Waratahs home in on playoffs with big win over Sharks
By Darren Walton, 27 Apr 2008 Darren Walton is a Roar Guru
The NSW Waratahs took a giant step towards securing a home semi-final with a crushing 25-10 bonus-point victory over the Sharks in tonight’s Super 14 blockbuster at the Sydney Football Stadium.
Also overnight
Mooney praises gutsy Reds
Hurricanes run in six tries to beat Cheetahs
In easily their best performance of the season, the Waratahs piled on four tries to one after the break to blitz the shellshocked South Africans and surge to second place on the competition table.
NSW’s record-equalling fifth successive win completed a perfect home campaign and left the Waratahs four points clear of the equal third-placed Sharks and Chiefs ahead of demanding two-match road trip of South Africa.
The Waratahs now probably need to win two of their last three matches against the defending champion Bulls, resurgent Stormers and arch-rivals the Queensland Reds in Brisbane to clinch a home playoff.
And on tonight’s scintillating form, the Waratahs will believe anything is possible in 2008 – even if skipper Phil Waugh was determined to keep a lid on the excitement building within the team.
“We’ve had belief for the whole year, but the nature of this competition is that, if you slacken off, you lose games,” Waugh said.
“So we’re not getting too carried away. We’re not thinking about home semi-finals or anything like that.
“We’re just thinking about getting to Pretoria next week and just trying to maintain the momentum we’ve got at the moment.
“We’re sitting on 36 points. I don’t know how many you need to get to the semis, but we know we need more than that.
“That’s why these three next games are so important to us. It’s a tough back end to the season.
“The Bulls are running into form, the Stormers are running into form and even the Reds had their chances against the Chiefs (tonight).”
A bonus-point triumph over the Sharks appeared all but a pipedream when a career-first penalty goal in the 12th minute from superstar winger Lote Tuqiri provided the only score of a tight first half.
But four quickfire tries between the 48th and 65th minutes – two to destructive No.8 Wycliff Palu, a unanimous choice as man of the match, and one each to fullback Sam Norton-Knight and centre Tom Carter – blew the match open.
The onslaught advanced the Waratahs from a shaky 3-0 advantage to unassailable 25-3 lead.
The Sharks grabbed a late consolation try through winger Odwa Ndungane, but it was an otherwise forgettable night for the South Africans, who have now drawn one and lost two of their last three games after opening with seven straight wins.
Runners-up last year, the Sharks’ season is fast slipping away and they must quickly regroup before taking on the frontrunning Crusaders in Christchurch next week .
But they will have to rebound without French World Cup hero Frederic Michalak, who suffered a suspected torn anterior cruciate ligament in the opening minutes of tonight’s game.
The classy playmaker lasted only nine minutes before being helped off the field clutching his left knee.
Sharks coach Dick Muir was resigned to Michalak having played his last game for the team.
“He was going to stick around to play Currie Cup before returning for the French end-of-the-year tour, if he was selected,” Muir said.
“He’s grown to be one of us and he’s really enjoyed it at the Sharks, and we’ve enjoyed having him and he’s added a lot of value to our squad.
“So it will be very sad to see if it is the end of the road for him.”
Complete our reader survey
Help shape the future of The Roar by completing our quick survey.
Recommend this story.
The Crowd Says (9) | Page 1 of Comments
Have Your Say
- Explore:
April 27th 2008 @ 1:14am
mudskipper said | April 27th 2008 @ 1:14am | Report comment
Well done Waratahs and Coach Ewen McKenzie. I hope McKenzie gets a huge bonus from the NSWRU for making the semis. A nice dominant win, the Sharks have good defence but displayed little structure in attack tonight. The Sharks up against the Crusaders next week, it doesn’t get any easier to be a Shark…Stormers are the best Republic S14 team this season…That little head slap on Luke Burgess while play had stopped was a spot unsporting gentleman…Sharks have loose discipline…was it Steyn?
April 27th 2008 @ 3:10am
joe b. said | April 27th 2008 @ 3:10am | Report comment
“the Sharks have good defence but displayed little structure in attack”
Because the Tahs to their credit tackled the Sharks out of the game (as acknowledged by the Sharks’ coach in the post match interview), but now they have to somehow find the will to keep playing in this vein. Easier said than done, though admittedly they owe Link a huge “thank you” for the last 5 years.
“That little head slap on Luke Burgess while play had stopped was a spot unsporting gentleman…Sharks have loose discipline…was it Steyn?”
Looked like Burgess’s opposite No.9 Rory Kockott, though maybe not. (Too small for it to have been Steyn.) Some halfbacks (eg., Sheehan) would’ve taken offence and returned immediate serve yet Burgess seems to have a good temperament. Will be interesting who Deans plums for at No.9 come Wallaby selection time. Phibbs and Holmes are obviously also in the reckoning, as is Sheehan for mine (tough little rooster).
April 27th 2008 @ 9:42am
Eljay said | April 27th 2008 @ 9:42am | Report comment
My God, Palu has finally emerged from his crysalus — as a Centurion tank!
April 27th 2008 @ 11:57pm
beaches said | April 27th 2008 @ 11:57pm | Report comment
burgess all the difference..
the tahs have finally pulled their finger out
maybe because of the mckenzie axing that they probably had a hand in
and feel that they are only to blame for losses, now that mckenzie has worn all the previous blame
April 28th 2008 @ 8:21am
Terry Kidd said | April 28th 2008 @ 8:21am | Report comment
Tahs are playing well at last, and on paper should get better with Elsom and Tahu due back. Slotting Elsom in should be ok but who do you leave out for Tahu? In my mind he is a centre, probably No 13 rather than 12, and is definitely not a winger.
Dunning’s shift to TH prop seems to be paying dividends. I always liked Robinson at LH but felt that the Tahs would lose him with Dunning still being there, but I like the balance now.
And I’ll jump back onto my little soapbox and diss Sharpe again ….. the Tahs scrum performs quite nicely even with the much maligned Dunning and Baxter in the front row … although to be honest it appears steadier when Baxter is on the bench …. so how come the Wallabies scrum cannot perform adequately with Dunning and Baxter in the front row? Could it be that they have had Sharpe unpacking behind them?
April 28th 2008 @ 12:46pm
Blinky Bill - Bellingen NSW said | April 28th 2008 @ 12:46pm | Report comment
Well done to the boys. Enjoy your win.
Can someone at Tah HQ pleeeeeeeeeease get our goal kicking sorted out now!
Is KB really our best choice at kicker? Surely there’s others who can get a higher % than him?
I’d be aiming for 70% plus as missed points later in the comp will hurt us badly.
April 28th 2008 @ 2:09pm
joe b. said | April 28th 2008 @ 2:09pm | Report comment
“…so how come the Wallabies scrum cannot perform adequately with Dunning and Baxter in the front row?”
“Could it be that they have had Sharpe unpacking behind them?”
Interesting point, one that Spiro raised in his heaven[ly] column a year or two ago. Wouldn’t the front row then say to the locks, “Hey, you’re not doing your job!”
“Is KB really our best choice at kicker? Surely there’s others who can get a higher % than him? I’d be aiming for 70% plus as missed points later in the comp will hurt us badly.”
Yep it was pretty frustrating because the Sharks are one of those sides that can score quickly and erode your lead (bad missed tackle by Turner that let in their sole try). Good to see Lote convert one of the long distance shots, and re KB’s %, isn’t SNK also a goal kicker? Now’s the time for Link to really make the kickers train thier rear ends off for these final three rounds. Anyway, good to see the guys play with confidence at long last (it’s only been an 18 month wait), and as for Rocky’s and Tahu’s imminent return, first they’ve got to earn a bench spot considering how well the current 22 are gelling. If I were Link I wouldn’t be changing a thing – reward those that’ve done the job.
April 29th 2008 @ 12:36am
Blinky Bill - Bellingen NSW said | April 29th 2008 @ 12:36am | Report comment
That ‘love tap’ on Burgess – I was kind of pleased to see his reaction to that. It’s good to know that the guy has a cool head.
I can easily imagine Sheehan blowing up over something like that (fiesty customer that he is). Last thing you want is some dill over reacting & being penalised. ‘Let the score board do the talking’ needs to be our motto.
April 30th 2008 @ 3:15am
joe b. said | April 30th 2008 @ 3:15am | Report comment
“That ‘love tap’ on Burgess – I was kind of pleased to see his reaction to that. It’s good to know that the guy has a cool head.”
And a sense of humour apparently – laughed as if it was the funniest thing since GW Bush was inaugurated president way back when (but will he still be laughing if Hillary gets in?). But yes it would be good to see the Eastern Subs halfback get a Wallaby jumper.