Waratahs can get even better
They may have finished the regular season at the top of the standings, but injured Waratahs skipper Dave Dennis insists his team can get even better in the play-offs.
The Sydney side won 12 of their 16 games this season to top the table and book a home semifinal next weekend, but Dennis is adamant that they are yet to reach the peak of their powers.
They have already set a franchise record of seven consecutive wins, and will stretch that to nine if they go on to claim their maiden Super Rugby title.
Dennis has no doubts they will and believes the Waratahs will find an extra gear despite having already notched countless milestones during their dominant run to the playoffs.
The free-running Tahs have scored the most points of any team in 2014, conceded the fewest, racked up nine tryscoring bonus-point wins and lead the competition for tries, line breaks, run metres, offloads and tackle busts.
In five-eighth Bernard Foley and fullback Israel Folau, the Waratahs also possess the competition's leading pointscorer and top tryscorer and enter the finals fresh off their biggest-ever win over the Reds.
Dennis, who has been sidelined for the rest of the season through injury, says the Waratahs are yet to hit their straps.
"I honestly feel as though we've won games in that seven-game (winning) period where we haven't been at our best," he told AAP on Wednesday.
"No disrespect to the teams we've played, but we haven't played that complete game yet. Last week we won by 30 points, but our set piece was down.
"The week before against the Highlanders, we won convincingly, but there were elements of our game that were down.
"There's a lot of motivation within the group to have that complete performance. I definitely don't think we've peaked as a team."
Out for the rest of the season after undergoing knee surgery, Dennis remains heavily involved and has noticed a steely edge to his teammates ahead of their sudden-death semifinal on Saturday week against either the Brumbies or Chiefs.
"Yesterday we went to Centennial Park and were running hills. There's just these little indicators within the group that are telling me that the boys are still motivated to improve as a team," he said.
"The reality is, we're going to have to if we want to win nine straight.
"But the whole thing with (coach Michael) Cheika and his mantra has been to build a winning attitude; everything we do is to win.
"We don't go out there to have a crack and hopefully get the result. We're going out there to win and that's reflected in our performances.
"I can't see why, with everything on the line in a semi-final, we won't maintain that attitude."
