NSW last night secured a valuable home Super 14 semi-final with a scrappy 18-11 win over arch-rivals Queensland at Suncorp Stadium.
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The Waratahs forwards dominated an outgunned Reds pack in a tense arm-wrestle to clinch the Bob Templeton Trophy and ensure a second-placed finish at the end of the regular season.
The bruising two-tries-to-one victory gives coach Ewen McKenzie at least one more game in charge before heading to France to take the reins of Stade Francais.
With the top-placed Crusaders struggling after an upset loss to the Highlanders last night, McKenzie’s side is firming in favouritism for their maiden title.
NSW’s semi-final opponents won’t be known until after matches played in South Africa overnight (AEST) with five teams in the hunt for the remaining two play-off positions.
“We knew it would be tough, we knew it wouldn’t be pretty but we hung in there,” said NSW skipper Phil Waugh.
“There’s a lot to work on but it’s great to be heading back to Sydney.”
Queensland, who trailed from the 21st minute, were typically gallant but couldn’t set a platform to consistently attack the favourites.
The loss was a sad end to the career of retiring flanker David Croft, one of six Reds expected to be playing their last game for Queensland.
Stephen Moore (Brumbies), Sam Cordingley (Grenoble), and Clinton Schifcofske (Ulster) have all confirmed they are departing while Rodney Blake (France), Ed O’Donoghue (Ireland) are set to leave.
NSW were well positioned to book a Sydney play-off after jumping to a 12-3 lead at halftime on the back of their scrum blitzing the Reds.
When bulldozing No.8 Wycliff Palu sprinted over untouched off the back of a maul on the stroke of halftime, second place looked assured.
But the visitors could have led by more with teenage five-eighth Kurtley Beale kicking only one goal from five attempts.
Beale appeared to struggle under the pressure of the high-stakes match from the outset, missing two relatively easy penalties in almost identical position from 33m in the first 12 minutes.
Lock Dean Mumm eventually opened the scoring in the 21st minute by crossing after skipper Waugh popped a pass in a Croft tackle near the line.
The five-pointer incensed the home crowd with referee Matt Goddard appearing to miss two forward passes and a knock-on in the lead-up.
Despite some more unlucky calls, the Reds rallied in the second half and stand-out centre Berrick Barnes closed the gap to 12-6 with a 25m left-footed field goal.
Only when Beale found his kicking boots following two penalties in front of the sticks midway through the second half did the game appear safe.
Winger Peter Hynes crossed after fulltime for a richly-deserved consolation try for the Reds from an intuitive Morgan Turinui cross-field chip.
McKenzie admitted the Waratahs had wilted in the second half due to an arduous travel schedule in the past three weeks.
“The scrum was excellent, they really put the acid on early and won some tight-heads and hurt them physically and I think that really helped us at the end of the game,” he said.
The Reds played virtually all the rugby in the second half but their momentum was quelled when five-eighth Quade Cooper miscued a high-risk chip kick and Schifcofske transgressed at the ruck for Beale to kick the score to 15-6.
But Croft gave the Waratahs’ seemingly-unbreakable defence — which backed up their high-kicking, field-position game — all the credit.
“I really felt something happening and we were building but to the credit of the Waratahs their defence was just unbelievable, and they’ve done that all season,” he said.
Queensland coach Phil Mooney tried hard to hide his frustration at several of Goddard’s calls — especially the lead-up to Mumm’s try.
But he and forwards coach Mark Bell were particularly incensed by the way the scrum was officiated in the first-half, accusing loose-head Benn Robinson of consisitently boring in at an angle.
McKenzie labelled it an “outstanding effort” to overcome a tough three-week run home, including a trip to South Africa, and felt the Waratahs were already in finals mode and well prepared for the play-offs.
“I think with our game we play semi-finals type football anyway, much to some people’s annoyance,” he said. “I think you need (that sort of game) in semi-finals.”
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