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NSW captain Dave Dennis has hailed his side’s character and resilience after the Waratahs revived their Super Rugby title defence with a bonus-point win over the Hurricanes in Wellington.
With their finals hopes on the line after a shock home loss to the Stormers, the Waratahs ran in four tries on Saturday to end the Hurricanes’ unbeaten start to the season in a spirited 29-24 display at the Cake Tin.
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The victory lifted the titleholders back into the top six before their crucial Australian conference clashes against the Rebels and Brumbies.
“Not a lot of people would have given us a chance coming over here (against) the ladder leaders,” Dennis said.
“It wasn’t perfect but it’s a win. Although they scored a lot of points, we still worked hard for each other so that’s really positive.”
The Waratahs found the physical edge coach Michael Cheika had been looking for, with Dennis and power forwards Wycliff Palu and Will Skelton leading the way in a helter-skelter contest that featured eight tries and just as many near misses.
Opting for six forwards on the bench, Cheika got full value from his reserves as the Waratahs took command in the second half after the sides went to the interval locked at 19-19.
Star fullback Israel Folau’s 52nd-minute strike, followed by Bernard Foley’s conversion and a penalty goal gave the Waratahs a 10-point buffer.
But they had to hang on during a tense final 10 minutes following a soft try to Hurricanes halfback TJ Perenara.
In a seesawing first half, the Waratahs led, trailed and drew level when winger Peter Betham grabbed his second try of the game after the siren sounded.
Proving a worthy fill-in for Taqele Naiyaravoro, who was grounded in Sydney due to visa restrictions, Betham snapped up an errant, no-look pass from Beauden Barrett to score under the posts.
He also grabbed the opening try of the match in the 14th minute before the Hurricanes struck back with two tries in three minutes through Conrad Smith and Barrett, then edged in front just after the half-hour mark with another five-pointer to Brad Shields.
But the Waratahs were not to be denied, leaving the Hurricanes to settle for two consolation bonus points for bagging four tries and losing by less than eight points.
It was enough for the Wellington outfit to climb back above the Chiefs to top spot on the ladder at the halfway point of the competition.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.