Player ratings: Waratahs

OPINION: The NSW Waratahs put up an impressive fight against the British & Irish Lions, but the hosts still fell short of an upset win as they were beaten 10-21 in Sydney.

Rugby fans in Sydney packed out the stadium in their thousands, making for an incredible atmosphere.

One-Test Wallaby Darby Lancaster scored the Tahs’ sole try of the first term in the 34th minute, and hooker Ethan Dobbins added to their lead with a five-pointer just after the break. But the Lions still had the class and willpower needed to hang on in an entertaining tour match.

Finn Morton rates the Waratahs players:

1. Tom Lambert – 7/10
It’s quite rare to see a loosehead prop leading the way for total carries after 50 minutes, but Tom Lambert achieved that feat on a big stage against the Lions. Lambert just didn’t stop running – willing to run bravely at a red wall of defence time and time again.

At that stage, Lions enforcer Ben Earl was the co-leader along with Lambert, carrying the ball 12 times each. Lambert also contributed to a steady scrum, and the No. 1 was also top-five at the Tahs for tackles completed before leaving the match.

2. Ethan Dobbins – 7.5
Ethan Dobbins didn’t start well against the Lions but recovered, putting in a solid shift against some of the world’s best players. Dobbins’ first lineout failed to hit the mark, with referee Paul Williams blowing up play for a not-straight throw.

The Sydney University hooker was better as the match went on, hitting every target at the set-piece during a hard-fought first half. Dobbins was actually one of the Tahs’ hardest workers in attack and clocked in with an equal team-high 11 tackles at half-time. On top of all that, Dobbins scored New South Wales’ first of the second half, crashing over from a maul.

3. Taniela Tupou – 6
Taniela Tupou’s performance was always going to be a talking point. With Joe Schmidt releasing Tupou to take on the Lions with the Tahs, the world-renowned tighthead prop was given the chance to make a statement after missing out on the Wallabies versus Fiji Test.

Tupou worked hard around the park but was noticeably tired in the few minutes leading up to the half-time interval. The tighthead was solid enough at scrum time, hit plenty of rucks, carried the ball when called upon, and some stops on the defensive side of the ball.

With a full house at Allianz Stadium cheering Tupou on, the front-rower came within inches of scoring from a pick-and-drive in the 28th minute. That said, it probably wasn’t the type of performance that will force Tupou’s way back into the Wallabies’ matchday 23.

4. Fergus Lee-Warner – 5
Fergus Lee-Warner was especially prolific on the defensive side of the ball, but the lock wasn’t able to replicate that same impact in attack. Lee-Warner made a couple of errors with the ball in hand but was able to make amends with a decent amount of stops in defence. The second-rower also played a part in the Tahs’ steady lineout alongside Miles Amatosero and Rob Leota.

5. Miles Amatosero – 6
Miles Amatosero walked off the field around the 50-minute mark for a HIA, having failed to make a meaningful impact on the match. Amatosero was penalised at a defensive maul during the first half and otherwise struggled to get involved on both sides of the ball.

Amatosero was able to make some noise at the set-piece, with Ethan Dobbins throwing to the towering lock on more than one occasion. But overall, Amatosero was far too quiet, or at least didn’t have the impact needed against a quality Lions outfit.

6. Rob Leota – 6
It was an unusually quiet night for Rob Leota, who was one of the Tahs’ best during their Super Rugby Pacific season in 2025. After making the move to Sydney from Melbourne, Leota had a solid rookie season in sky blue, but the Wallaby failed to fire on Saturday.

Leota didn’t get the ball enough in order to make a meaningful impact, and the blindside flanker was fairly average in defence. That said, Leota will get another shot at the Lions, with the backrower set to line up for the First Nations & Pasifika XV.

7. Charlie Gamble – 9
Charlie Gamble was immense for the Tahs, securing four turnovers opposite the likes of Ben Earl, Josh van der Flier and Tadhg Biene. Gamble was also denied a try during the first term, having peeled off a maul before fighting to the line.

The openside flanker was mid-table for both carries and tackles completed during the first half but was much better during the second 40. It was a performance to remember for Gamble, who will get another shot at the Lions with the First Nations & Pasifika XV.

8. Hugh Sinclair – 7.5
This was Huh Sinclair’s final match for the NSW Waratahs. Before bowing out from professional rugby, Sinclair was given the captaincy ahead of the Lions clash, joining an exclusive club of players who have led the Tahs into battle against the prestigious touring side.

It was no surprise to see Sinclair’s impressive stats during the match. Sinclair is Mr Consistent for the Tahs, and during another solid shift in sky blue, it seemed only right to see the skipper among the very best for carries and tackles completed.

9. Teddy Wilson – 8
If it wasn’t for Alex Mitchell, halfback Teddy Wilson would’ve scored less than two minutes into this match. After a steady start with a confidence-building touch-finder, Wilson was in the thick of the action soon after – linking up well with Darby Lancaster after pouncing on a loose ball.

Mitchell got between Wilson and the ball, so no try was scored, but it was an electric start from the No. 9 that had everyone on the edge of their seats. Wilson was otherwise solid, doing everything a scrum-half needs to do – kicking, passing and running well.

The former Australia U20 skipper and Australia Sevens representative was up for the task on yet another big stage. While a star-studded Lions side took control, there were more signs of promise from Wilson.

10. Jack Bowen – 6
All signs seem to point to the Waratahs’ No. 10 jersey being Jack Bowen’s jersey moving forward. Coach Dan McKellar named Bowen in the run-on side in the Tahs final Super Rugby Pacific match against the Blues, and the playmaker was named to start again against the Lions.

Unfortunately, Bowen’s performance was fairly quiet. Bowen shanked a kick in the 23rd minute from well inside the Tahs’ half, with the clearance failing to clear the 22-metre line. Bowen did exit well for the most part though, and took the line on as well.

11. Darby Lancaster – 8
There has been a lot of speculation about Darby Lancaster’s future, amid reports the one-Test Wallaby could be heading west to the Force, but the ground announcer revealed pre-game that this was the winger’s last match in sky blue. Lancaster almost set Teddy Wilson up for a try inside the first two and kept busy from there.

At the half-time break, Lancaster was leading the charts with a game-high 50 carry metres from six runs and scoring one try. That said, It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows though, with Lancaster shanking an attempted clearance just before the break.

12. Joey Walton – 6
Joey Walton was absent for decent stretches of this match. While the inside centre stood tall on the defensive side of the ball, Walton seemed to barely get involved in attack, only carrying the ball twice by the 60-minute mark. It was certainly an off-night for the Australia A representative who has been much better in the past for New South Wales.

13. Lalakai Foketi – 5
Lalakai Foketi was missing for long periods against the Lions, barely touching the ball and not really making a difference in defence. Foketi had only made four stops by the 60-minute mark, and RugbyPass’ stats didn’t show the former Wallaby making a single carry. Unfortunately, there’s not much to dissect here, as Foketi failed to fire during a 55-minute cameo.

14. Andrew Kellaway – 5
It was just one of those nights for Andrew Kellaway, with the ball not really coming the winger’s way at all. Kellaway only had one carry for a few metres, but did stand tall with some memorable stops on defence early in the second term – with the Tahs parked inside their own 22. But other than that, a really quiet night for the Wallaby.

If Kellaway doesn’t end up playing for the Wallabies against the Lions, it makes sense the utility suits up for the AUNZ Invitational XV at Adelaide Oval next weekend – but only time will tell as to whether or not Kellaway is selected for that fixture.

15. Lawson Creighton – 6
Lawson Creighton was a regular for the Tahs at fly-half for a while this season before coach Dan McKellar shifted the playmaker to fullback. Creighton wore the No. 15 against the Western Force and Blues and played that same role against the Lions.

If you’ve read this far, you’ll understand there’s a bit of a theme to some of these ratings. While the Tahs stayed in the fight against their highly-favoured opponents, not every star was able to shine, and Creighton falls into that group.

Creighton kicked well when called upon to clear, but was otherwise absent with a few carries for some hard-earned metres. It was a similar story in defence. That said, the Bowen-Creighton combo seems like the future for the Tahs – both men will learn from this match.

Replacements

16. Mahe Vailanu – 6
17. Jack Barrett – 6
18. Daniel Botha – 5
19. Matthew Philip – 5
20. Jamie Adamson – 6.5
21. Jack Grant – 5
22. Tane Edmed – 6
23. Henry O’Donnell