It wasn’t quite the finish to the season Sydney Uni expected or hoped for when they succumbed 44-6 to Bondi United under sunny eastern suburbs skies at Waverley Oval last Sunday.
There’s now a season to contemplate the lack of respect for the ball and enthusiasm levels required to compete in the Sydney Metro League.
Coach Jake Vrahnos was philosophical after the season-ender.
“I wanted to give game time to the newer guys, regardless of the result,” he said. “It was short-term pain for long-term gain today. The new recruits played more minutes, which is what I wanted. I know we have more players returning next year.”
The portent from the mishandled kick-off was not good. Indecision and confusion led to a Bondi scrum feed on the Uni 20-metre line, and the local five-eight crossed over untouched.
Uni showed some promising signs for the next quarter hour, maintained pressure, and eventually, hooker Storm Burazer darted over from dummy-half. Birthday boy Max-Linden-Smith converted, and at 6-all hope sprang among Uni supporters of a repeat of the big first-round win over Bondi.
Alas, it was not to be, despite maintaining pressure and forcing a Bondi line-drop out. In another case of confusion and indecision, the Bondi winger was able to retrieve the drop-out and set up an 80-metre try.
From there, it was a procession of crazy Bondi tries. One involved a winger diving full stretch to catch a cross-kick on the full. Another involved chasing a kick after a scrum win on their own 10m line.
Uni were held up over the line a couple of times, and players were competing until the bell, but the “short-term pain” was there for all to see.
Uni players’ player points: John Downes 3, Nathan Rakoia 2, Max Linden-Smith/Kade Spear 1.
Bondi United 44 beat Sydney University 6 (Storm Burazer try; Max Linden-Smith conv).
Report by Dac Croker with thanks to Halage Media.
