Positive Signs For Tahs Despite Loss
by Brendan Bradford -
It would’ve been easy for the Waratahs to panic at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night. But down 17-3 after barely quarter of an hour against a fired-up Reds side who had the benefit of a tough first-up game against the Brumbies last weekend, the Tahs refused to crack under the pressure.
Territory and possession stats were fairly even and if not for a couple of missed penalties and two unfortunate tries – one a poor defensive read from debutant Israel Folau on Reds winger Dom Shipperley, the other an opportunistic intercept by Reds inside-centre Ben Tapuai – they were right in the contest. The 14-point gap at halftime highlighted rustiness rather than lack of form.
What was really impressive was how they worked their way back