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Finals Week 2 - 13&14.09.2009
Home	Score	v	Away	Score
1st Grade - Tooheys New Shute Shield
Gordon	22	v	Randwick	25
2nd Grade - Colin Caird Cup
Out Of Competition	-	v	-	-
3rd Grade - Henderson Shield
Manly	25	v	Randwick	8
4th Grade - Henderson Cup
Randwick	37	v	Gordon	12

All Results                                                      Club Championship Ladder

Randwick earn Grand Final place in come-from-behind thriller

 

Randwick will meet Sydney University in the Tooheys New Shute Shield Grand Final after defeating Gordon 25-22 in the Second Preliminary Final at Pittwater Rugby Park.

 

The Galloping Greens were forced to come from behind, with three tries in the opening 15 minutes of the second half taking Gordon to a commanding lead.

 

However the experience of Peter Jorgensen and Morgan Turinui proved crucial with the Randwick mid-field taking control of the game late in the second half to secure a place in the decider.

 

Randwick drew first blood with an eighth minute penalty to Tim Walsh and had the opportunity to extend that in the 23rd but his second attempted drifted wide.

 

Dave Harvey levelled the scores in the 26th minute and Gordon looked to be ready to take the lead just minutes later however Sisa Waqa was tackled into touch five metres out.

 

Walsh regained the lead for Randwick in the 30th minute with another penalty, and soon after had a one-man advantage when Waqa was shown a yellow card for a deliberate infringement at the ruck.

 

Harvey and Walsh both missed penalties in the final five minutes of a tryless first half, however the game was about to break open after the break.

 

Gordon hooker Nath Nicol scored just two minutes into the second forty with a well worked lineout move from short range seeing the No.2 cross in the right corner.

 

Shortly after Waqa’s return from the sin bin he crossed after a well-worked move, and with Harvey’s conversion the Highlanders were out to a 15-6 advantage.

 

Randwick however was not to be outdone, with their own tryscoring superstar Ratu Nasiganiyavi crossing in the left corner in the 52nd minute. Walsh’s sideline conversion closed the margin to two points.

 

And just when it looked like the Galloping Greens would take the lead with a big overlap right on the Gordon line, Waqa rushed out of the line and took the ball for a 95m intercept try under the posts.

 

Harvey’s conversion took Gordon out to a 22-13 lead with 25 minutes remaining.

 

Randwick were trying everything they could to get back in the game, and it came with a touch of nostalgia when Peter Jorgensen set sail on a 45m run to the line he would have been proud of 15 seasons ago.

 

Walsh converted from 15m in from touch to create a two-point game with eight minutes remaining.

 

Randwick’s stars played a major role in sending them into the lead just two minutes later. Firstly Wallaby hooker Adam Freier – playing less than 24 hours after appearing in last night’s Bledisloe Cup encounter in Brisbane – flew high to take a mid-field kick then broke downfield.

 

On the next phase, another Wallaby in Reds centre Morgan Turinui made the decisive break before sending Brumbies wing Francis Fainifo over in the right corner.

 

Walsh missed the conversion, leaving Randwick up 25-22 with five minutes remaining.

 

Gordon pushed for field position in the closing stages but Randwick expertly shut the game down to finish three-point victors.

 

They now take on minor premiers and defending champions Sydney University in next week’s Tooheys New Shute Shield Grand Final at Concord Oval. Tickets are available at www.nswrugby.com.au .

 

Gordon earned a place in the 2nd Grade Grand Final with a last gasp 20-15 victory over Eastwood, Manly defeated Randwick 25-8 in 3rd Grade while Sydney University overcame Gordon in 4th Grade, 22-12.

 

Woollahra Oval hosted the Colts Second Preliminary Finals and it proved a great home ground advantage for Eastern Suburbs who qualified for the Grand Finals in the top two grades. In Colts I Easts defeated Gordon 33-18, while in Colts 2 they accounted for Southern Districts 15-7. Manly won Colts III by defeating Randwick 17-7, with all three of today’s winners taking on Sydney University next week.

 

Randwick 25

(Ratu Nasiganiyavi, Peter Jorgensen, Francis Fainifo tries; Tim Walsh 2 pens, 2 cons)

d Gordon 22 (Sisa Waqa 2, Nath Nicol tries; Dave Harvey 2 cons, pen)at Pittwater Rugby Park.

Half-time: Randwick 6-3.

Referee: Ian Smith.

 

By the clock
8th – Tim Walsh penalty goal. Randwick 3-0.
23rd – Tim Walsh missed penalty goal.
26th – Dave Harvey penalty goal. 3-all.
30th – Tim Walsh penalty goal. Randwick 6-3.
32nd – Sisa Waqa (Gordon) yellow card for deliberate infringement.
35th – Dave Harvey missed penalty goal.
40th(+) – Tim Walsh missed penalty goal.
42nd – Nath Nicol try; Dave Harvey missed conversion. Gordon 8-6
48th – Sisa Waqa try; Dave Harvey conversion. Gordon 15-6.
52nd – Ratu Nasiganiyavi try; Tim Walsh conversion. Gordon 15-13.
55th – Sisa Waqa try; Dave Harvey conversion. Gordon 22-13.
71st – Peter Jorgensen try; Tim Walsh conversion. Gordon 22-20.
74th – Francis Fainifo try; Tim Walsh missed conversion. Randwick 25-22.