Eddie Tonga fires off a pass but his efforts on Saturday could not get Endeavour Hills over the line against Melbourne University at H.G. Smith Oval.By Marc McGowan
ENDEAVOUR Hills’ one-week enforced hiatus ended on Saturday, but, despite an encouraging showing in its rugby union Premier One match, it fell 25-7 to Melbourne University at H.G. Smith Oval.
The club forfeited its match against Melbourne in the previous round as too few players had paid their fees.
As of Wednesday morning last week, Saturday’s contest was in danger of heading down the same track, but fortunately more players paid up and 17 suited up on the weekend.
Presley Naea, who made his debut at Pillar Cup level this month, led Endeavour Hills’ early charge on Saturday with a barnstorming effort through a pack of Melbourne University opponents to score the first try of the fixture.
Rocky Ata then converted to give his team the perfect start.
The visitors hit back with a penalty goal, but it was Endeavour Hills that held court at the main break after a ferocious and intense opening half.
The huge toll of Endeavour Hills’ enthusiastic early display eventually began to show as Melbourne University took full advantage of its rival’s lack of numbers.
University banged on four second-half tries, only one of which was converted, to career away with the victory.
Endeavour Hills coach Mark Thompson was happy to put the tumultuous lead-up behind him, and was thrilled with his squad’s endeavour.
“It was a really good show that we put on – we showed a lot of guts,” he said.
“Seventeen players came out firing and really looked like they wanted to be there. It was a really good game against a team doing well that has plenty of numbers.”
Thompson even went as far as to say his side would have won the encounter in different circumstances.
“It was just the fitness of the boys,” he said.
“They came out so hard, and funnily enough that’s what we’ve been learning – to come out hard and fast.
“Put it this way – if we had a proper number of forwards as back-ups, I think we would have come away with the game.”
Endeavour Hills returns home for the first time in more than a month on Saturday to take on Harlequin.
The Frog Hollow Reserve clash begins at 3.15pm and Endeavour Hills will have to push on without star centre Tim Finau.
Finau played on Saturday, but the club has been told by the Victorian Rugby Union that he must not do so again as he was now ineligible for Premier One due to the number of times he had played Pillar Cup.
