The Waratahs, with the most miserly defence in the Super Rugby competition, added an outstanding attacking display to totally overwhelm the Brumbies by 41 points to 7. They scored five tries to a solitary last-minute consolation try for the Brumbies.
Waratahs fans have waited a long time for this sort of attacking commitment from their team. After making numerous opportunities in the first half and completing only one, they shifted another gear after the break to collect four more tries. This lifted them into fifth place on the table and earned a play-off date away against the Auckland Blues next weekend.
The Waratahs forwards arrived at the tackle contests with numbers and aggression and clearly won this vital part of the game. After the match, Brumbies captain Matt Giteau said as much and added that his team had been ‘clearly outplayed’.
This performance by the Tahs forwards was a fitting send-off for their No. 1 fan, Dave Brockhoff, who died on Friday after a short illness following a fall. Brock, an ex-Wallaby player and outstanding Wallaby coach, was loved and admired by hundreds who were close to the game. He was a great man and I will miss him, but he will live forever in our memories. Our thoughts are with his family and his wonderful wife, Claire. She is a beautiful human being. I know that Brock will have been watching – he NEVER missed a match – and he would have been ecstatic with the Waratahs forwards charging ‘like hungry sharks through a school of mullet’ (a favourite Brockism).
All teams love and want go-forward ball, but few seem to know just how to get it. The Waratahs seem to have discovered the secret at last: low body position plus powerful leg-drive from forwards arriving in numbers, parallel to touch and driving past the ball. (As Brock always said, ‘It’s not rocket science!’) Next we need immediate clearance of the ball away from the tackle. This can be either by a pick-and-go, a snipe from the scrum-half, or a pass. This generally requires the immediate presence of the scrum-half and for the most part, the penny seems to have dropped for Luke Burgess. He wasn’t perfect, mind you, but he was lot better.
A few players stood out in this area of clear superiority for the Waratahs, none more than their giant young lock Sitaleki Timani. Timani had an outstanding work rate, in both attack and defence, with his wrecking-ball tackles accidentally knocking out two players – first the Brumbies’ Test prop, Ben Alexander, and then his teammate Al Baxter.
He appeared all over the pitch to make himself available for work and was rewarded with a try early in the second half. His powerful runs and bone-crunching tackles helped to take the sting right out of his opponents and paved the way for his team’s second-half points spree. In my view, he has played himself right into selection for the Wallabies’ World Cup squad.
Kurtley Beale was special – once again – and he set the tone from the kick-off, repeatedly breaking the tackle with pace, power and footwork. In the fifth minute he set Lachie Turner free for the Tahs’ first try. Turner had cleared the ball immediately away from the tackle (see my reference above) and stayed alive to take the inside pass from Beale. This was an important score that clearly stated the home team’s intentions.
Unfortunately, after a period of consistent attacking pressure that yielded only 10 points but had promised much more, the Waratahs went back into a conservative, perhaps even lethargic, cocoon. This was pretty much the story for the second quarter and the problem must be addressed for the Blues match. Can somebody please explain the kick by Daniel Halangahu in the 41st minute! Isn’t quality ball just as valuable in the 41st minute as it is in every other minute of the game?
Good words were obviously spoken in the change room, because the Tahs arrived back on the pitch full of enterprise and determination. They then proceeded to bludgeon the opposition with powerful ball carries and to demolish them at the tackle contests. When the Brumbies had the ball, the Tahs were just relentless with their harrying defence. Most of the time it looked as if the Waratahs had more players than their opponents. Smothering defence can look like this, and in the end the Brumbies simply had nowhere to go. I’m tempted to say that this second half performance was the best from the Waratahs for twenty years! With the Reds at the top of the table, this Waratahs’ performance signified something important for the Wallabies’ prospects in the coming Test season.
All of the Waratahs played well, but more is needed if next weekend has a next weekend beyond it. Many opportunities were squandered, most of all by poor positional play in support that resulted in the support player over-running the ball carrier. It is not too difficult to slow down! Only perfect technique will give the required performance. While I’m on the subject of technique and referring to my earlier mention of the need for quick recycling of the ball at the tackle, I noticed that some smaller players (like Pakalani, Anesi and Beale) can win the tackle contest and consistently achieve an immediate long place of the ball for immediate re-use. Other bigger, stronger players must match this.
Al Baxter was much more prominent on attack, David Dennis continues to impress, Waugh was always available and Polota-Nau was a constant threat to all – including himself, as usual. Tom Carter and Ryan Cross lifted to the demands that a ball-in-hand game imposes, especially in the all-important need for urgent realignment.
The replacements and substitutes all contributed excellently and, given the injury toll, this was vital. Dan Vickerman looks a picture of fitness despite his long lay-off, and his presence will be especially useful in whatever lies ahead. Chris Alcock is looming as another Beau Robinson and John Ulugia made a significant contribution. Jeremy Tilse has a phenomenal work-rate and if Michael Foley can vouch for his scrummaging, he is a star in the making.
But my player of the match was Sitaleki Timani. I look forward to seeing him make similar impressions in New Zealand during September and October.
I spent the weekend not at ANZ Stadium, but in Canberra at the Royal Military College, Duntroon. As the patron of the Duntroon Rugby Club I took part in the centenary celebrations for both the college and the club, and watched their excellent team, coached by ACT rugby identity Max Crozier, triumph over the team from the Officer Cadet School, New Zealand. It was a great day and, as discussion continued long into the night, we all agreed that this was definitely a pointer to the more important results later in the year.
