Giant winger Taqele Naiyaravoro has staked his claim for the vacant spot in the NSW Waratahs’ Super Rugby team with an eye-catching performance in their first trial of the season.
NSW won each of their three 30-minute games against Sydney grade clubs Randwick, Sydney University and Parramatta, with the defending Super Rugby champions scoring 10 tries to two across the matches.
No.8 Wycliff Palu was the only member of the Waratahs’ run-on side from their 2014 Super Rugby final-winning side to start on Saturday.
With winger Alofa Alofa heading overseas after last season, former Wests Tigers rugby league winger Naiyaravoro literally put his best foot forward by storming over the top of defenders on a number of occasions.
He scored two tries and threw the final pass for two more.
“I thought he did well and obviously the volume is going to go up a little bit next week against the Chiefs, so that will be a better test, but so far so good,” Waratahs coach Michael Cheika said.
“I still think he’s got a way to go.”
The 123kg Naiyaravoro, standing at 194cm, acknowledged he needed to develop the ability to go round players rather than brush them aside with brute strength.
“I haven’t really worked on running around them. I think I have to work on that, (but) where there’s less space, I’ll take the straight way,” Naiyaravoro said.
A number of Wallabies played in the game including prop Paddy Ryan, inside back Kurtley Beale and lock Will Skelton.
However, several others including Wallabies captain and flanker Michael Hooper, centre Adam Ashley-Cooper, fullback Israel Folau and halfback Nick Phipps all had the day off.
Cheika declared himself happy with the hit-out and reported no injuries.
“I thought it was not too bad considering it’s been a short pre-season and we’ve got a reduced amount of opportunities to play (trial) matches,” Cheika said.
“It was important we got what we wanted out of this – the players we wanted to get the runs they need to get and they did that today.”
He said almost all his Wallabies who didn’t get a run on Saturday would turn out in Friday’s final trial against the Chiefs, or the curtain-raiser to that game.
The only exception is winger Peter Betham, but Cheika said he should be fit for the opening-round Super Rugby match against the Western Force.
He said captain and flanker Dave Dennis, who missed the Super rugby grand final because of a knee injury, is scheduled to make his comeback on Friday.
“He needs a doctor’s clearance, but he’s been doing full contact training and he’s ready to go,” Cheika said.
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