Simply because "you never know, we might be in a final down the track and need him to do the exact same thing."

Uni-Norths Owls fullback Thompson drilled a last-gasp penalty from 38 metres out to secure a thrilling 25-24 John I Dent Cup win over Wests at Jamison Oval on Saturday.

Thompson had struggled with the boot all day, kicking just one conversion from four attempts in an outing many feared he would be left to rue.

The Owls were already down to 14 men after Lachie Osborne saw yellow, opening the door for Wests to charge over and level the scores at 22-apiece.

MORE RUGBY UNION

First it was Declan Meredith's chance to be the hero, and the Lions fullback would not miss. Whispers around the humble oval flanked by a water park suggested there couldn't be long to go.

They would be correct - but there was still enough time for Uni-Norths to claim a crucial penalty with the game hanging in the balance.

Perhaps those whispers were loud enough for Lachlan Creighton to hear, because the skipper pointed to the posts without so much as a flicker of doubt in Thompson's ability to land a match-winner.

The third lead change inside the final 10 minutes would be the last as the referee blew full-time the moment Thompson's penalty soared through the uprights.

"Never in doubt he was going to get the distance, it was just a matter of whether he was going to put it through the middle. He is arguably one of the best strikes in the competition, can kick the ball a fair way," Owls coach Rolfe said.

"He admitted himself it was probably his worst goal-kicking performance bar the last one that he has had all year. [He was] more relieved than anything.

"You've got to take these opportunities when you get them."

There was always a sense this game would go down to the wire. Wests had taken a two-point advantage into the break against a Uni-Norths outfit whose struggles at the lineout were somewhat uncharacteristic for a side often priding itself on the set piece.

Scores were level late in the piece before a Stirling Doyle charge down shifted the momentum back to the visitors. A sublime piece of play saw Ignacio Bonsembiante give them the lead. Then came Meredith's magic moment.

Then a whistle and a raised arm brought Thompson to the fore.

"You don't like close games. You like them if you win them, but if you lose them, you hate them. The three losses we've had this year have all been ones that have got away," Wests coach Adam Butt said.

"That's on us controlling what we can control and being accountable for our actions. At the moment we are slipping in and out of games and it's costing us on the ladder.

"We're still third, but results were not in our favour with Royals winning and Gungahlin beating Queanbeyan. Now we're in a big four-way logjam there. It makes our next two games especially, without doubt, huge games for us."

AT A GLANCE

John I Dent Cup round six: UNI-NORTHS 25 (Mickelson, Sankey, Kirk, Bonsembiante tries; Thompson conversion; Thompson penalty) bt WESTS 24 (Chan Tung, Sione, Logsdon tries; Meredith 2 conversions; Meredith penalty) at Jamison Oval; ROYALS 29 bt TUGGERANONG 27 at Phillip Oval; GUNGAHLIN 26 bt QUEANBEYAN 16 at Campese Oval.

Women's Premier XVs: UNI-NORTHS 79 bt WESTS 0 at Jamison Oval; ROYALS 34 bt TUGGERANONG 0 at Phillip Oval.