Sydney University thump Eastwood 51-6 to win Shute Shield grand final

TIM Davidson and Tom Carter have finished their Sydney University careers in fairytale fashion with an emphatic 51-6 grand final victory.

Sydney University players celebrate

WHEN they were finally let down from the shoulders of Sydney University supporters Saturday, victorious departing duo Tim Davidson and Tom Carter conceded this was the stuff of fairytales.

“You couldn’t have scripted it any better, we saved our best performance for the last game,” said Davidson, who retires as perhaps the greatest Shute Shield skipper of all time, having led Uni to eight titles in the past nine years.

The 51-6 drubbing of Eastwood at Concord Oval yesterday was the most emphatic result of those eight premierships, surpassing their 46-6 win over Randwick in the 2010 decider.

And now Davidson and Carter, best friends who have known each from birth in the country town of Young, sign off from a magical era of Uni success.

“During the game it was fantastic, in the tough moments, to look up and your best mate is there,” Davidson said afterward.

“I said to him this morning, ‘I just want to thank you so much because I’ve got so much confidence running out there knowing you’re right behind me’.”

Carter has no regrets about retiring.

“You get on the horse and ride off into the sunset,” Carter said. “I feel really privileged to finish as a winner.

“There will never be another Tim Davidson. I feel really fortunate to have met so many amazing people, Phil Waugh, Lote Tuqiri, Dan Vickerman. To walk in the footsteps of legends of the game that has given me so much is special.

“I know I polarise people, and people don’t like me, but deep down I want to thanks the fans, and more importantly to my family and my wife for everything they’ve given me.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to experience some incredible highs this year, the Lions game, the Waratahs game in Perth, and I couldn’t have asked for a better farewell.

“Maybe I don’t deserve it, but it’s pretty special.”

Davidson also singled out his wife – who has been living in Melbourne this year while he has travelled back and forth over the border – and his parents.

“They’ve just been outstanding, in the last 12 years I don’t think there’s too many games my parents have missed,” Davidson said.

“They travel 400km up the Hume Highway, and if Mum’s got things on Dad will drive up and drive back the same day.

“You don’t really understand what that support means until you look back.

“And I can’t even imagine how tough it’s been on my wife this year, living down in Melbourne by herself.

“She’s been very supportive, to allow me to experience this. She knows how important it is for me.”

Uni’s seven-tries-to-nil victory was punctuated by a second half blitz left minor premiers Eastwood dazed and confused.

The hapless Eastwood side had no answer to Uni’s sizzling attacking capacity, as the Students scored five tries in the final 20 minutes to put a definitive stamp on their domination.

The loss ended a rollercoaster fortnight for their skipper Hugh Perrett, who won the Ken Catchpole Medal on Friday having lost his mother the previous week.

Uni had a dominant scrum and looked far better with ball in hand, using the width of the field via cut-out passes, then occasionally surprising Eastwood’s defence with short inside balls to create breaks or keep them on the back foot.

Five-eighth Bernard Foley was instrumental in Uni’s attacking potency and kicked seven goals from eight attempts.

While the second half was one-way traffic, the definitive moment in the game came late in the first half.

A spectacular solo try from fullback Tom Kingston broke the back of Eastwood’s resistance after they had clawed their way back into the contest.

The Woodies never led at any stage, but after an early 10-0 deficit they pulled back to within four points.

However, Kingston’s 40-metre dazzler just before half-time pushed Uni out too far for Eastwood, who showed little to trouble their rival defence.

Ben Batger (two goals from five attempts) had an ideal opportunity to put Eastwood on the scoreboard first in the second half but missed a penalty attempt from in front, 30 metres out.

After a series of raids on Uni’s line, Easwood was given a penalty 20 metres out and just 10 metres wide of the left upright, but Batger’s attempt hit the post.

Six points were lost in the opening 10 minutes of the second half, and then Foley duly kicked his side further ahead in the 54th minute with a 30-metre penalty.

Uni put the result beyond any doubt when winger Greg Jeloudev crossed out wide following a patient build-up and quick spread.

In quick succession, hooker Tolu Latu crossed, then centre Tom English bagged a double before Kingston scored his second on full-time.

Sydney University 51 (Tom Kingston 2, Tom English 2, Tolu Latu, Greg Jeloudev, Lachie Mitchell tries, Bernard Foley six conversions, two penalties) defeated Eastwood 6 (Ban Batger two penalties).