Try Machine: Israel Folau bagged another double to make it 8 tries in 4 matches in 2013
Photo: karenwatsonphotography.com.au

by Paul Cook –

A second half masterclass from Kurtley Beale and further evidence of Israel Folau’s opportunism has helped the Waratahs to a 32-8 bonus point victory over the Melbourne Rebels in Sydney and provided the perfect tonic for last week’s disappointing loss to the Brumbies.

A promising start from the hosts which saw an early try to Alofa Alofa, was quelled by some dogged resistance from the Rebels, who were still well in the game at half-time, only trailing 11-8. However, Beale turned the back the clock to some of his vintage performances in the second forty, wreaking havoc in the Rebels defence to create further tries for Folau (2) and Peter Betham.

The win was the Tahs third bonus point victory from their opening four matches and sees them back on top of the Australian conference and second on the overall standings prior to the rest of the weekend’s games. Coach Michael Cheika was pleased to have come out on top against a side he sees as far from pushovers and wasn’t surprised at the initial arm wrestle.

Starman: Kurtley Beale enjoyed a stellar second half, laying on three tries – Photo: karenwatsonphotography.com.au

“The Rebels are a good team,” he said afterwards. “This idea that we’re just going to come out, throw it around and score tries – that’s fantasy land. You’ve got to wear your opposition down as well.”

Plenty of handling errors and a lack of good set-piece ball in the first half had conspired against their progress on the scoreboard but Cheika said he was always confident that his charges would come out on top in the end.

“I thought we were going ok in the first half,” he admitted. “We had one or two other opportunities we could have taken but our physicality was good and that tells me that our players were on it, they wanted to get stuck into the game and they wanted to play. Even when it’s not perfect…if we keep knocking on the door, eventually it will come.”

It was a bright start from the Tahs with Nick Phipps setting a furious pace as they looked to build an early advantage and they got their reward with only three minutes on the clock. Turnover ball saw Phipps pounce and set up a counter attack and in Jacques Potgieter and Michael Hooper, he had the perfect foils for his drive at the heart of the Rebels defence, both making telling incursions before the ball was sent wide for Alofa Alofa to dummy and dive over for his second try of the season.

Bernard Foley couldn’t add the extras from out wide but the home side’s tails were up and the Rebels were finding it hard to hold their opponents desire and aggression, Will Skelton in particular a handful. But the visitors dug in, took some of the Waratahs best shots and should have drawn level when Bryce Hegarty pushed a penalty wide.

The visitors cause wasn’t helped when foundation player Lachie Mitchell – celebrating his 50th cap – appeared to twist his knee at the bottom of a ruck and his subsequent departure gave former Waratah Tom Kingston an early chance to renew acquaintances with his old stomping ground.

The Tahs should have extended their lead on 16 minutes but a magnificent piece of defending from Hegarty kept the scoreboard intact. Bernard Foley put in a cheeky chip over the onrushing defence and the bounce was perfect for the predatory Folau to regather and streak away to the line. Hegarty however, had other ideas, showing an impressive pair of heels to reel in his man and execute a perfect wraparound tackle to spoil Folau’s release. The Rebels scrambled back en masse, the Tahs knocked-on and the chance was gone.

Big Hitter: Wycliff Palu added plenty of his trademark starch off the bench
Photo: karenwatsonphotography.com.au

The Rebels defence was standing up well and with Phipps perhaps too eager sometimes to supply quick ball and finding the turf instead of a pair of hands as a result, the home side were unable to make their dominance pay.

That profligacy was punished when the Rebels grabbed their own five pointer in the 26th minute. Opting for touch from a kickable penalty position, their intent was rewarded when they punched it up the middle from the lineout, stretched the home defence and skipper Scott Higginbotham stepped inside to find the chalk and level the scores.

Hegarty couldn’t add the extras and the Rebels wasted their foothold straight from the restart, an accidental obstruction gifting Foley the chance to restore the lead at 8-5. Coach killer.

The game fell into a bit of a hole for the remainder of the half, the Tahs returning to some of the bad habits of the last few years; poor handling under pressure, speculative passes and ill advised kicks as they struggled to escape the Rebels choking defence.

The visitors confidence was visibly growing and Hegarty soon had them level through a penalty but another brain explosion on the restart released the pressure valve once more and Foley said ‘thank you very much’ to secure a tenuous 11-8 advantage at the break.

Pacesetter: Nick Phipps set the tone for the Waratahs
with his speed around the ruck
Photo: karenwatsonphotography.com.au

Emerging from the sheds with the words of Michael Cheika still ringing in their ears, the upgrade in intensity from the Tahs was evident from the opening whistle. Barely two minutes had passed when a lineout on the Rebels 22 was fed back to Beale who waited for just the right moment to put Peter Betham through a static Rebels line and into the corner.

They could, perhaps should have added a third shortly after when Foley broke from inside his own 22 and set off over halfway but with Michael Hooper lying in wait off his shoulder, Foley kicked ahead instead and Hegarty was in position to clear to touch.

The ensuing lineout eventually led to a prop’s try from a metre by replacement Benn Robinson but his excitement was short lived as replays indicated a knock-on in the build-up. However, the Waratahs shrugged off the decision and came back for more and it was that man Beale who again provided the magic.

The forwards set the platform with a turnover, Beale pounced onto a pass at pace and dissected the Rebels scattered defensive line and when you’re looking for someone to make the right run at the right time, you can put your money on it being Israel Folau. Lo and behold, the fullback arrived right on queue to accept Beale’s reverse pass and stride away to the posts.

When young Rebels fullback Angus Roberts was yellow carded in the 54th minute for preventing a quick throw in, it looked like the Tahs had the perfect scenario to go on and bag the all important bonus point but credit again to the Rebels who fought hard through their 10 minute disadvantage to keep their line intact.

The game fell into a lull for the rest of the match as Cheika emptied his bench and both teams seem to accept the result had already been decided but there was one more piece of brilliance for an enthusiastic crowd to enjoy.

You would have got short odds on it being either Beale or Folau that put the icing on the cake but it was a deadly combination of the two that again did the damage with only two minutes remaining. Beale hot-stepped his way through traffic just inside his own half to run 45 metres, draw the last man and give it to his new found shadow, Folau, who took his tally to eight tries in four matches this year.

The record books are being dusted off in anticipation.

Three wins from four, four bonus points and 14 tries. Not a bad haul indeed but the challenge for the Waratahs moves up a gear next week in South Africa, when they face the table-topping Sharks in Durban to kick-off a three week road trip. Win in the Shark Tank and that guarded optimism currently gripping the Tahs faithful may just began to relax into a degree of confidence.

NSW Waratahs 32 (Israel Folau 2, Alofa Alofa, Peter Betham tries; Bernard Foley 3 cons, 2 pens) defeated Melbourne Rebels 8 (Scott Higginbotham try; Bryce Hegarty pen)