Costly Win For University Over Shamrocks

In a high paced enthralling Rugby match at Ocean Park, University have retained fourth spot on the competition table with a 24 – 17 victory over a gallant Shamrocks side. The win came at a huge cost to the students with major injuries adding to their already lengthy casualty list for the season. Young Lock John Melville suffered an ankle dislocation and soon after with fifteen minutes left in the first half the students lost star center Sam Latu with a suspected broken leg.

The match was played at a brisk pace throughout with the result in the balance until a last minute try by Paul Tuala sealed the four tries to three victory for the Bulls. University guided around the park once again by veterans Leon Mason and Donovan Nepia turned on an expansive attacking game which was matched by another doggedly powerful defensive effort from the Rocks. With Uni establishing a 14 – 5 lead after twenty five minutes of frantic play, the Latu injury caused a thirty three minute delay to proceedings as the big center was prepared for transport to Hospital by ambulance.

First points in the match came eight minutes in through Bulls Front Rower Casey Rameka who was on the end of several phases of pick and drive to score a converted try. Shortly after Shamocks scored through center Dale Sullivan who was on the spot to reclaim possession after a series of handling errors fell the Rocks way.

A sweeping fifty meter play involving some eight Bulls players produced the next try to Lachlan Conyers who streaked away after a pin point pass from Mason to score. Charles Curry added his second conversion for the day for Uni to lead 14 – 5 after twenty minutes. As part of the lead up to the try Melville suffered his ankle dislocation which caused the first of the delays for the match.

With some thirteen minutes to run to the break, Sam Latu set off on one of his trademark power runs only to be confronted by a strong front on tackle from Heath Mercer. The incident left Latu prone on the ground with a suspected broken leg which caused a lengthy delay to proceedings. On the resumption of play the Bulls set up camp in the Shamrocks half and launched raid after raid at the Rocks line but couldn’t breach the strong defensive line. With no points coming the Bulls ended the half with a 14 – 5 lead.

Early in the second stanza Uni Lock Will Wood produced an astonishing try down the western touchline. Wood took possession close to the halfway line and started a run beating several unusually feeble tackle attempts finding himself in the open. With Wood desperately looking for support that didn’t arrive, the big Lock made his ground to the line and scored in the corner leaving several defenders in his wake.