In drizzly and muddy conditions, Scots again asserted their dominance over Newington College on the rugby pitch – but this time the score difference didn't reach triple figures.
In light of the controversial 101-0 demolition of Newington last month, the Saturday afternoon meeting between the Sydney private schools was a much tighter contest with the final score 22-12.
Parents and players said the result was evidence there was no systematic problem with the elite GPS sports competition.
The now notorious thrashing prompted concerns about scholarship structures and student safety in the prestigious school association, with former Wallabies Nick Farr-Jones and Phil Kearns adding their voices to the debate.
If the result had been repeated there would be cause for concern, but the latest score showed it was just an aberration, several parents said.
Many weren't surprised by the drastically reduced score difference this time round, with some saying the Newington players simply "had a very bad day" in round four.
David Mowat, whose son plays in a junior Newington rugby team, said criticisms of the competition were a "load of rubbish".
"It was a beat-up. We weren't expecting a slaughtering here today, they just had a bad day on that day," Mr Mowat said.
"It was just one of those days. I think it was probably all an overreaction. If they had beat us by 50 today I guess you would say something not right is happening but they didn't," another parent watching on the sideline said.
Parent Joanna Natoli, whose son is a junior at Newington, said the result showed how schoolboy rugby should be played.
"We weren't thinking it would be a thrashing but a tight contest. It's just schoolboy rugby and people need to just calm down for a bit and spare a thought for the boys on the field," she said.
NSW Rugby chairman Farr-Jones ignited debate when he questioned the future of the competition after the result.
"I don't like mismatches," he said.
"I don't think it builds character. I don't think it is good for anyone. My major concern is safety. If there are significant weight and strength differences [between teams] then there are safety issues and we have to be careful of that."
In an email sent to the school community, Scots principal doctor Ian Lambert rejected the criticisms as "shallow and misguided".
The match on Saturday was the first clash between Scots and Newington, who were co-winners last season, since the thrashing.
Scots lead the 1st XV points table, with Newington trailing by 10 points in third place.
