The Waratahs celebrate their title win with a traditional drinks shower
Photo: karenwatsonphotography.com.au

by Paul Cook –

They’ve only gone and done it. After what seems like a lifetime of almosts and near misses, the New South Wales Waratahs have finally claimed that elusive Super Rugby title with a dramatic one point win, 33-32, over the Crusaders at ANZ Stadium.

In an epic tussle worthy of a decider between the two best sides in the competition, it was the boot of Bernard Foley that won it, slotting a near-45 metre penalty with only two minutes left to snatch victory in front of a raucous 61,823 people – a record Super Rugby crowd.

An Adam Ashley-Cooper try and Foley’s boot had got them off to a fantastic start, up 14-0 towards the end of the first quarter before the Crusaders rallied, working their way back to 20-13 by the break, despite an injury to the influential Dan Carter.

The visitors turned up the heat in the second half as the Tahs fell foul of referee Craig Joubert’s whistle and after some tit-for-tat penalties and a controversial five pointer from giant winger, Nemani Nadolo, they finally hit the front. A second from Ashley-Cooper edged the Tahs ahead once more before two Colin Slade penalties put the Crusaders up 32-30 and less than four minutes away from their eighth Super Rugby title.

However, patient phase play got the Tahs within range and when Joubert penalised the Crusaders just inside their own half, up stepped Foley to kick himself and his team into New South Wales history.

Match Winner: Bernard Foley despatched the all important kick amongst a personal haul of 23pts
Photo: karenwatsonphotography.com.au

If they were nervous at all, the Waratahs didn’t show it early on, firing out of the blocks to earn a penalty from their first attack off a lineout, summarily despatched by Foley.

When Ashley-Cooper then went over a couple of minutes later, the home side had the start they and their expanding band of followers wanted. Kurtley Beale was the catalyst, putting Foley away down the flank with a superb long pass, and after the flyhalf carried 30 metres before hitting traffic, the ball was recycled coast to coast for Ashley-Cooper to hit a flat pass from his inside centre at pace and smash his way to the line.

Foley pulled the conversion but the Crusaders couldn’t buy a trick early doors as they conceded another penalty after a bell-ringing hit from Jacques Potgieter forced a turnover and a stray boot from Sam Whitelock prevented Beale’s attempts to spring another assault. Foley’s radar was accurate this time and the Tahs led 11-0.

That soon became 14-0 when the Crusaders went off their feet and after only quarter of an hour, the Waratahs were going along at almost a point a minute with a healthy lead and boasting 75% possession.

Given that they hadn’t beaten the Cantabrians for 10 years, this was unchartered territory but just as you thought it might be one of those crazy nights where everything goes right for the home side, they suffered a double blow. A clash of heads between Wycliff Palu and Richie McCaw left the talismanic Tahs no.8 fuzzy for a few minutes and while he was trying to regather himself, the Crusaders concocted one of those counter-attacking specials that is symptomatic of the seven time champions.

Having almost got through on the left flank when a great tackle from Rob Horne held up the powerful Nadolo, the Crusaders went again after the Tahs cleared upfield and they worked it beautifully. Running it back from their own half, skipper Kieran Read was involved twice as they released Matt Todd down the right flank and the openside had enough starch to bounce off Ashley-Cooper and dot down.

Dan Carter’s sweet left peg added the extras while Palu went for a concussion test with Will Skelton his replacement, but the hosts recovered well from their first setback, going straight onto the front foot and forcing another penalty as the Crusaders went off their feet. However, Foley’s 3pts were soon matched by Colin Slade at the other end after a Tahs’ indiscretion just outside their own 22.

Mr Reliable: Adam Ashley-Cooper crossed twice as another stellar performance
earned him MoM honours – Photo: karenwatsonphotography.com.au

To the relief of the Waratahs faithful, Palu got the green light to return to the fray while the Crusaders’ cause was further hampered by the departure of Carter on the half hour, the points scoring machine felled by an ankle injury.

After a period of readjustment to an attack they hadn’t faced in 2014, the Crusaders started to work out ways to frustrate the Waratahs’ intent. Their linespeed increased, sometimes a little too vigorously, but the Tahs weren’t finding as much space as they had in the opening quarter.

A penalty apiece from Slade and then Foley brought the sides to the half-time break at 20-13 and having been dominated for large parts of the opening stanza, the visitors surely wouldn’t have been too displeased to go in only 7pts adrift.

Their mood was improved immeasurably after the restart as they concocted a brilliant play to snatch a second five pointer but only after a controversial TMO call. Had it proven to be in favour of the winning side at the final whistle, it is a decision that would have been revisited ad nauseam by those of a Waratahs persuasion.

The Crusaders forwards showed off their handling skills with some terrific offloads in the lead-up before a wide pass put Nadolo away into space and a chance to build up a head of steam. At 125 kilos he proved, unsurprisingly, to be too big and too strong to hold but a combination of Beale and Alofa Alofa spoiled enough to necessitate a second viewing.

The initial reaction of ‘Try’ in real time was replaced by shouts of ‘He’s in touch!’ as the replay appeared to show Nadolo’s foot graze the line before he grounded the ball but to almost everyone’s amazement, Joubert was given the thumbs up to raise his arm, Slade converted and the match was all square.

Tough To Take: Crusaders players stand in disbelief as they reflect on another trophy-less year
Photo: karenwatsonphotography.com.au

When the hardworking Tatafu Polota-Nau then left the field with a knee injury, momentum had clearly swung to the visitors and with the Tahs’ scrum starting to creak as the Crusaders pack ramped up the pressure, penalties started to come at a steady rate, giving Slade the opportunity to kick his side into the lead for the first time in the match at 23-20.

A high shot from Nadolo on Alofa gave Foley the chance to level but he pushed it wide, however, when McCaw was pinged for offside a few minutes later – much to the amusement of the majority of the ANZ Stadium crowd – the 24-year-old didn’t disappoint.

That score was soon cancelled out by Slade when an increasingly ill-disciplined Waratahs were pinged for not rolling away. Starting to look tired at the end of a long and physically demanding season, they needed a spark to carry them into their final – and most important – quarter of 2014.

They got it in the shape of Mr Reliable – Adam Ashley-Cooper. With a magnificently vocal crowd roaring them on, the boys in Cambridge Blue eked out one final try-scoring play of their stellar season. Patient phase play got them within range, Will Skelton, now a permanent replacement for Jacques Potgieter, hit-it up in his own inimitable way, Foley made good yards in front of the posts and when it was finally sent wide, there was Ashley-Cooper to dummy his way through the line and dive in for his second of the match.

A superb conversion from Foley out wide opened up a 4pt gap but another penalty from Slade knocked some wind out of the sails and with 12 minutes to go, the game stood on a knife-edge at 30-29. The nervous tension inside the stadium was palpable. Was this Waratahs side on the cusp of history or would they be yet another ‘nearly men’ story?

We Did It!: Kane Douglas, Kurtley Beale, Brendan McKibbin and Jacques Potgieter
enjoy their lap of honour – Photo: karenwatsonphotography.com.au

Looking for a knockout blow, the Tahs upped the ante but after a sustained attack during which at least two offsides should have been paid, the Crusaders went straight up the other end and earned a potential match winner. A rampaging Nadolo looked like he was through only for yet another last ditch tackle from the tireless Nick Phipps but Joubert had seen an offside – this time – and with less than 5 minutes remaining, Slade’s boot had the Crusaders up by two.

Now was the time for mere men to become immortals. Any error from here on in would be punished by defeat but this Tahs side has grown a steely exterior to encase it’s glittering attacking jewels and with inspirational skipper Michael Hooper cajoling his troops for one final effort, they stood up and delivered when it truly counted.

Edging forward metre by painful metre, the Tahs repeatedly hit it up, looking for that one crack in the Crusaders’ vastly experienced make-up, and with only two minutes left on the clock, they got it, McCaw pinged for coming in from the side about 43 metres out.

The crowd drew it’s breath as Hooper pointed to the posts and Foley began his routine. Wasn’t it just outside his range? Shouldn’t Kurtley be taking it from there? Should they kick to the corner instead?

Thankfully, the only person in the stadium who appeared to be unfazed by such imponderables was Foley himself. Ice cool, he stepped back, looked up, addressed the ball and despatched it over the black dot.

Just.

Cue celebrations of the like this state has never seen from rugby fans before, followed by an almighty thud as the biggest monkey of them all fell swiftly from New South Wales’ backs. The history boys had finally done it. Bravo.

NSW Waratahs 33 (Adam Ashley-Cooper 2 tries; Bernard Foley con, 7 pens) defeated Crusaders 32 (Matt Todd, Nemani Nadolo try; Dan Carter con, Colin Slade 6 pens, con)