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RUGBY UNION
28 JUL 11 @ 03:30PM BY JON GEDDES RUGBY UNION
Sam Harris was a proud coach on Wednesday night.
Shute Shield
Warringah 23
Eastwood 19
PROUD Warringah coach Sam Harris described his side’s shock win over the previously undefeated Eastwood at Pittwater Park on Wednesday night as one of the highlights of his football career.
It was the upset of the season as Eastwood’s 15-game undefeated run came to a stunning end at the hands of the underdogs who are running second last on the ladder.
“It was an amazing feeling,” Harris said.
While he has enjoyed some great moments playing for the Waratahs, Western Force, in Japan and in the NRL with Manly and the Wests Tigers, that win was right up there.
“I thought beating Randwick in the first round was one of the highlights, but it had nothing on that performance,” Harris admitted.
The coach had wanted to play the game on Sunday as the Rats would have been able to field a stronger side with the possible addition of some Wallabies.
But it ended up in Warringah’s favour that they played at Warriewood on a cold night.
“We just turned up, for some reason the boys like playing at night at Rat Park and I don’t think Eastwood wanted to be there,” Harris said.
“When they were behind they started compounding mistakes and that was due to the pressure we were putting on them.
“The boys just kept getting up and making tackles, getting up and making tackles - it was really gritty.”
And the Rats had two players sin-binned in the final 10 minutes, but still managed to hold Eastwood out as they pressured their line.
The significance of Warringah’s performance should not be underestimated as the Eastwood juggernaut has dominated the competition and still sit 15 points clear on top of the table.
“To be honest, I think that is the only loss they will have all year and is a feather in our cap,” Harris said.
Prominent in the win was Warringah back-rower Mark Porpiglia, who just kept going for the whole game.
Western Force halfback Brett Sheehan, in his first game for the club this season was a standout and lifted the players around him.
The win will give Warringah a huge boost heading into tomorrow’s game against Easts at Woollahra Oval.
http://manly-daily.whereilive.com.au...-of-the-woods/