My apologies to Eastern Suburbs flyhalf Ben Ward. The wonders of City Rail conspired to cause me to miss the opening 15 minutes of this game and his try in the process. I’m sure it was a classic!

If I said that the best thing about this game from a weekend journalist’s perspective was meeting Tatafu Polota-Nau on the sideline, it might give you some indication as to its quality. Take nothing away from a polished performance by Gordon but as the scoreline suggests, this was anything but a contest.

Randwick’s season started as last year’s had finished – on a sunny afternoon at Concord Oval. Their last visit had seen them humbled by a superior Sydney University outfit in the Grand Final, but any ghosts from that day were soon laid to rest with a victory that ushered in a new era under returning club legend Gary Ella.