Sydney University veterans Tom Carter and Tim Davidson still a chance for fairytale finish Carter (L) and Davidson will now have the chance to go out as champions next week. THE fairytale prospect of retiring as grand final champions lives on for Sydney University stalwarts Tim Davidson and Tom Carter after a thumping semi-final victory over Southern Districts. The Students advance to their ninth successive Shute Shield championship decider after disposing of Souths 47-19, giving the departing duo a rare gift. "I think it's a dream," Uni skipper Davidson said after his 175th first grade match, and 115th as winning captain. We've put the work in and now we can enjoy the build-up, and if we're good enough to get there we'll really enjoy that as well. Davidson will retire next Saturday after the grand final - against either Eastwood or Manly - alongside lifelong friend Carter, who played his 150th match yesterday. Asked about the secret to captaincy, Davidson laughed: "There's no secret, it's about leading the way by example. You prepare properly and hope that guys follow. He then highlighted exactly why he has led University to seven premierships in the last eight years, lamenting defensive errors despite his side scoring seven tries to three. "They found some holes in and around our defence, we're going to have to look at that and be better next week if we want to go on with it," Davidson said. We played well in periods but we've got to be more consistent. Bernard Foley, a late addition to the starting side, was superb in orchestrating the victory from five-eighth at University Oval. Souths held an early 5-0 advantage but four tries in 17 minutes gave Uni an imposing 26-5 half-time lead. The visitors made an ideal start when five-eighth Rohan Saifoloi blocked an attempted grubber by Foley with his boot, scooped the ball and outsprinted the Uni chasers over 60 metres to open the scoring in the seventh minute. The Uni kicked into another gear, with Foley steering the horse-powered side with an array of short and long passing. Foley's 17th-minute midfield break was followed by an inside pass to halfback Nick Phipps, who was ankle-tapped inches short of the line but reached out and planted the ball under the posts. Next came a brilliantly worked spread play, with the ball going through Foley, Tim Davidson, Dave Dennis, and winger Lachie Mitchell on the sideline. Mitchell beat a defender then passed back in to Dennis, who found fullback Tom Kingston in support the speedster raced in under the posts. Centre Tom English scored Uni's third try in nine minutes when he finished another superb move through the hands. From a scrum, Phipps took the ball and drew a defender before passing to Foley, who gave an inside ball to winger Greg Jeloudev. A wide pass from Jeloudev was taken by Mitchell, who in turn gave an inside pass to English and the Rebels centre made a weaving 20-metre run to the line. Six minutes before the break Uni scored their fourth, using a rolling maul from a lineout before prop Paddy Ryan twisted his way to the line from the ensuing ruck. Souths had to strike first in the second half and they manufactured an impressive try following a long break from Rob Horne and Saifoloi. The ball was flung to the left wing where Alex Gibbon powered over inches from the touchline. Saifoloi struck his first successful kick in four attempts, this one from the sideline, to bring the score to 26-12. Souths made a number of breaks after that try but could not capitalise, and then paid the price for ill-discipline. Souths backrower Lopeti Timani was sin-binned in the 56th minute for punching Uni prop Jeremy Tilse, and three minutes later Uni scored, as Phipps made a break before finding replacement winger Peter Betham who strolled under the posts. Any hopes of a comeback were flushed out, and then Dennis scored an intercept 35-metre try to notch 40 for the home side. Betham then made a break from a turnover with six minutes remaining, and flicked a deft backhand pass to the flying Kingstom who dived in the corner for his brace. Phipps slotted the sideline conversion to give Uni a 47-12. Saifoloi took two intercepts in a minute, the second giving him another try, as Souths got a consolation to finish a disappointing afternoon.