Cat on the Prowl: Benn Robinson goes close in an attack that eventually saw Dave Dennis go over
Photo: karenwatsonphotography.com.au

by Paul Cook – 

They were asked the question through the week and the Waratahs have stood up to be counted when it mattered tonight, coming from behind to defeat the Hurricanes 39-30 in a pulsating clash at the Sydney Football Stadium.

Trailing 24-7 after only 27 minutes, the Tahs season was starting to unravel at a rapid rate. But they dug in and fought back to level 24 apiece by half-time in an enthralling opening stanza. Improved defence after the break then held the Canes potent counter attack at bay and two more tries from a rampant Waratahs brought them the win – and with that all important bonus point.

Coach Michael Cheika was pleased with the way his team fought back from adversity to end up on the winning side of the ledger. “Over the last year and a half we’ve found ourselves in a few difficult positions and more often than not we’ve come out on the right side of things,” he said. “This is probably the biggest hole we’ve been in and we were able to get ourselves out of it. I was very proud.”

Danger Man: Hurricanes’ fullback Andre Taylor was a constant
threat with ball in hand
Photo: karenwatsonphotography.com.au

He was also complimentary of the way his ball players set about getting the team back in the hunt following that early deficit. “I thought [Kurtley] Beale was outstanding tonight. When we went down, he and [Bernard] Foley really stood up and tried to control the game and put us back in the picture and they were very good.”

Skipper Dave Dennis felt the result was just reward for the Waratahs sticking to their principles. “We talked during the week about not going away from how we want to play as a team and I think we won that game on the back of the belief in how we want to play,” he said. “Sticking to our attacking structures, putting pressure on the opposition when we have the ball and I thought our directors, our nine and ten, were very good tonight. It was very easy at 24-7 to pack-up shop but we kept at it and I’m very pleased with the result.”

The Waratahs have made a habit of striking early at home games this season and there was no change here, apart from the fact that it wasn’t the usual suspect Israel Folau who crossed, but moonlighting winger Rob Horne. Adam Ashley-Cooper made the line break off a Kurtley Beale pass and Horne was on hand to step his way to the chalk.

Bernard Foley added the extras but the early setback served only to fuel the Hurricanes, who camped in the Tahs’ 22 for the next 10 minutes. They had already knocked on the door on a couple of occasions but when the seemingly inevitable try did come, it was a soft one for the home side to concede, Canes’ tighthead Jeffery Toomaga-Allen brushing past Paddy Ryan and Nick Phipps to find the line.

Folau was kept relatively quiet in the opening exchanges and the first time he was in a position to do some damage in open field, he uncharacteristically spilt the pill, as Phipps and Jacques Potgieter tried to instigate a counter attack from their own 22.

A minute later, Phipps was pinged for going offside at the scrum as he advanced illegally to shut down Beauden Barrett’s space and Barrett stepped up to edge the visitors 10-7 in front from the resulting penalty.

We always knew the boys from Wellington posed a significant counter attacking threat and the next five minutes confirmed those suspicions. Firstly, Andre Taylor burned Rob Horne down the sideline and fed inside for TJ Perenara but the Tahs defence scrambled well. However, when an under pressure Folau fed Wycliff Palu a pass in the Tahs in-goal, the no.8 spilt it up in the air and Barrett pounced for the Canes’ second.

Everywhere Man: Michael Hooper covered just about every blade of grass and then some
in a superb performance – Photo: karenwatsonphotography.com.au

The punishment increased after Barrett’s conversion as the influential Potgieter departed the field with a leg injury and the Waratahs again coughed up easy possession from the restart and paid the price. Hurricanes hooker Dane Coles made a line break and fed Jack Lam and when the ball was recycled three passes wide at pace, Julian Savea skirted round the last man to send those in yellow jerseys in the crowd into delirium.

Barrett’s third successful conversion left the shell-shocked Tahs 24-7 behind and desperately in need of the next score. And they got it, Ashley-Cooper again making the initial line break, the forwards maintaining the pressure in the red zone and Dave Dennis running off a short ball to get just about enough pressure on the pill for the TMO to award the five pointer.

The Tahs were now finding holes on the fringes and a couple of half breaks from Benn Robinson and Paddy Ryan got them within range. A quick feed from Phipps then gave Foley the chance to show and go and dive over but again, the TMO was called on before the green light was given.

They could have had a fourth before the break, Foley knowing a penalty was coming when he put a deft little grubber into the corner and Horne was only one vicious final bounce of the ball away from the bonus point try. However, referee Walsh paid the original penalty and Foley made it a level playing field at half-time, 24-24.

Praised: Bernard Foley and Kurtley Beale came in for some special praise from coach Michael Cheika after the game
Photo: karenwatsonphotography.com.au

The Hurricanes came out intent on reasserting their attacking footprint on the match, and butchered a try within two minutes of the restart. The ever dangerous Andre Taylor carried wide but slipped as he passed to the unmarked Cory Jane for the corner when they had the overlap.

Tatafu Polota-Nau became the second high profile Waratah to leave the field in the 46th minute, an earlier head knock still taking it’s toll but his absence didn’t affect his team mates’ desire to up the ante.

A makeable penalty in the 50th minute was bravely/foolishly kicked to touch (delete where applicable) instead and when Foley subsequently sliced a crossfield kick for Folau from the line out, the decision became even more questionable.

When they then repeated the same play with the same negative conclusion two minutes later, the home crowd could perhaps be forgiven for their frustration at such profligacy. However, from the next scrum, the Tahs got the try their intent deserved, Matt Carraro taking a pass from Foley to strike from 10 metres past some lacklustre goal line defence.

The helter-skelter nature of the game continued when an attempted strip by Carraro on Canes’ captain Conrad Smith in the 58th minute was penalised and Barrett dissected the posts with consummate ease. When the mercurial flyhalf slotted another penalty four minutes later, we were back to a 1pt ball game with less than a quarter remaining and it was seemingly anyone’s game.

But when everyone was waiting to see if the Waratahs could step up with their season almost on the line, they showed why they can still be a part of the conversation when it comes to potential Super Rugby champions and it was the replacements who played a starring role.

In the 64th minute, they grabbed try number five. Phipps spread it wide for Beale to feed the oncoming Folau but this time the star fullback played a supporting role as he found Will Skelton – on for Potgieter – and he popped it back for Stephen Hoiles – on for Palu – to streak through to the line.

Foley hit the post to leave the door ajar but the Waratahs had the bit between their teeth now, the passes were sticking and the intent was clear. When Beale went through and rolled his way to the line in the tackle, they thought they had another but the overworked TMO ruled he had knocked on first.

With time running out, the Canes shot themselves in the foot when TJ Perenera questioned a decision by ref Walsh with a tad too much vigour and his fellow New Zealander marched his side back another 10 metres and Foley struck what proved to be the match sealing points.

The Waratahs now have a bye next week before returning to the SFS on Sunday 18th May to face the Lions.

NSW Waratahs 39 (Rob Horne, Dave Dennis, Bernard Foley, Matt Carraro, Stephen Hoiles tries; Bernard Foley 4 cons, 2 pens) defeated Hurricanes 30 (Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, Beauden Barret, Julian Savea tries; Beauden Barrett 3 cons, 3 pens)