Waratahs catch a big fish
The Waratahs made it five wins in a row with a comprehensive 25-10 Super 14 victory over the Sharks in Sydney on Saturday.
The Waratahs made it five wins in a row with a comprehensive 25-10 Super 14 victory over the Sharks in Sydney on Saturday.
The hosts remain unbeaten at the Sydney Football Stadium in 2008 with that impressive win and also managed to bag a full house of points before they embark on a gruelling tour to South Africa.
The Super 14 table takes a different shape too as the Waratahs leapfrog the Sharks into second place with the latter dropping to third.
A four-try second half try-scoring spree by the Waratahs saw the Sharks crumble to pieces and were only able to reply with a consolation score two minutes from full-time through winger Odwa Ndungane.
The game had a deja vu feel about it after the Waratahs were again restricted to a low-scoring first half – just three points more than their 0-0 effort against the Lions a week earlier – but showed they are real contenders for the Super 14 title after another solid performance after the break.
Sadly for the Sharks, their Australasian tour doesn't get any easier as they face the Crusaders – also unbeaten at home – next week.
The writing was on the wall for the visitors when inspirational captain and lock Johann Muller pulled out an hour before kick-off with a knee injury. His place in the second row and the captaincy was taken over by veteran AJ Venter.
The Sharks' injury woes continued ten minutes into the match when French pivot Frederic Michalak was forced off the field after colliding with Waratahs' skipper Phil Waugh following a chip and chase.
Injuries aside, last year's losing finalists were guilty of dropping daisies far too often – JP Pieterson setting the motion by fumbling a perfect pass with an overlap in the Sharks' favour.
They were restricted to tackling for the majority of the match – missing 30 in the process – and only made it into the Waratahs' 22 after twenty minutes played thanks to a Ryan Kankowski break.
In fact, had it not been for a superb try-saving tackle by Waugh and a wayward pass by Kankowski, flanker Jacques Botes could have been over with the first try of the match.
Instead the Waratahs' fans had to settle for three points courtesy of a penalty goal by Lote Tuqiri. That's right – you read correctly.
The Wallabies' winger caught everyone by surprise when he stepped up to take the 40m shot at posts after the Sharks were penalised for slowing down the ball.
Wasting little time and with a short run-up, Tuqiri's strike wobbled to the right and then miraculously swung back in for a delightful three points that had the crowd in raptures.
Tuqiri had another chance at goal to extend his side's lead just before the stroke of half-time, but was unsuccesful this time round – the ball kept on wobbling to the right.
A 3-0 half-time score was all the two sides could muster up and the Sharks – who defended bravely up until that point – perhaps thought they were still in with a chance.
Sam Norton-Knight thought otherwise when he touched down eight minutes into the second half after taking a long pass from out wide from Kurtley Beale following some good build-up work by the Waratahs' fowards.
Beale couldn't add the conversion, but the home side were finally over the line.
The Sharks replied with another monster penalty kick by Frans Steyn to take the scores to 8-3, but that would be the last time the visitors would score until the 78th minute.
Number eight Wycliff Palu – who was outstanding throughout – forced a turnover with a big hit on Venter and took the ball up with Adam Freier in support. The hooker passed back inside to Palu who then brushed past two would-be tacklers for a powerful try under the sticks.
Beale converted and the Waratahs were looking dangerous at 15-3 in the 56th minute.
Industrious centre Tom Carter was the next to score off a clever chip kick from Beale that cought the Sharks napping. Three Waratahs' players gave chase, but Carter won the race after a kind bounce of the ball had the home side over for their third touchdown.
Beale missed again, but luckily for the Waratahs, they were on a try-scoring roll as Palu was on hand to take a Waugh pass from a blind move off a ruck to stomp down the touchline for his brace. Yes, Beale missed again.
It mattered not, the Waratahs' had their four-try bonus point wrapped up as well as the match.
A try to Ndungane two minutes from time provided little consolation for the visitors who's hopes of a semi-final spot are now fading very quickly.
Man of the match: Spurred on by two tries from marauding number eight Wycliff Palu, it's no surprise then that the 120kg of pure muscle gets this award for a dominating display on attack and defence.
Moment of the match: Tuqiri's penalty shot brought some comedy to this serious match-up, but it was Palu's second try that really sealed the deal for the Waratahs in what could be a crucial win for the men in blue.
Villain of the match: The Sharks had a lot to say and perhaps should have played with less talk and more action. Other than that, no yellow cards or any acts of lunacy to report – or does the amount of dropped balls by the Sharks count?
The scorers:
For Waratahs:
Tries: Norton-Knight, Palu 2, Carter
Con: Beale
Pens: Tuqiri
For Sharks:
Try: Ndungane
Pen: Steyn
Con: Kockett
Waratahs: 15 Sam Norton-Knight, 14 Lachie Turner, 13 Rob Horne, 12 Tom Carter, 11 Lote Tuqiri, 10 Kurtley Beale, 9 Luke Burgess, 8 Wycliff Palu, 7 Phil Waugh (c), 6 Dean Mumm, 5 Dan Vickerman, 4 Will Caldwell; 3 Matt Dunning, 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1 Benn Robinson.
Replacements: 16 Adam Freier, 17 Al Baxter, 18 David Lyons, 19 Beau Robinson, 20 Brett Sheehan, 21 Matt Carraro, 22 Alfi Mafi.
Sharks: 15 Stefan Terblanche, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Waylon Murray, 12 Francois Steyn, 11 JP Pietersen, 10 Frederic Michalak, 9 Rory Kockott, 8 Ryan Kankowski, 7 Jacques Botes, 6 Keegan Daniel, 5 AJ Venter (c), 4 Albert van den Berg, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Craig Burden, 17 Deon Carstens, 18 BJ Botha, 19 Johann Muller , 20 Jean Deysel, 21 Ruan Pienaar, 22 Adrian Jacobs.
Referee: Steve Walsh (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Chris Pollock (New Zealand), Grant MacNeill (Australia)
Television match official: George Ayoub (Australia)
Assessor: Scott Young (Australia), Lusanda Menze (Performance Auditor) (South Africa)
By Dave Morris