VIDEO: Brumbies spoil Waratahs' play-off party
SUPER RUGBY REPORT: The Waratahs’ second-place finish is under huge threat after their defeat by the Brumbies on Saturday.
Playing down in Sydney, the Brumbies came to life against the Waratahs, who may have found the match a bit of a chore as they head into the quarterfinals. The Brumbies won 40-31.
There was no quarterfinal for the Brumbies, just the Waratahs to end their season on a high, and they did that.
The Brumbies led the first half 26-10, four tries to one. But Waratah pride opened in the second half, which they actually won 21-14, looking stronger the more their senior players retired from the fray.
In the first half the Waratahs had the better opportunities to get possession of more penalties, more scrums and more line-outs though their line-outs were not great, losing two on their won throw five metres from the Brumbies’ line.
The first score was not long in coming. The Waratahs were attacking inside the Brumbies’ half when centre Curtis Rona threw a pass of sorts to his left. The ball bounced, Tom Banks pounced and the fullback raced 65 metres to score at the posts. Christian Leali’ifano converted. 7-0 after 2 minutes.
A penalty at a line-out was goaled by metronomic Bernard Foley. 7-3 after 9 minutes but in no time the Brumbies increased their lead.
Foley kicked downfield, Henry Speight started a counterattack, Tevita Kuridrani broke. Leali’ifano gave a short inside pass to scrumhalf Joe Powell who gave to bulky prop Nic Mayhew who charged at the line. Brought down he gave to tall Richie Arnold, locking with his tall twin Rory, and Richie scored under the posts, 14-3.
The Waratahs had a five-metre line-out which they overthrew and ceded to the Brumbies who worked their way out of trouble. David Pocock, a good passer of the ball, gave a splendid long pass to Speight. Thirteen phases later Richie Arnold charged at the line and gave to No.8 Isi Naisarani who scored under the posts. 21-3 after just 20 minutes.
When the Brumbies collapsed a maul from a five-metre line-out, hooker Folau Fainga’a was sent to the sin bin, after which Damien Fitzpatrick bundled his way through the defensive efforts of Blake Enever and Tom Banks and scored. 21-10, 7 minutes before half-time.
From the kick-off, Foley kicked, Banks darted and gave to Muirhead near the half-way line and off the wing sped, passing four defenders before going at a left incline to score. 26-20, which was the half-time score.
The Brumbies who had lost Naisarani to injury also lost Speight. Both men went off treating an ankle gingerly.
The Waratahs started the second half attacking and only a great tackle from, Banks prevented massive Taqele Naiyaravoro from scoring in the left corner. The ball had been lost forward and the Brumbies had a scrum five metres from their line. The brave men from Canberra worked the ball up field from the scrum. They had gone about 30 metres when Kyle Godwin broke inside Nick Phipps and past Kurtley Beale. Godwin chipped chased, grabbed a kind bounce and score. 33-10 after 48 minutes.
The Waratahs scored the next two tries.
First Naiyaravoro got a clever inside offload from Israel Folau near the Brumbies’ line and scored. 33-17.
The Brumbies had a flurry of penalties and five-metre line-outs while the Waratahs lost Tom Staniforth to the sin bin, but the Waratahs survived, got the ball and worked their way up field. They were penalised, the Brumbies tapped and Lausii Taliauli passed – to Will Miller. The flank intercepted and raced some 58 metres to score. 33-24.
Hope sprang in Waratah breasts but Kuridrani, who had a super game, broke and kicked. Taliauli chassed, received a kind bounce and scored under the posts. Wharenui Hawera converted.
Foley of the Waratahs kicked yet another brilliant kick-off and substitute Harry Johnson-Holmes passed to substitute Brad Wilken who scored as the siren sounded. Foley converted, and an entertaining match ended.
For winning the Brumbies won the Dan Vickerman Cup, in memory of the South African who played for the Brumbies and the Waratahs – and, of course, the Wallabies.
on attack and defence.
The Scorers:
For The Waratahs:
Tries: Fitzpatrick, Naiyaravoro, Wilkin, Miller
Cons: Foley 4
Pen: Foley
For Brumbies:
Tries: Banks, R. Arnold, Naisarani, Muirhead, Godwin, Taliauli
Cons: Lealiifano 4, Hawera
Yellow cards: Folau Fainga’a (Brumbies, 23 – Repeat infringements), Thomas Staniforth (Waratahs, 69 – Cynical foul play)
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 Alex Newsome, 23 Bryce Hegarty.
Brumbies: 15 Tom Banks, 14 Henry Speight, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Kyle Godwin, 11 Andrew Muirhead, 10 Christian Lealiifano, 9 Joe Powell, 8 Isi Naisarani, 7 David Pocock, 6 Blake Enever, 5 Richie Arnold, 4 Rory Arnold, 3 Allan Alaalatoa, 2 Folau Fainga’a, 1 Scott Sio.
Replacements: 16 Connal Mcinerney, 17 Nic Mayhew, 18 Leslie Leuluaialii-Makin, 19 Sam Carter, 20 Lachlan Mccaffrey, 21 Matt Lucas, 22 Wharenui Hawera, 23 Lausii Taliauli.
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant referees: Will Houston (Australia), James Leckie (Australia)
TMO: Chris Hart (Australia)
