwick. Yes, he might have been in and out of the side earlier this year at Super Rugby level – in which the Waratahs didn’t so well unfortunately other than a couple of odd glimpses. However, that doesn’t take away his natural game where he’s got the blistering pace that benefitted Randwick’s excellent counter-attack. He’s also able to back track defensively & can crack opposition defenses to create chances via the gate, with unfinished business ahead to try & gift them another championship.

Next up is Randwick No.10 mainstay Andrew Deegan whose attacking creativities were wonderful to watch that safeguarded the Wicks with an easy win in Coogee. Okay, he may had a a few missed kicking attempts at times, especially when playing through the wind on a rare Sunday arvo of Club Rugby. But love how he unpacks every time he has the ball including in possession to make things expansive, such as that cross kick and quick passes through the gate or short side where tries were made there without much difficulty. Looks like the Tahs might have missed a trick without him but another club crown would do it here.

And the towering Ben Woollett did the best he possible to put Warringah on the map in the inside No.12 midfield. First of all, he caused the Wicks some trouble off the back of his running pace including the way he shields the opposition defenders for Warringah to touch one down via the gate. He too credit his forwards that helped Warringah accrue few winning penalties and turnovers – such as the side’s excellent 2nd half restart where they began to close in at one stage. Unfortunately, Warringah were simply scrappy & isolated when trying to get the finishing touches for the most part before ill-discipline held them back time and time again that forced the Wicks hand towards the end with more extended tries for the win.

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Rugby

2024 Australian Club Championship, the winner goes to Queensland’s Hospital Cup in Wests Brothers after they hold on to defeat NSW Shute Shield’s Randwick 25-18

by Sports Benches

Yesterday afternoon, the best of the Shute Shield and Hospital Cup winners have gone head to head to show who’s the best of Club Rugby in Australia for another year this time between Randwick v Wests Brothers at Crosby Park in Queensland. It was a very close one to watch with the Wests Brothers leading Randwick in the first half 17-8, although the Galloping Green were so close including the last minute on what has been an improved 2nd half performance but the winner has returned to a Queensland team since Easts three years ago with the Australian Club Championship Trophy in Wests Brothers following a match-winning TRY that kept the Wicks away from snatching their lead through the end 25-18.

Congratulations to Wests Brothers who deserves to take out the win with a couple of great players in there as this is the fifth time now that they won this trophy since 2010 v Sydney University, having fell short to the Northern Suburbs back in 2017 & even to Randwick several times before in the 70s & 80s until they finally answered their decades-long revenge now which is incredible. Meanwhile, tough to see the Wicks fall short where things would’ve been better from the beginning to give themselves a good advantage rather than come back from behind until it was too difficult to pull off at the last minute. But they are still the most successful side to win six times in the Australian Club Championship with unfinished business ahead under head coach Stephen Hoiles after a championship-winning Shute Shield campaign last year & Kurtley Beale also returned on the field in the Galloping Green for the first time in a year after going though a lot of his personal challenges.

The 2024 Club Rugby season will be back in a few weeks time with both QLD Hospital Cup and NSW Shute Shield Competitions beginning on Saturday April 6 through 18 weeks of regular-season rounds plus a few weeks of Finals.

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Top 3 players from the Randwick v Eastwood Game in Week 17 of the 2022 Shute Shield Season

by Sports Benches

Nick Chan has to be the first in-line when it comes to the Top 3 performers after a outstanding 2nd-half spell this afternoon at Inside centre for Randwick. He was so destructive in setting up their attacking execution twice that changed everything against Eastwood. We saw him process the mini cross-kick for his midfield partner Dan O’Brien to finish off inside the TRY box before a quick offload later on through the channels where no one couldn’t stop James Hendren on the far-left short side. That way, he has a lot to offer when being tested in both attack and defense that would hopefully earn him a future Waratahs call-up at Super Rugby level, such as unpacking with his immense pace & physicality.

Next up is Matt Faessler who was also another Randwick standout player at starting hooker. He demonstrated a masterclass from line-out time & pushed his way with the ball down low through the driving maul that help respond to Eastwood’s three-point early lead. He can also be an excellent communicator when backing Randwick up with numbers where Faessler scored another TRY later in the 2nd half, as his side began to stay further ahead & never looked back for the rest of this match. It’s great to see him gain some Super Rugby experience from the Queensland Reds earlier this season and come back to Club Rugby better with the Galloping Greens, after he was recently on the Australia A tour in Fiji.

And Michael Icely rounds out the Top 3 for Eastwood in the Number 8 role. He’s got an incredible tall stature that struck a nice balance with the physicality where his side benefitted Randwick’s slow start earlier on. It reflected his all-round ability alongside some teamwork when he helped them win turnovers/penalties defensively, as well as being a major force going forward with the scrum feed, ruck & maul. His personal best performances are there when Icely scored the consolation & final TRY of the afternoon. Sadly, Randwick’s messy attacking play ruined their good start before it isolated the defense – where they began to fall behind not long after half-time before it’s too late.

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Rugby

2022 Shute Shield Week 17, Randwick stalled Eastwood’s flying 1st half start where they were too good in the end at Coogee Oval

by Sports Benches

It’s been a close first half between Randwick and Eastwood here at Coogee Oval. Randwick got the first TRY after Eastwood opened the scoreboard with the three-point penalty goal before Eastwood lead at half-time, 5-10, courtesy of a number of successful shoves that lead to a incredible TRY from Fabian Goodall on the inside centre at No.12. In the end though, it was Randwick who secured an easy win after a series of successive big scores in the 2nd half, 31-17.

It’s good to see Randwick respond to Eastwood’s opening three-point penalty goal with a complete line-up masterclass from Matt Faesseler at hooker. Although they’re not bad defensively when they won a few penalties/turnovers, but needs to be a bit more patient going forward where a few forward passes slowed down their progress. Fortunately, they addressed that problem after half-time where a series of tries from Randwick changed everything on the up with an easy win going towards full-time. Credit to Nick Chan for proving the finishing touches twice to Dan O’Brien & James Hendren, while Faesseler scored another TRY before James Tomkinson topped the cherry on the cake when he touched down on the TRY zone.

Meanwhile, Eastwood benefitted from Randwick’s early discipline & forward passing errors that helped them get the ball rolling. They dominated the ball going forward for the majority thanks to Fabian Goodall, but needs to be wary when trying to prevent Randwick from scoring at their own end. Yes, they may have scored the consolation TRY from their own Number 8 in Michael Icely alongside a few fresh faces off the bench; Sadly, Eastwood just couldn’t stay ahead when their first-half lead was slammed downhill into the ground. A messy attacking shape through open play didn’t match the standard Randwick fought back in the 2nd half before it’s too late, when their defensive contribution became a whole lot difficult to shut the opposition down.

17 weeks done, one to go in the 2022 Shute Shield regular season before four weeks of finals time. Randwick was 6th & Eastwood was 4th on the ladder prior to this match; Eastwood lost two spots now to 6th behind Randwick as Warringah moves to fourth after a win once again v Southern Districts.

Coincidentally, the Southern Districts will be on the road once again when they will face Randwick, while Eastwood will have an easy chance to close their 2022 regular campaign with a win v the Western Sydney Two Blues in Granville. And 9Gem will continue to show Shute Shield on free-to-air when the Northern Suburbs v Eastern Suburbs at North Sydney Oval next Saturday, 3pm.

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