Tuesday of last week was an unusual time of year for a game of rugby union Down Under, but the occasion was one to savour for former Gunnedah Shire-based duo Sam Zelinski and Henry Johns.
Sam captained the University of Newcastle Seahorses to a nail-biting 27-26 win against the Oxford University RFC Blues in the exhibition match at the Newcastle No. 2 Sportsground, while Henry was one of his teammates.
Sam lined up at loosehead prop, while Henry was at hooker.
It was the first time in about 30 years that Oxford fielded a rugby union team on Australian soil, with this year’s tour involving matches against University of Newcastle and University of Sydney.
The tour came about partly due to input from Oxford’s rugby union skipper Jack Hamilton, a former Newcastle Wanderers junior who also played for the University of Sydney.
Sam said “it was unbelievable” to captain University of Newcastle to a one-point win against an illustrious university from England.
“It was such an honour to lead the side against such a prestigious opposition in a match that drew so much attention,” he said.
“I’m very proud to be a part of the University of Newcastle Seahorses, and of the result we were able to achieve.”
The contest featured 20-minute quarters in hot and humid conditions, with kick-off at 7pm.
“The humidity was definitely more than what we usually play in,” Sam said.
“We normally play our first trial in early March.
“Playing in early January was out of the ordinary for us.”
While Sam and Henry were among the contingent of regular Seahorses players from the Hunter competition, there was also a group of former University of Newcastle players who have since played for the Hunter Wildfires in the Shute Shield.
A few other players from the wider Hunter community bolstered the numbers, while player availability was a challenge due to the game being played in the university holidays.
With the team having had only two training sessions, the captain later said the Seahorses played a free-flowing style of rugby union without much structure.
“We defaulted to a simple game plan,” Sam said.
“We had a fairly mature forward pack, while Oxford’s was much younger.”
There were unlimited interchanges, while the heat meant a breather was welcome for players at various times.
The hosts burst out of the blocks and scored early points but as Sam and Henry later said, a more structured and well-drilled Oxford team fought back.
Henry said it was interesting to see two teams with two different structures play against each other.
The Newcastle team did a lot of defending in the second half, while Oxford dominated in the scrums following some changes to the forward pack.
The Seahorses led 27-19 at the end of the third quarter, with Henry returning for the last quarter after being replaced about five minutes before half-time.
A converted try to Oxford narrowed the margin to one point, but the Seahorses hung on by the skin of their teeth under pressure as the Blues peppered the tryline and threatened to snatch victory.
The Seahorses could have had a bigger lead but their goal-kicking was wayward, although some of the kicks were from wide angles.
Sam said the 21-year-old Henry was “a very exciting young talent” with a big future, while Henry said the 32-year-old Sam was “a great leader” who organised the defensive line and helped get the team on the front foot.
Henry also said Sam was “very well-spoken” and “very professional with the way he plays”.
Having grown up on a property between Tambar Springs and Mullaley, Sam attended Mullaley Public School and St Mary’s College (Gunnedah) before studying a physiotherapy degree at the University of Newcastle from 2013 to 2017.
Sam played rugby union for the university team during his years of study, before spending 2018 in Sydney. That year, he worked at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and played rugby union for Woollahra.
Sam returned to rugby union with the University of Newcastle in 2019 and has played nearly 200 games for the club. He also worked as a physiotherapist, before taking up employment with the Rural Doctors Network.
Sam played rugby league for the Gunnedah Bulldogs as a junior, and also played a little bit of rugby union for the Gunnedah Red Devils before focusing on rugby union during his university days because of the people he mixed with.
Henry meanwhile grew up in Parkes, and played junior rugby union for the Parkes Boars before moving to Gunnedah with his family in 2017.
Henry subsequently played rugby union for the Tamworth-based Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School, and also played a bit for the Red Devils juniors.
Henry played for the Seahorses and Wildfires last year, and has been included in this year’s Wildfires squad. Selections will be made each week during the season, with
Henry eligible to play for the university if he misses selection for the Wildfires.
About to start his third year of a Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics degree, Henry aims to finish his studies late next year.
