Waratahs dominate Bloem try feast
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Fullback Israel Folau scored three of the nine tries that earned the Waratahs a 58-33 triumph against Cheetahs on Saturday.
Victory before a sparse crowd at a cold Free State Stadium in South Africa placed the Australians second on the combined standings with one match left, and secured them a play-off place.
A bonus-point home victory next weekend at home to lowly compatriots the Reds will guarantee the defending champions top spot in the Australian conference and second or third on the combined standings.
Finishing second overall secures a home semifinal while ending third means a home play-off quarterfinal.
Cheetahs, playing under new coach and Springbok Franco Smith for the first time, matched the visitors for much of the opening half.
They trailed 27-21 at half-time and were still only six points behind 20 minutes into the second-half.
Folau then completed his hat-trick and Cheetahs centre Rayno Benjamin was sin-binned for deliberately tripping the Wallaby as he scored.
Waratahs flyhalf Bernard Foley converted for a 41-28 lead and the visitors added two converted tries for a convincing victory.
Folau (three), wings Matt Carraro (two) and Taqele Naiyaravoro, flanker Michael Hooper, centre Adam Ashley-Cooper and Foley scored tries for the Sydney side.
Foley succeeded with five of nine conversion attempts and also slotted a penalty for an 18-point contribution.
Centre Francois Venter (two), wing Cornal Hendricks (two) and flank Johannes Prinsloo were Cheetahs' try-scorers.
Fullback Coenie van Wyk kicked three conversions and debutant flyhalf Niel Marais one.
Man of the match: Francois Venter tried his best for the Cheetahs scoring two tries and Sarel Pretorius was a live wire as usual. Sergeal Peterson showed glimpses of pace. A couple of Waratahs stuck their hands up – Michael Hooper was everywhere on the park and Adam Ashley-Cooper proved a menace in the midfield but the award goes to Israel Folau who was a destructive runner, impossible to bring down and scored a hat-trick.
The scorers:
For the Cheetahs:
Tries: Hendricks 2, Venter 2, Prinsloo
Cons: Van Wyk 3, Marais
For the Waratahs:
Tries: Hooper, Carrao 2, Folau 3, Naiyaravoro, Ashley-Cooper, Foley
Cons: Foley 5
Pen: Foley
Yellow card: Rayno Benjamin (Cheetahs, 61 – foul play – leg trip)
Teams:
Cheetahs: 15 Coenie van Wyk, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 Francois Venter, 12 Ryno Benjamin, 11 Cornal Hendricks, 10 Niel Marais, 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Niell Jordaan, 7 Tienie Burger, 6 Johannes Prinsloo, 5 Francois Uys (captain), 4 Carl Wegner, 3 Nicolaas van Dyk, 2 Torsten van Jaarsveld, 1 Burrie Uys.
Replacements: 16 Elandré Huggett, 17 Danie Mienie, 18 Ewald van der Westhuizen, 19 Steven Sykes, 20 Gerhard Olivier, 21 Henco Venter, 22 Shaun Venter, 23 Willie Le Roux.
Waratahs: 15 Israel Folau, 14 Taqele Naiyaravoro, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Kurtley Beale, 11 Matt Carraro, 10 Bernard Foley, 9 Nick Phipps, 8 Wycliff Palu, 7 Michael Hooper, 6 Jacques Potgieter, 5 David Dennis (captain), 4 Mitchell Chapman, 3 Sekope Kepu, 2 Hugh Roach, 1 Benn Robinson.
Replacements: David Porecki, Jeremy Tilse, Paddy Ryan, Dean Mum, Stephen Hoiles, Brendan McKibbin, Peter Betham, Jack Dempsey.
Referee: Glen Jackson
Assistant referees: Jaco van Heerden, Lourens van der Merwe
TMO: Johan Greeff
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