Waratahs crush Reds with four-try romp
NSW Waratahs 32 – Reds 5
Asteron Life Super Rugby Round 3
ANZ Stadium, Sydney
On a night celebrating 140 years of rugby in NSW, the Waratahs have regained the Templeton Cup with a 32-5 demolition of the Queensland Reds at ANZ Stadium. Playing some scintillating attacking rugby, the Waratahs record their highest ever Super Rugby win over their fancied interstate rivals.
Head Coach Michael Cheika attributed his side’s record-breaking win on its execution of the basics.
“The game plan was simple; nothing too technical… just committed to working hard,” he said.
“Rugby’s a simple game – if you run hard, pick your spots and get good go-forward, we’ve got guys who can play.”
Cheika reserved special praise for two-try hero Israel Folau, who NSW fans voted as their Magners Man of the Match for the second week running.
“He’s a good player – and most importantly he’s blending into the team’s fabric. He knows where to be and he’s getting even more involved in the line.”
Cheika was hesitant though to make too much to his side’s impressive start to the season.
“We’re mature enough to know there’s a long way to go. We’ve only played two games and we’ve got 14 to go so we’re only really at the bottom of the mountain.”
It didn’t take long for the prolific Folau to pick up where he left off last week, as the boom fullback opened the Waratahs’ account after only two and a half minutes. A crisp, flat ball from flyhalf Bernard Foley hit a flying Kurtley Beale, who burst through a gap and offloaded to give Folau his fourth try of the season.
The relentless NSW outfit continued to pepper the Reds’ defensive line, as a Betham offload and quick hands from Foley put Adam Ashley-Cooper into a hole. Just two minutes later, scrumhalf Nick Phipps broke free down the blindside, only to be brought down in desperate cover defence by Eddie Quirk.
In the 26th minute their persistence was rewarded with what will surely be remembered as one of the tries of the season. Foley broke through two front rowers in broken play and, in a breathtaking display of continuity, the ball travelled through six pairs of NSW hands before finding Jacques Potgieter, who sped down the line to set up Folau for his second try of the game.
The Tahs’ potent backline continued to deliver on the half hour mark, when Beale produced a brilliant inside ball to bring Peter Betham off his wing and into a gaping hole for the home team’s third try of the evening.
Foley’s incisive running continued to trouble the visitors, and when he found another midfield gap in the 37th minute, it was only a forward pass that denied rookie Alofa Alofa a try.
Minutes later, Reds fullback Aidan Toua showed serious pace to beat his man on the outside, before planting a deft grubber kick deep into the Waratahs’ 22. Folau showed fierce determination to sweep away the loose ball but was deemed to have illegally batted the ball into touch and was yellow carded.
The numerical advantage found the Tahs short on the outside and the ball was sent through the hands for Waratah-turned-Red Lachie Turner to cross in the corner. Flyhalf Quade Cooper missed the conversion, leaving the home side to take a commanding 14-point advantage into the break.
Changes in the front row for the Reds disrupted their set piece and after two early scrum penalties to the Tahs, the opportunistic Beale took a quick tap and burrowed under two Reds defenders to score the bonus point try after only 47 minutes.
Midway through the half, Alofa looked to have created something from nothing, going from a standing start to swerve through two defenders and lunge over the line, before referee Glen Jackson ruled that James Horwill and been impeded in the play and forced the Tahs to settle for a penalty goal from an accrued advantage.
Foley’s second penalty goal put the result beyond doubt and ensured the Templeton Cup returned south for the first time since 2011.
Highlights of the match can be seen on TahTV: youtube.com/TahTV
The NSW Waratahs will now enjoy the bye week, before they next play the ACT Brumbies at Canberra Stadium on Saturday, March 15 (kick-off 7.40pm).
NSW Waratahs 32 (tries: Folau 2, Betham, Beale; cons: Foley 3; pens: Foley 2) def Reds 5 (tries: Turner)
NSW Waratahs: 1. Benn Robinson (Eastwood), 2. Tatafu Polota Nau (Parramatta), 3. Paddy Ryan (Sydney University), 4. Will Skelton (Sydney University), 5. Kane Douglas (Southern Districts), 6. Dave Dennis (captain, Sydney University), 7. Michael Hooper (Manly), 8. Wycliff Palu (Manly), 9. Nick Phipps (Sydney University), 10. Bernard Foley (Sydney University), 11. Peter Betham (Sydney University), 12. Kurtley Beale (Randwick), 13. Adam Ashley-Cooper (Northern Suburbs), 14. Alofa Alofa (West Harbour), 15. Israel Folau (Sydney University)
Replacements: 16. Tola Latu (Sydney University), 17. Jeremy Tilse (Sydney University), 18. Sekope Kepu (Randwick), 19. Jacques Potgieter, 20. Stephen Hoiles (Randwick), 21. Brendan McKibbin (Eastern Suburbs), 22. Rob Horne (Southern Districts), 23. Matt Carraro (Randwick).
Queensland Reds: 1. James Slipper 2. Saia Fainga’a 3. Greg Holmes 4. Rob Simmons 5. James Horwill (C) 6. Eddie Quirk 7. Liam Gill 8. Jake Schatz 9. Will Genia (VC) 10. Quade Cooper 11. Dom Shipperley 12. Anthony Fainga’a 13. Ben Tapuai 14. Lachie Turner 15. Aidan Toua
Replacements: 16. James Hanson 17. Ben Daley 18. Jono Owen 19. Ed O’Donoghue 20. Beau Robinson 21. Nick Frisby 22. Ben Lucas 23. Chris Feauai-Sautia
Half-time: NSW Waratahs 19 – Reds 5
Yellow cards: Israel Folau (40th)
Referee: Glen Jackson
Photo caption: Hoiles wins a lineout
Photo: Karen Watson
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