Cheika praises gutsy Tahs

Waratahs coach Michael Cheika was delighted with the character his side showed to record a last-gasp victory over the Blues on Sunday.

The Sydney side were forced to come from behind and sealed a tense 30-27 victory with the last kick of the match, and Cheika was full of praise for their committed second-half performance.

"We certainly showed a lot of courage," said Cheika.

"People wouldn't have been running down to the betting shop to bet on us at half time that's for sure. We had to connect into ourselves and say 'right lads, this is the time to get the pace of the game back up and test the Blues out'."

Cheika attributed his side's composure after the break to the senior members of the playing group, saying, “Towards the end of the game in particular I think our leaders really came to the fore.

"They put us in good positions and that's what we need. We need them to stand up when we're in a bit of strife."

Among those leaders was man of the match, Bernard Foley who scored 15 points on his own.

"He took much more responsibility around directing the game," said Cheika of his flyhalf. "He chose the options when it was time for him to run really well and he was able to keep the defence honest. There's still room for a lot of improvement, but every week a little bit more and I'll be happy with that."