Waratahs Flood away the Drought
The drought is broken. Two years and 41 matches later, an Australian Super Rugby team beat a New Zealand Super rugby team when the Waratahs thrashed the Highlands 41-12 at Allianz Stadium in Sydney.
The number 41 becomes significant. From May 2016 to May 2018, New Zealand teams had won 40 consecutive Super Rugby matches against Australian teams, and much was made of the feat. But it stopped abruptly at 40, when the Waratahs won match 41 and scored 41 points in doing so.
The Waratahs fully deserved their win, playing with verve, skill. cohesion and efficiency.
True the Highlanders played for 64 minutes with only 14 men and in fact for 10 of those 64 minutes with only 13 players, but it was not the Waratahs' fault that Tevita Nabura tried a mulekick on Cam Clark, nor the Waratahs' fault that Aaron Smith deliberately knocked on a Waratah pass and was sent to the sin bin. Those were serious Highlander mistakes, and they paid dearly for them.
When Nabura was sent off, the Waratahs were leading 8-0 and while Aaron Smith was in the sin bin the Waratahs built their lead to 15-0, the half-time score.
To start the match, the Highlanders kicked off but the Waratahs won the visitors' first line-out and ran with zest, Folau as ever threatening the defence. The Waratahs won a turnover off the Highlanders and when Jackson Hemopo was penalised, Bernard Foley, who had a splendid match, goaled. 3-0 after six minutes.
Aaron Smith thought he had scored as the Highlanders attacked but a TMO replay showed that a little pass from Luke Whitelock to Ben Smnith was forward and the try was disallowed.
The Waratahs built phases, getting closer to the Highlanders line and then went left where big Taqele Naiyaravoro powered his way over, just able to score. 8-0 after 16 minutes.
Two minutes later the massive blow struck the Highlanders. Scrumhalf Jake Gordon of the Waratahs kicked a box kick and wing Cam Clark chased. The Highlanders' left wing Tevita Nabura leapt for the ball as Clark approached. In the air Nabura, clearly looking at Clark, stuck out a left boot which struck Clark in the face, not a hard strike but enough to see Nabura redcarded after a review.
Just two minutes after that, on 20 minutes, Aaron Smith was sinbinned for a deliberate knock-on when the Waratahs were on the attack. The Highlanders were down to 13 men.
The Waratahs had a penalty and mauled. They then had another penalty and scrummed. Folau was close and Taqele Naiyaravoro got past Aisake Naholo's attempted grasscutter tackle and scored in the left corner. Foley converted from touch. 15-0 after 24 minutes.
The Highlanders mounted a promising attack with Lima Sopoaga acting at scrumhalf but when a pass went astray the Waratahs came racing out, attacking from their own line.
Early in the second half, Foley broke and Curtis Rona was over in Elliot Dixon's determined tackle. The TMO examined it but no grounding could be found. From the resultant five-metre scrum the Waratahs bashed and then Foley threw a brilliant long pass to Folau on his far left and Folau scored in the left corner. Foley converted 22-0 after 44 minutes.
There was already an unreal feeling about the score.
From the off, the Highlanders attacked. They bashed and had advantage when Ben Smith chipped a foot pass out to the right wing where flank Elliott Dixon scored, 22-7 after 46 minutes.
A Kurtley Beale chip gave the Waratahs a five-metre line-out. They mauled and drove over the line but Sekope Kepu was penalised for obstruction.
Not to be deterred, the Waratahs came back for a splendid try, a wonderful example of handling and positioning. It ended with a try by Folau, his 50th in Super Rugby. 29-7 after 55 minutes.
A penalty gave the Highlanders a five-metre line-out. They mauled and a fragment of their maul raced over for a try credited to Ash Dixon. 29-12 with 20 minutes to play.
When Ben Smith kicked downfield Foley went on a long run in counterattack. The Waratahs again bashed at the line and substitute scrumhalf Nick Phipps was over as he was tackled. The matter was referred to the TMO who noticed that Phipps had lost the ball forward in trying to dot it down. For the second time a Waratah try was turned down. But they were playing on advantage, opted for a scrum instead of a penalty and went left where Lalakai Foketi took a short pass from Foley and scored. 36-12 with 15 minutes to play.
Three minutes later, the Waratahs scored again when Phipps went wide from a scrum and Rona had an overlap to score the try. 41-12 with 12 minutes to play.
The Highlanders had the better of the 12 minutes as they buoilt phasesd but could not add to the score.
Man of the Match: There were Waratah candidates – Israel Folau, Sekope Kepu, Michael Hooper, Kurtley Beale and our choice Bernard Foley
The scorers:
For Waratahs:
Tries: Naiyaravoro 2, Folau 2, Foketi, Rona
Cons: Foley 4
Pen: Foley
For Highlanders
Tries: E Dixon, A Dixon
Con: Sopoaga
Yellow card: Aaron Smith (Highlanders, 20 – Deliberate knock-on)
Red Card: Tevita Nabura (Highlanders, 18 – Deliberate dangerous tackle)
Teams:
Waratahs: 15 Israel Folau, 14 Cam Clark, 13 Curtis Rona, 12 Kurtley Beale, 11 Taqele Naiyaravoro, 10 Bernard Foley, 9 Jake Gordon, 8 Michael Wells, 7 Michael Hooper (Captain), 6 Will Miller, 5 Rob Simmons, 4 Tom Staniforth, 3 Sekope Kepu, 2 Damien Fitzpatrick, 1 Tom Robertson.
Replacements: 16 Tolu Latu, 17 Harry Johnson-Holmes, 18 Shambeckler Vui, 19 Ryan McCauley, 20 Jed Holloway, 21 Nick Phipps, 22 Lalakai Foketi, 23 Bryce Hegarty
Highlanders: 15 Ben Smith (co-captain), 14 Waisake Naholo, 13 Rob Thompson, 12 Patelesio Tomkinson, 11 Tevita Nabura, 10 Lima Sopoaga, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Luke Whitelock, 7 Dillon Hunt, 6 Elliot Dixon, 5 Tom Franklin, 4 Jackson Hemopo, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Ash Dixon (co-captain), 1 Daniel Lienert-Brown.
Replacements: 16 Liam Coltman, 17 Aki Seiuli, 18 Kalolo Tuiloma, 19 Shannon Frizell, 20 Marino Mikaele Tu'u, 21 Kayne Hammington, 22 Josh Ioane, 23 Tevita Li.
Referee: Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: William Houston (Australia), Graham Cooper (Australia)
TMO: George Ayoub (Australia)
