Waratahs run riot against Sunwolves
MATCH REPORT: The Waratahs secured top spot in the Australian conference when they hammered the Sunwolves 77-25 in Sydney on Saturday.
The first half was a rugby match. In the second half, rugby was still being played but it was not a match. It ceased to be a match when, just before half-time, Semisi Masirewa of the Sunwolves was redcarded for a dangerous tackle on Bernard Foley. The Sunwolves’ competitiveness was further reduced when their substitute scrumhalf Fumiaki Tanaka was yellowcarded for a dangerous tackle on substitute scrumhalf Jake Gordon.
In the 40 minutes Masirewa was off, the Waratahs scored 53 points. In the 10 minutes Tanaka was off, the Waratahs scored 17 points.
It happened, it seems, in accordance with the laws of the game, but the game ceased to be a match, which is an important part of playing the game.
In the sending off of Masirewa, the referee was drawn to examine what had happened by his assistant, and eventually a committee of three agreed to the red card – the referee, his assistant and the TMO. In the yellow card, the referee and the TMO examined the incident and agreed.
In each case the victim of the tackle landed on his head. Of the two, Foley was clearly hurt. Heads are sensitive places in modern rugby.
For the Waratahs, this was the most points they had scored against opposition.
It was obvious right from the start that both sides wanted to run with the ball and do so in lively fashion in the face of lively defence. Play lasted over two minutes before the first stoppage.
The Sunwolves scored first, a penalty goal by Hayden Parker, the deadly marksman’s 36th successive successful kick at goal. He would take his tally to 37 before he missed one. 3-0 after 10 minutes.
Two minutes later, the Waratahs scored the first of their 12 spectacular tries in the match when flank Will Miller made the running and Sekope Kepu, whose general play is so skilled, scored. 7-3.
The next Parker penalty goal made it 7-6 and then, from a turnover, Parker broke and left wing Akihito Yamada sped over for the try. 13-7 to the Sunwolves after 22 minutes.
The Waratahs used line-out ball exceptionally well. Their second try started at a line-out on the half-way lone. The ball went to Israel Folau who broke and raced gracefully for some 60 metres to score in the left corner, 13-12 to the Sunwolves after 25 minutes.
From a line-out, the Sunwolves went right. They came back to big Michael Leitch who was on the left touchline. He had an overlap and ran ahead, handing off Ned Hanigan with a thump, to score in the left corner. This was the conversion that Parker missed. 18-12 to the Sunwolves.
It was a match all right.
Then the Waratahs got the lead back with another spectacular try. Foley had a strong run on the far right. He passed inside to Nick Phipps who have to Kepu who gave to Beale who raced over under the posts. 19-18.
Just before half-time, Foley broke strongly and at speed. As he was tackled by Masirewa, Foley gave to Folau on this left and the fallback scored his second try. Then there was a long break when Masirewa’s tackle on Foley was examined. Masirewa was sent off, Foley missed the conversion, and the half-time score was 24-18.
Four minutes into the second half, the score was 32-18 after a Foley penalty and a Hanigan try after Folau had gather a flykick ahead, bumped off four defenders and Beale gave an inside pass to Hanigan.
Rob Simmonds burst from a tackle situation on his 22 and strode down the field. He gave to Phipps who raced 54 metres down though uninhabited land to score at the posts, a try which Foley converted. 39-18.
Kepu picked up a poor pass, made it good and gave to Naiyaravoro who scored his 13th try of the season, a Waratah record. 46-18 after 52 minutes.
The next try had the exquisite moment of the match. Slender speedster Yamada had a bit of an overlap on the left. He was only a centimetre or two from the touchline and even less so as he skipped and swept past Folau on the touchline side. Parker converted from touch. 46-25 after 55 minutes.
The Waratahs went through advancing phases and Phipps lobbed a pass over to Curtis Rona who dotted down in the right corner. 53-25 after 62 minutes.
The Waratahs got to 60 with a try by Michael Wells after which Tanaka was yellowcarded with 11 minutes to play when he tackled Jake Gordon behind a scrum
Naiyaravoro scored after gathering a Sunwolf chip to make it 67-25 after 73 minutes and then, in those seven minutes, substitute Alex Newsome scored two tries.
There were some splendid moments in a game of rugby that became progressively sadder.
The Waratahs finish the league phase of the tournament against the Brumbies next weekend, while the Sunwolves travel to Brisbane to take on the Reds.
The scorers:
For Waratahs:
Tries: Kepu, Folau 2, Beale, Hanigan, Phipps, Naiyaravoro 2, Rona, Wells, Newsome 2
Cons: Foley 7
Pen: Foley
For Sunwolves:
Tries: Yamada 2, Leitch
Cons: Parker 2
Pens: Parker 2
Red card: Semisi Masirewa (Sunwolves, 39 – dangerous play, tip tackle)
Yellow card: Fumiaki Tanaka (Sunwolves, 70 – dangerous play, neck roll)
Teams:
Waratahs: 15 Israel Folau, 14 Cameron Clark, 13 Curtis Rona, 12 Kurtley Beale, 11 Taqele Naiyaravoro, 10 Bernard Foley (captain), 9 Nick Phipps, 8 Michael Wells, 7 Will Miller, 6 Ned Hanigan, 5 Rob Simmons, 4 Jed Holloway, 3 Sekope Kepu, 2 Damien Fitzpatrick, 1 Tom Robertson.
Replacements: 16 Tolu Latu, 17 Harry Johnson-Holmes, 18 Paddy Ryan, 19 Tom Staniforth, 20 Brad Wilkin, 21 Jake Gordon, 22 Bryce Hegarty, 23 Alex Newsome.
Sunwolves: 15 Ryuji Noguchi, 14 Semisi Masirewa, 13 Jason Emery, 12 Michael Little, 11 Akihito Yamada, 10 Hayden Parker, 9 Yutaka Nagare (captain), 8 Kazuki Himeno, 7 Edward Quirk, 6 Michael Leitch, 5 Grant Hattingh, 4 James Moore, 3 Takuma Asahara, 2 Jaba Bregvadze, 1 Craig Millar
Replacements: 16 Yusuke Niwai, 17 Keita Inagaki, 18 Hencus van Wyk, 19 Wimpie van der Walt, 20 Rahboni Warren Vosayako, 21 Fumiaki Tanaka, 22 Rikiya Matsuda, 23 Ryoto Nakamura
Referee: Federico Anselmi (Argentina)
Assistant referees: William Houston (Australia), James Leckie (Australia)
TMO: Damien Mitchelmore (Australia)
