It wasn’t just hype after all: the HSBC Waratahs had a crack at the Crusaders in the final trial match for both teams and moved the ball around to do it. They lost the game 16-14 because they dropped the pill like millionaires but not many of the Waratahs’ faithful at Allianz Stadium cared too much because rugby had broken out.
THE MATCH
The Crusaders weren’t much better at control. The defended well for long periods but when they had a chance they tried too hard. Perhaps they would have had better rhythm had they pressed their attack instead of taking penalty kicks for goal.
The Waratahs chose to ignore the posts nine times and some kicks forgone looked easy. They went for tries instead and scored two of them to one, but should have scored more.
The home side’s new halves pairing did not function well. Scrum-half Grayson Hart was neither slick nor quick with his passing and fly-half Ben Volavola sprayed the ball from hands like a garden hose. Things got better when Brendan McKibbin replaced Hart, and Volavola responded. (To be fair he played a lot at fulllback for his club last year and was not used to throwing so many passes.)
They weren’t the only players on the park to pass and catch poorly, nor to have Keystone Cops moments. Players from both teams looked full of rust.
Dan Carter kicked a penalty goal to open the scoring and early in the second quarter big bopper prop Pa’ea Fanunu went over from a maul. He appeared to have a couple of detached teammates clearing the way for him but referee Steve Walsh was happy.
At half time the Waratahs were behind 10-0. Their backline had made a few breaks and forwards Dave Dennis, Cliffy Palu and Sitaleki Timani had bent the line, but the team couldn’t hold onto the ball.
After oranges Tom Taylor slotted the Crusaders’ second penalty to put them ahead 13-0. Not a St Valentine’s Day Massacre yet but the Waratahs were against the wall and were looking nervous.
Then they started to play their best rugby. They controlled possession in the third quarter and parked themselves in the Crusaders’ half for long periods. Excellent defence and a bit of canny indiscipline from the Crusaders kept the home team from scoring tries. Then at the 60-minute mark Lopeti Timani scored. He ran too upright like big brother Sitaleki, but struggled through traffic to ground the ball in-goal — 13-7 Crusaders.
Shortly afterwards Paddy Ryan scored from a maul and with McKibbin’s second conversion the Waratahs hit the lead 14-13.
But nine minutes before full time Tom Taylor slotted a third penalty kick for the Crusaders, who held on to win 16-14.
For the Crusaders, lock Sam Whitelock had a typical big-engine game and Robbie Fruean and Israel Dagg threatened every time they had the ball. Credit to all the back-rowers in red jerseys also. Their line speed suffocated the Waratahs inside backs for long periods (though they copped some offside penalties).
After the game, Crusaders skipper Kieran Reid said:
‘It was a messy game from our point of view. We didn’t feel like we could get into the game because we were on defence all the time. We made a step up in that area [because] our defence was outstanding.
‘We’ll work on our attack and think that we have to be really smart and lot more accurate than what we were tonight.
‘The Waratahs showed a lot of patience […] and they have some attacking players out wide, but I don’t think they stressed us as much as perhaps they could have. But certainly they have a lot of structure there that’s going to make them a pretty serious threat in the competition.’
[one_half last=”no”]
GAGR MOM
Israel Folau was the man of the match but made one gaffe when he handballed the pill over the dead-ball line – though whether this habit should be attributed to his time in rugby league, or in Aussie Rules, is not clear. He made several breaks that should have been converted better, but the jury is still out on his ability as a custodian fullback.[/one_half]
[one_half last=”yes”]
Wallaby Watch
Lopeti Timani and Kane Douglas were making a difference in the second half and Greg Peterson was showing some mongrel too. The Waratahs’ outside backs got little good ball early in the match but Adam Ashley-Cooper and Tom Kingston looked bloody good when their team hit their stride.[/one_half]
The Details
Crusaders 16 – Try: Pa’ea Fanunu; Conversion: Dan Carter; Penalties: Carter, Tom Taylor (2).
Waratahs 14 – Tries: Lopeti Timani, Paddy Ryan; Conversions: Brendan McKibbin (2).
Half time 0-13
Referee: Steve Walsh
Crowd: 6,824
