Blues trample Waratahs, Force beat Highlanders
SUPER RUGBY SATURDAY WRAP: The understrength Waratahs conceded seven tries in a 21-55 Super Rugby Pacific thumping by the Blues at a wet Eden Park in Auckland.
But the Waratahs hope Saturday’s outcome is the worst of it, expecting their cavalry to return and with it some momentum in a six-week run into the finals.
Travelling without the rested Michael Hooper and boasting a bevy of fresh-faced talent, the Waratahs did well to turn away the Blues’ many early attacks.
When Waratahs hooker Mahe Vailanu found the line from the back of a rolling maul it was 13-7 and the visitors had designs on just a second win at the venue.
But that same man was sin-binned soon after for a ruck infringement on his try-line, with Blues reserve fullback Zarn Sullivan scoring tries either side of halftime while he was off to break the game open.
Heavy rain then arrived and the Blues slid clear.
A double to hooker Ricky Riccitelli increased the gap and winger Caleb Clarke scored a deserved try after terrorising the Waratahs’ defence down the left edge.
The bonus-point victory improved last year’s grand finalists to 5-3 as they chase the top four, while the Waratahs (2-6) cling to eighth.
“It’s not great for the organisation, having 50 put on you, but sometimes you’ve got to lose a battle to win a war,” coach Darren Coleman told Stan Sport.
Coleman said all of the side’s Wallabies squad members had taken their required rest and many others were soon to return from injury for a run home that includes four home games.
“We can get an unimpeded run at the last six (games), get ourselves into some form and in a good position for the play-offs,” he said.
Winger Dylan Pietsch was one of the Waratahs’ best and managed a try to show for it, running onto an inside ball and then pinning his ears back to make it 41-14.
Teddy Wilson scored his maiden Super try, dummying and beating the line for a neat five-pointer late in the contest for the visitors once the contest was dead.
But the Blues weren’t done, Cameron Suafoa awarded a try to push them over the 50-point mark against the Waratahs for just the second time.
Blues captain Patrick Tuipulotu was still dirty his side allowed three tries.
“We’ll be happy with a win, but a lot to work on,” the lock said.
“We managed to stay composed, build on longer phases and with our counter (attack), we were able to break through and get some points from there.”
In his first Super Rugby start, Waratahs fullback Harry Wilson left the game in the second-half after failing a head injury assessment.
Force keep finals hopes flickering
In Saturday’s match, the Western Force have become just the second Australian team to post a win over a New Zealand opponent this season after beating the Highlanders 30-17 in Perth.
The Force ran in three first-half tries to lead 24-3 at the break of Saturday night’s match, and they withheld a short-lived second-half fightback to secure the vital victory in front of 8293 fans.
The Brumbies’ win over the Blues in Melbourne in round two had been the only Australian win over a New Zealand side this Super Rugby Pacific season.
But the Force ensured the record now stands at 2-13 for the Australians following their impressive display against the Highlanders.
The result snapped a four-match losing run and catapulted the Force (3-5) from 11th to equal eighth on the ladder with six matches remaining.
It also meant the Force are a perfect three from three at home this season.
Force captain Michael Wells said the win wasn’t any more special than victory over an Australian side.
“A win is a win, and you’ve got to treat every team on their merits,” Wells said.
“It’s not a Kiwi win is better than an Australian win.
“It’s a win because we performed well, it doesn’t matter who the opposition is.”
The Force are sweating on the health of flanker Ollie Callan, who was taken to hospital after injuring his neck in a tackle during the opening minute.
Highlanders coach Clarke Dermody rued his side’s ill discipline.
“It was a tough game to watch,” he said.
“There was a lack of discipline in the first half, and a lack of execution in the second half when we started to get momentum.”
Force winger Toni Pulu set up the first try in the fifth minute when his fast break allowed Bryce Hegarty to cross.
But Pulu’s night was over in the 13th minute due to concussion when his head slammed into the turn after being brought down in a tackle.
The Highlanders were down to 13 men when lock Pari Pari Parkinson and prop Ethan de Groot were shown yellow cards within the space of a minute of each other.
The Force were frustrated for much of the next 10 minutes as the Highlanders held firm, but a series of swift passes allowed winger Manasa Mataele to burst over in the 31st minute.
The home side were awarded a penalty try shortly before half-time, giving the Force a 21-point lead at the break.
The Highlanders came out firing in the second half, with tries to Connor Garden-Bachop and Andrew Makalio either side of a yellow card to Force hooker Tom Horton.
The damage would have been even more if it wasn’t for Mataele, who produced a brilliant try-saver by holding up Highlanders No.8 Marino Mikaele-Tu’u over the line.
The Force regained momentum, and they won a vital scrum penalty in the dying minutes to ice the win.
The scores and scorers:
Blues 55-21 Waratahs
The scorers:
For Blues:
Tries: Riccitelli 2, Sullivan 2, Clarke, Darry, Suafoa
Cons: Perofeta, Barrett 6
Pens: Perofeta 2
For Waratahs:
Tries: Vailanu, Pietsch, T. Wilson
Cons: Donaldson 2, Bowen
Teams:
Blues: 15 Stephen Perofeta, 14 Mark Telea, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Harry Plummer, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 Finlay Christie, 8 Hoskins Sotutu, 7 Adrian Choat, 6 Anton Segner, 5 Sam Darry, 4 Patrick Tuipulotu (captain), 3 Nepo Laulala, 2 Ricky Riccitelli, 1 Ofa Tuungafasi.
Replacements: 16 Soane Vikena, 17 Jordan Lay, 18 James Lay, 19 Cameron Suafoa, 20 Akira Ioane, 21 Sam Nock, 22 Bryce Heem, 23 Zarn Sullivan.
Waratahs: 15 Harry Wilson, 14 Max Jorgensen, 13 Izaia Perese, 12 Joey Walton, 11 Dylan Pietsch, 10 Ben Donaldson, 9 Jake Gordon (captain), 8 Will Harris, 7 Hunter Ward, 6 Taleni Seu, 5 Zac Von Appen, 4 Jed Holloway, 3 Harry Johnson-Holmes, 2 Mahe Vailanu, 1 Tom Lambert.
Replacements: 16 Tolu Latu, 17 Nephi Leatigaga, 18 Dan Botha, 19 Michael Icely, 20 Charlie Gamble, 21 Teddy Wilson, 22 Jack Boewn, 23 Mosese Tuipulotu.
Referee: Paul Williams
Assistant referees: Dan Waenga, Angus Mabey
TMO: Richard Kelly
Western Force 30-17 Highlanders
The scorers:
For Western Force:
Tries: Hegarty, Mataele, Penalty Try
Cons: Hegarty 2
Pens: Hegarty 3
For Highlanders:
Tries: Garden-Bachop, Makalio
Con: Gilbert 2
Pen: Gilbert
Teams:
Highlanders: 15 Sam Gilbert, 14 Connor Garden-Bachop, 13 Fetuli Paea, 12 Thomas Umaga-Jensen, 11 Jonah Lowe, 10 Mitch Hunt, 9 James Arscott, 8 Marino Mikaele Tu’u, 7 Billy Harmon (captain), 6 Shannon Frizell, 5 Will Tucker, 4 Pari Pari Parkinson, 3 Jermaine Ainsley, 2 Andrew Makalio, 1 Ethan de Groot.
Replacements: 16 Leni Apisai, 17 Daniel Lienert-Brown, 18 Saula Ma’u, 19 Fabian Holland, 20 Sean Withy, 21 Nathan Hastie, 22 Freddie Burns, 23 Josh Timu.
Force: 15 Chase Tiatia, 14 Toni Pulu, 13 Sam Spink, 12 Hamish Stewart, 11 Manasa Mataele, 10 Bryce Hegarty, 9 Issak Fines-Leleiwasa, 8 Michael Wells (captain), 7 Ollie Callan, 6 Tim Anstee, 5 Jeremy Williams, 4 Felix Kalapu, 3 Santiago Medrano, 2 Tom Horton, 1 Tom Robertson.
Replacements: 16 Feleti Kaitu’u, 17 Angus Wagner, 18 Siosifa Amone, 19 Ryan McCauley, 20 Rahboni Vosayaco, 21 Ian Prior, 22 Bayley Kuenzle, 23 George Poolman.
Referee: Nic Berry
Assistant referees: Graham Cooper, Jordan Kaminski
TMO: Brett Cronan
