Raging Bull: Michael Hooper led the charge for the Tahs once again
Photo: karenwatsonphotography.com.au

by Paul Cook –

The Waratahs have shown their genuine title credentials once more with a five tries-to one, 39-8 demolition of the Brumbies at ANZ Stadium tonight. But the win looks to have come at a high price, influential and respected captain Dave Dennis succumbing to what looks like a potentially season ending knee injury in the process.

Defeat over the reigning champion Chiefs back in round 16, a full four weeks ago, gave the Waratahs faithful reason to believe that their side could be on the verge of making history. But that month hiatus in between, ahead of a clash as pivotal and challenging as their arch-rivals from Canberra were expected to provide, left many apprehensive that the break may have lost some valuable momentum.

However, a tight opening quarter was blown apart by two tries for the home side in quick succession, an Alofa Alofa breakaway adding to a close range effort from Benn Robinson, before Jesse Mogg caught Israel Folau unawares off a high ball to get the visitors within 9pts at half-time, 14-5 behind.

A penalty apiece after the break kept the Brumbies in the hunt but as the Waratahs turned up the heat, ill discipline became a problem and when Fotu Auelea went to the bin on the hour, the floodgates opened. Man of the match Bernard Foley went in within a minute before Alofa grabbed his second and Wycliff Palu put the icing on the cake with a minute remaining.

After the game, all the talk was about the severity of Dennis’ injury but the captain fronted up at the press conference and offered hope that maybe it wasn’t as bad as first feared. “I just tweaked my knee a bit in contact,” he confirmed. “It doesn’t feel ideal but I’ll get a scan on it in the morning and hopefully, it’s minor. Obviously, I’ve had past issues with the knee but hopefully, it’s just a bit of a tear in the meniscus or something not too serious so I can push on but I’ll see in the morning.”

Coach Michael Cheika toed a more pragmatic line. “Obviously, we’re not dreamers, we know it looks serious but at the same time…we’re not going to put up the R.I.P. sign. We’re just going to get on with it and we’ll acknowledge things as they occur and I think him turning up to the press conference is a sign of the man he is.”

Double Trouble: Winger Alofa Alofa bagged a brace of tries as the Tahs ran in five against their arch-rivals
Photo: karenwatsonphotography.com.au

On the game, Cheika felt that the Tahs hadn’t done the business in the first forty minutes but thought the Brumbies’ tactics burnt them out and left them susceptible. “I wasn’t really happy with the first half,” he said. “The Brumbies really got into our ruck and we were a little bit off the pace around our clean out work but at the same time, when you attack the ruck as hard as they did, you can only do that for a certain amount of time, if the other team stays in it’s shape.

“When Auelua went off, I think that hurt them because when you’re playing that game of attacking the ruck, every man you lose is another one where you’re vulnerable out wide and we were able to take advantage of that.”

It was the Brumbies who had the better of the opening exchanges, Christian Lealiifano passing up the opportunity for an early lead when his penalty hit the post in the third minute but with Nic White and Jesse Mogg pinning the Waratahs back in their own half with a succession of accurate touch finders, the visitors were the ones applying the pressure.

The Brumbies physical approach – the undoing of New South Wales down in Canberra back in March – was in evidence once again but a heavy knock in a collision with Wycliff Palu led to the end of Tevita Kuridrani’s match, the Wallaby centre replaced by 22-year-old Rodney Iona on debut.

The Tahs struck first off their first real chance inside the Brumbies red zone. A scrum win on opposition ball was the catalyst, giving Foley the chance to kick to touch and provide an optimum attacking platform.

The subsequent lineout was spread infield and after Dennis and then Foley had gone close, Benn Robinson was driven over by his support to mark his 130th game for his state – making him the second most capped Waratah of all-time – in style.

Foley’s conversion put the Tahs 7-0 to the good as the end of the first quarter approached but as the Brumbies were looking to regroup, they coughed up another within a minute. Nic White tried to get a move going from halfway but as the ball shifted wide, Alofa Alofa was on hand to pluck out a loose pass from the unfortunate Iona to sprint home.

The Brumbies needed something tangible and they got it through an unlikely source. When Christian Lealiifano chose to ignore his runners to put up a crossfield kick for Jesse Mogg instead, it appeared to be a low percentage play given that the man in Cambridge Blue underneath the incoming missile was Israel Folau.

For all the richly deserved plaudits Folau has received for his line breaks and try scoring abilities since his cross-code switch, it is his safety under the high ball that has perhaps been his most consistent quality. Not this time.

As the ball fell to earth in goal, Folau seemed to slightly misjudge it’s trajectory, enough for Mogg to pounce on his blindside and dot down to the incredulity of most in the crowd.

Caught Unawares: Jesse Mogg surprises Israel Folau to pluck a high ball from his grasp and dot down for the Brumbies only try – Photo: karenwatsonphotography.com.au

Lealiifano was wayward with the conversion but the Brumbies had the lifeline they needed on the scoreboard and served a timely reminder to the Tahs that despite leading 14-5 they still had plenty of work to do.

Foley and Lealiifano then went penalty for penalty after the break to make it 17-8 and when the Tahs pressure didn’t yield a third try, Cheika went to his bench, Will Skelton joining the fray to rapturous applause after his heroics for the Wallabies last week.

Folau almost made amends for his earlier misjudgement and what a try it would have been too. A Kurtley Beale half-break opened the door for a Waratahs surge and when the ball found its way to the star fullback, he put on the afterburners, stepped in and away from two or three before carrying a full four Brumbies over the line, only to be ruled held up in goal.

The Tahs were knocking on the door with increasing resonance now and when Fotu Auelua became the Brumby that tested referee Steve Walsh’s patience once too often and saw yellow, New South Wales had their invitation to kick it down and walk right in.

They did so within a minute, the Tahs forwards driving forward off a lineout at pace to splinter the Brumbies defence before Phipps fed his halves partner on his inside and Foley swivelled the hips and went in behind the posts.

The flyhalf converted his own good work and with 18 minutes remaining, the home side had the buffer they wanted and a man advantage. Time to put the hammer down.

It should have been game, set and match when Ashley-Cooper swerved through the line and fed Rob Horne but with Phipps steaming through on his inside and a clear run to the posts, Horne held on and was wrapped up by a couple of recovering Brumbies instead.

However, it didn’t matter. Three minutes later, they were in for good as they went coast to coast from a 15 metre scrum and Alofa bagged his second with a showboating dive into the corner.

Kurtley Beale added a penalty after the irrepressible Foley was put on ice to compound the Brumbies misery but the last word went to Waratahs stalwart, big Cliffy Palu. His fellow forwards provided the cutting edge, Michael Hooper breaking the line and showing some impressive hot shoe shuffle before the ball went wide and through the hands of Paddy Ryan and Kane Douglas to Palu, who crossed for try number five near the corner flag.

The Tahs have one final home game of the regular season, a titanic clash against the Highlanders next Sunday, where they could cement a top three spot.

“We’re a step closer to being in the finals,which is good for us” mused Michael Cheika. “But we’ve still got a lot of work to do to ensure that we’re getting a final at home and where we position from there. But we’ll just look to the next game which is big for the Highlanders, big for us and we’re really looking forward to it.”

Dare we dream?

NSW Waratahs 39 (Alofa Alofa 2, Benn Robinson, Bernard Foley, Wycliff Palu tries; Bernard Foley 4 cons, pen, Kurtley Beale pen) defeated ACT Brumbies 8 (Jesse Mogg try; Christian Lealiifano pen)