Some fixtures do not need a build-up. First against fourth, no love lost, a perpetual shield that had not changed owners in two years, and 90 points that came down to the final act with the clock in the red. It was not the only silverware on offer either - out at Eric Tweedale, the Kolia Cup was up for grabs in a set of sharp retro jerseys. All part of a round that dropped 423 points across six games and quietly redrew the top of the table with one weekend to play.

Hand on heart, that may have been the best round of Shute Shield in a very long time. One weekend left. Still so many questions... Buckle up guys and gals, this one is beefy.

Before we get stuck in, our thoughts are with Wes Thomas, who suffered a serious neck injury the other weekend. Wes, the entire Shute Shield community is right behind you, mate. If you are able to, please get around the GoFundMe and chip in whatever you can.

Randwick v Western Sydney
Wicks def Two Blues 54-36

Super start for Wicks. Slicing down the edge went Oniti Finau, impressive gas for the big man but just not enough. Inside ball to James Hendren and over he went. Hendren converted. Five later Wicks were back at it. Johnny Chan, the human wrecking ball, went straight through from close range. Hendren converted. Two Blues had a maul inside Wicks' 22, Rilloy Suesue picked it off the back, unleashed footwork straight from the depths of hell, picked up five-points and a set of broken ankles for his troubles. Rodney Iona converted. The fourth try inside 20 minutes came from Max Moore, Wicks rolling around the corner and proving too much for the defence. Hendren converted. What do I always say, you're most vulnerable after you…score. A spilled ball off the kick-off landed in Christian Papa's hands, shrugged off two and try time! Iona converted. Five tries, 21 minutes. Four minutes later, Two Blues ran it from 10 metres off their line. Audacious rugby but this is Two Blues we're talking about. Papa found himself with nothing but space and bagged a double. To make this worse, Isi Naisarani received the Brie for illegalities in the tackle. Halftime.

Gee what a game this was. Wicks struck first, Hendren racing through to increase the lead. Two Blues hit back. Big bodies barging through the defence. Meli Sifa, fresh off the bench and straight over. Iona converted. All square. With 20 to go, Iona nudged Two Blues in front with a penalty. Finals spot on the line, Alex Molloy received a kick in the backfield, raced past Western Sydney's defence, inside to Hendren and hat-trick time. Hendren converted. 14 to go, Philip Baselala retook the lead. Quick tap, razzling toes and over he went. Iona converted. With seven to go, the game flipped on its head. Sifa was shown the Gouda for repeated infringements and with three points the difference Wicks went to the scrum. Chan bagged his second right under the posts. Hendren converted. With two to go, Wicks were over again through Molloy. Hendren converted. Gee whizz. Off the kick-off, Naisarani went straight through, offload to Gage Phillips and before the clock could turn red, Wicks had their third try in seven minutes. Hendren converted. Fulltime.

West Harbour v Hunter
Pirates def Wildfires 33-24

Three minutes in and Hunter were over. A spilled ball from Pirates on their line gifted Cullen Gray a try in the corner. Jack Bennett hit back for Pirates, diving over the ruck to score. A huge defensive effort from Bertie Alcock as he raced down winger Frankie Nowell into the corner. To the common eye it looked like he'd done enough but somehow Nowell got the ball down. Arm wrestle this one. Against the run of play, Pete Samu plucked the ball out of the air and raced home from 50. Good bit of toe for the old bull. Hunter Hannaford converted. A very naughty quick tap move from Hunter put Philip Talaileva away. Connor Winchester converted. Both teams playing for pride, neither side going away. Wildfires' John Porch increased the lead with 13 to play. Winchester converted. With seven to go, stalwart Drew Sellers sniped through a gap and was over. Hannaford converted. Clock in the red, Pirates inches away. The forwards sucked in the defence and "as always", the backs capitalised. Eamon McCoola the scorer. Hannaford converted. Halftime.

You know that theory, what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? Welcome to the next 30 minutes. Neither team able to score, Wildfires' Philip Bradford in the bin, munching on the Swiss for illegalities in the tackle. That is until Jeremiah Raniga got the ball. Straight over the other winger he went, into the corner. Hannaford converted. Clock in the red and game out of reach, Hunter had one last go. A scrum inside their half but a massive shove from Pirates won them a penalty. Fulltime.

Northern Suburbs v Manly
Norths def Marlins 33-26

Norths were hot off the press on this day. Josh Barr, gee can he carry a football, straight through the defence, offloaded to Nathan Russell and try time. Robbie McIntosh converted. Norths continued momentum and at maul time, Mr Baldy Baldy, James Margan, went over. McIntosh converted. Cadeyrn Neville showed his experience from close range and got Marlins back in the fight. Will Kaye converted. Manly had little possession but when they did, they looked hot. Desperate to level the score they went on the attack. However, a loose pass was scooped up by McIntosh and he raced home from 50. McIntosh converted. Halftime.

Manly were hungry to score and Norths' defence was on-song bar some, well a few, actually, it was quite a few penalties as naughty boy Blair Tagi-Fuimaono found out the hard way. Tut, tut, enjoy the cheddar. Marlins went to the maul and Ben Chapman went over. Kaye converted. Well, after the card, Norths fell asleep at the wheel. Another penalty close to their line, Billy Dickens went quick and over. Kaye converted. All square. It took till the final 10 but Norths were back on the scoreboard. Not a bad way to come back - Nathan Russell through the middle of the ruck, stepped the covering defence, try time. McIntosh converted. Ben Kafer finished off a brutal run and with six to play Marlins were back in it. Three to play, Norths had a lineout five out. Sammy Kitchen, first-grade game number 150, and you best believe it, he went over. Raise the bat, son. Hell of an effort. Neville earned himself the Swiss for technicalities above my pay grade at maul time. Naughty boy. Fulltime.

Eastwood v Southern Districts
Woods def Rebels 35-33

It took all but three minutes and Eastwood's Xavier Degei was over. Brad Roderick-Evans converted. In the same spot Woods were back on the prowl and Degei had a double inside 15. Roderick-Evans converted. Souths hit back through Adam Arkley, who has a serious knack for finding the chalk. Blaise Barnes converted. Off the kick-off Jacob Prlja went straight through for the Rebels. Stepped one, offloaded to Struan Hutchison and several offloads later, Kaylam Tytherleigh, of all blokes, finished it off. Barnes converted. All square. Goodness, something strange was happening at TG Millner. OFF THE KICK-OFF AGAIN. This time, Souths threw an intercept, Woods shifted it wide and Isaac Crowe put them back in front. Roderick-Evans converted. Two minutes later, Souths were back inside Woods' half. Offload after offload and Prlja found himself over. Barnes converted. Three minutes after, Woods had another maul. Angus Griffin with the choccies. Roderick-Evans converted. Clock in the red, Woods managed one more. A tidy inside ball to the wee flyer, Crowe, and he had a double. Roderick-Evans converted. Halftime.

Well, what a second half. It wasn't until the 54th minute but boy was it worth the wait. Josh Tudehope, ball in one hand, shimmying his hips like he's the offspring of Shakira, stepped the defence and over. It's true, those hips don't lie. Barnes converted. Holy smokes, Souths came to play. A loose carry was kicked ahead, sat up for Barnes and he raced home. One of the easiest kicks of the day for Barnes and it struck the upright, unable to level the scores. Three minutes after the bell, Souths came a-knocking. Lineout outside Woods' 22 turned into a scrappy maul. Eastwood got many a body under the ball. Turnover. Fulltime.

Gordon v Warringah
Stags def Rats 35-24

2nd plays 3rd and wowzer, this game did not disappoint. Days of old (earlier this year) for Stags as their scrum set-piece went to work. Jack Hardy went straight through, grubbered ahead, picked up by Connor Hickey and against his former club, he dove over the line. Harry Snook converted. Lebron Naea earned himself the Gruyere for poor discipline. Naughty, naughty. Three minutes later, Snook sliced through - threw a huge cut-out pass and Brandon Quinn was over. Snook converted. Rats went on the charge - Tom Gee got them back in the game. Gordon were on fire, however. Another scrum attack put them just off the line. Lachie Albert, spotting a gap, plopped it down. Cole Spinks converted. Minutes later, Spinks made a break down the edge and somehow got an offload to Hickey - Gordon had four tries inside 20 minutes. Spinks converted. Halftime.

Just like the start, it was Gordon to score first. ANOTHER scrum set-piece. Albert to Spinks, some dazzling toes and Spinks was over. Spinks converted. Luke Reimer managed one back for deflated-looking Warringah. Byron Smith converted. A bit of air pumped into the tyres and Rats went back on the charge. Reimer got a double from close range. To make it three on the bounce, Reimer went straight through at the lineout, offloaded to Zac Barnabas and he went over with 10 to play. Smith converted. Unfortunately for Rats it was too little, too late. Things are looking shaky for the men from the beaches. Fulltime.

Eastern Suburbs v Sydney University
Uni def Beasties 46-44

1st plays 4th, a rivalry etched into the history books. These two teams do not like one another. What else do you expect but a hum-dinger. Easts were first to cross. Their maul has been awesome all year and Josh Vaalotu crept over. Sid Harvey converted. The Students went to work inside Easts' 22. Big, ferocious carries and Lau Fainga'a got Uni on the scoreboard. In a rare act of backs playing forwards, Freedom Vahaakolo picked through the ruck with no one home to stop him. Harvey converted. Harvey knocked over three, closely followed by Ollie Dawkins finishing off a well-worked attack in the corner. Rugby is a funny old game - just when you think it's all Easts, an overthrow at the lineout landed in Ollie Schmude's hands and try time for the young blood. Henry James converted. 10 the difference and five to play, Uni started to lift. Huge cut-out pass from the Big Mac, James McGregor, and Eamon Doyle trudged over. James converted. I sound like a broken record but YOU ARE MOST VULNERABLE AFTER YOU SCORE. Kick-off, Uni spill it, Teddy Wilson - channelling his inner John Travolta - danced through the defence to score. Harvey converted. Halftime.

A poor exit kick in the opening minute gave Easts a counter-attack. They will make you pay and they did exactly that. Vaalotu got his second, stepping and fending his way over. 15 the difference and Uni went to the maul. The ref's arm went over. Under advantage Ollie Harvey stepped back inside and stretched out. James converted. Minutes later Easts' barrel with legs, Reon Lowery, crashed over. Harvey converted. 12 to go. 15 the difference. Who could write a better situation? Definitely not me. The distant sounds of the Imperial March as Uni went to another maul and like the days of yonder, Fainga'a got a double. James converted. 10 to play, Easts in front by eight. Eddie Poolman sliced through for the Students, pulled down just shy. Then came the man they call Rico, Creppy, Creptilian, Richard Nicholas Champion "my father's side, so my dad" de Crespigny, who crashed over. Return of the Crep, you know what it is. James converted. Six to go, Easts gave away a penalty 38 out. James said "yes please" and slotted it. Three to go and Easts won themselves a penalty. Harvey regained the lead. I told you, you couldn't write this. 60 seconds to go. Easts scrum inside their half. The Uni front-row produced a scrum fit only for Kings. Clock in the red, the kid they call Monkey, Henry James produced one of the great Shute Shield moments. Slotted the penalty. Uni by two. Fulltime. Game of the round.