Paddy Ryan’s man of the match performance couldn’t prevent the Waratahs’ third defeat in four matches – Photo: Carl Peterson

by Brendan Bradford –

Not again…

A slow start, handling errors and a terrible refereeing decision that robbed them of valuable time in possession at the end of the game saw the Waratahs slump to their third loss of the season and their third straight defeat by the Cheetahs, at Allianz Stadium on Friday night.

The chorus of boos that followed the shock 2011 loss to the same side was replaced by a hollow silence as the crowd of 12, 263 filed out, but the disbelief and emptiness was just the same after Cheetahs winger Raymond Rhule scored his second try ten minutes from time and the gutsy visitors held on for a 27-26 win.

Desperate for another score following a Brendan McKibbin penalty with eight minutes to play, the referee and his assistant missed a clear Cheetahs foot on the sideline just on the Waratahs side of halfway and allowed play to carry on. Another two minutes passed before the Tahs got the ball, but by then they were pegged deep inside their own half. Although they were awarded a penalty and an attacking scrum in the final minute, it was too much of a setback to overcome.

“It’s very disappointing,” Waratahs coach Michael Cheika said of the loss.

“We’re making good play…then making the same mistakes over and over again. We’re not taking our opportunities when they come and when you add up all those little things you end up – in a game you should have won – losing. Just some key moments, and some key mistakes.”

Their fourth slow start in as many games – coupled with dropped ball and the Cheetahs’ lethal counter attack – saw the boys from Bloemfontein take a 14-6 lead after 15 minutes while the Tahs had barely touched the ball.

Peter Betham was damaging with ball in hand – Photo: Carl Peterson

Memories of that embarrassing loss two years ago resurfaced in just the second minute when Cheetahs inside-centre Robert Ebersohn finished off a Willie le Roux chip-and-chase to go 7-0 up while some fans were still finding their seats.

McKibbin had barely slotted the second of his two first-half penalties before Rhule burrowed under Adam Ashley-Cooper’s despairing tackle for a 14-6 advantage in the 17th minute.

To make matters worse, the hapless Berrick Barnes – in his first game of the season – left the field with a dislocated thumb as Johan Goosen lined up his second conversion of the night.

The match was ten minutes old before the Tahs had any decent possession or territory and 25 minutes in before they clicked into action but as passes started to stick and the visitors tired, holes began to appear.

Winger Peter Betham – a menace all night – sliced through a non-existent gap off a short ball from McKibbin, broke through the grasps of the Cheetahs cover defence and managed to drag another couple of would be tacklers towards the posts and ground the ball.

Dominating the possession and territory stats in the second quarter and with a dominant scrum anchored superbly by Benn Robinson and Man-of-the-Match Paddy Ryan, another try was just a matter of time. Ashley-Cooper was the man who delivered on the stroke of halftime to take a 20-17 lead and a psychological boost into the sheds.

The Tahs looked to start the second half where they left off but as Goosen added another penalty to tie the scores, those nagging thoughts of 2011 grew steadily louder. In the 70th minute the nightmare became reality as Rhule scored again.

For all their desperation, the Waratahs could only add a single second half penalty to the ledger and became the only side in the competition to have lost three times to the Cheetahs.

Adam Ashley-Cooper was a threat in both attack and defence – Photo: Carl Peterson

“We are obviously going to be heavily criticised,” said Cheika.

“We’v e put ourselves in a difficult position on the table. We’re a team that’s carrying a lot of anxiety as it is, from past seasons, and we’re going to have a lot more. We have to understand that we’re in a massive war – with ourselves primarily – but we have to have the courage and the application and make the sacrifice to get out of (it).”

Asked if the team has what it takes, Cheika said: “We’re gonna find out aren’t we…”

There were some positives to take out of the night.

Paddy Ryan at tighthead prop was outstanding. Noted as an excellent scrummager, it was Ryan’s devastating runs that caught the eye as he made several first half breaks. He could well force Sekope Kepu to the sidelines for longer than this match alone.

Betham was a standout in his first game of the season. Strong enough to break the line and quick enough to take advantage of it when he does, the New Zealand born winger showed why coach Michael Cheika favoured him over Drew Mitchell.

The halves pairing of McKibbin and Bernard Foley, while not getting winning results, looks dangerous and over time will develop into a potent strike weapon – especially when Berrick Barnes manages to get back to the field.

The Waratahs now have nine days to prepare for a resurgent Blues side as afternoon football returns to Sydney next Sunday. It must be time well spent.

Cheetahs 27 (Raymond Rhule 2, Robert Ebersohn tries; Johan Goosen 3 cons, 2 pens)

Waratahs 26 (Peter Betham, Adam Ashley-Cooper tries; Brendan McKibbin 2 cons, 4 pens)

Crowd – 12,263